System and method for power control of an over-the-air RF environment emulator
AssigneeETS-Lindgren, Inc.
InventorMichael David Foegelle
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Abstract
Methods, tests systems and computers for controlling power delivered to a test volume are provided. According to one aspect, an electromagnetic test system has at least one operational path having a channel emulator output, an amplifier, an attenuator and an antenna. A method includes, for a given desired output power level, C, setting a channel emulator output power to a power level B, and setting the attenuator to a setting A, such that C is a function of B and A. In such embodiments, the attenuation A is calculated based on an upper limit output power of the channel emulator and the desired output power C.
Claims21
A method of controlling power in an electromagnetic test system, the electromagnetic test system having at least one operational path having a channel emulator output, at least one of an amplifier/attenuator combination and a variable gain amplifier, VGA, and an antenna, the method comprising:
- for a given desired output power level, C, setting a channel emulator output power to a power level B, and setting one of the attenuator and the VGA to achieve an attenuation setting A, such that C is a function of B and A;
- the attenuation setting A being calculated based on an upper limit output power of the channel emulator and the desired output power level C.
A method of controlling power in an electromagnetic test system, the electromagnetic test system having at least one operational path having a channel emulator output, one of an amplifier/attenuator combination and a variable gain amplifier, VGA, and an antenna, the method comprising:
- determining a target power level, C, to be delivered by an antenna to a test volume;
- determining an attenuation value A based on the target power level, C;
- and
- when the determined attenuation value A differs from a previously set attenuation value, then:
- if C is less than a current power level output by the antenna, adjust the channel emulator output power to B and then set one of the attenuator and the VGA to achieve an attenuation value A, where B is a function of C plus A;
- and
- if C is greater than the current power level, set the attenuation value A and then adjust the channel emulator output power to B, where B is a function of C plus A.
An electromagnetic test system having at least one operational path having a channel emulator output, one of an amplifier/attenuator combination and a variable gain amplifier, VGA, and an antenna, comprising:
- a controller configured to:
- control an output power C of an operational path of the electromagnetic test system by setting one of the attenuator and the VGA to achieve an attenuation value A;
- and
- setting the channel emulator output to a value B, such that A is a function of a predetermined upper output power limit of the channel emulator and the target power level C, and B is a function of the sum of C and A.
A test automation computer for controlling power and attenuation in an electromagnetic test system, comprising:
- a memory configured to store a target output power C, an attenuation A, and a channel emulator output power B;
- and
- a processor in communication with the memory and configured to:
- control an output power C of an operational path of the electromagnetic test system by setting one of an attenuator and a variable gain amplifier, VGA, to achieve an attenuation value A and setting a channel emulator output to a value B, such that A is a function of a predetermined upper output power limit of the channel emulator and the target power level C, and B is a function of the sum of C and A.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.