US 10,473,719 B2 · System and method for separating and measuring two signals simultaneously present on a signal line

Abstract

A measurement instrument configured to perform an associated method separates two signals which are present on the same signal line at the same time (e.g., an incident signal and a reflected signal) so that it can measure each signal by itself. In an example, the method may include: receiving a first probed waveform from a first location on a signal line between a source device and a destination device while an output of the source device sends an incident signal to an input of the destination device via the signal line; receiving a second probed waveform from a second location on the signal line, while the output of the source device sends the incident signal to the input of the destination device via the signal line; and ascertaining from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform the reflection coefficient at the input of the destination device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving at a measurement instrument a first probed waveform which is probed at a first location on a signal line between a source device and a destination device while an output of the source device sends an incident signal to an input of the destination device via the signal line;
receiving at the measurement instrument a second probed waveform probed at a second location on the signal line while the output of the source device sends the incident signal to the input of the destination device via the signal line, wherein the second location is separated and spaced apart from the first location by a separation distance, wherein the separation distance produces a time delay for the incident signal to propagate from the first location to the second location;
and
the measurement instrument ascertaining from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform a reflection coefficient at the input of the destination device.

1 more element

A measurement instrument, comprising:

one or more probe inputs configured to receive a first probed waveform which is probed at a first location on a signal line between a source device and a destination device while an output of the source device sends an incident signal to an input of the destination device via the signal line, and further configured to receive a second probed waveform probed at a second location on the signal line while the output of the source device sends the incident signal to the input of the destination device via the signal line, wherein the second location is separated and spaced apart from the first location by a separation distance, wherein the separation distance produces a time delay for the incident signal to propagate from the first location to the second location;
and
a processor which is configured to ascertain from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform a reflection coefficient at the input of the destination device.

A method, comprising:

receiving at a measurement instrument a first probed waveform which is probed at a first location on a signal line between a first device and a second device while an output of the first device sends a first signal to an input of the second device via the signal line and while an output of the second device sends a second signal to an input of the first device via the signal line;
receiving at the measurement instrument a second probed waveform probed at a second location on the signal line while the output of the first device sends the first signal to the input of the second device via the signal line and while the output of the second device sends the second signal to the input of the first device via the signal line, wherein the second location is separated and spaced apart from the first location by a separation distance, and wherein the separation distance produces a time delay for the first signal to propagate from the first location to the second location and for the second signal to propagate from the second location to the first location;
the measurement instrument ascertaining an estimate of the first signal from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform;
and
the measurement instrument ascertaining an estimate of the second signal from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform,
wherein ascertaining the estimate of the first signal from the first probed waveform and the second probed waveform comprises:
the measurement instrument delaying the second probed waveform by a processing delay equal to the time delay, to produce a delayed second probed waveform;
and
the measurement instrument subtracting the delayed second probed waveform from the first probed waveform to produce a difference signal;
and
the measurement instrument integrating the difference signal to produce the estimate of the first signal.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for separating and measuring two signals simultaneously present on a signal line

Life of this patent

System and method for separating and measuring two signals simultaneously present on a signal line

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20