Radiofrequency integrated circuit and corresponding test method
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorsBaudouin Martineau, Cédric Dehos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiofrequency transmission/reception integrated circuit includes at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier (PA, LNA), the at least one amplifier being configured, in operational mode, so as to perform a function of amplifying a radiofrequency signal applied at input, wherein the amplifier is configured so as to perform an oscillator function in a self-test mode of the integrated circuit, to generate a radiofrequency signal on at least one of the input or the output of said amplifier. A self-test method for such an integrated circuit is also provided.
Claims17
A radiofrequency transmission and/or reception integrated circuit comprising:
- at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier, said at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier being configured, in operational mode, so as to perform a function of amplifying a first radiofrequency signal applied at an input, said at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier being configured so as to perform an oscillator function in a self-test mode of the integrated circuit, to generate a second radiofrequency signal on at least one of the input or an output of said at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier,
- wherein the integrated circuit is configured, in said self-test mode, so as to allow said second radiofrequency signal to propagate in at least one component of said radiofrequency integrated circuit, separate from said at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier, and in that it also comprises a measuring circuit for measuring a signal generated following propagation of said second radiofrequency signal in said component of said integrated circuit and representative of at least one characteristic of said component, said at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier comprises a field-effect transistor controlled as a switch by an operating mode control signal, said switch forming a feedback loop between two nodes of the at least one radiofrequency signal amplifier and a node coupled to its input, said loop being open, corresponding to a blocked mode of said transistor, in operational mode, and closed, corresponding to a conductive mode of said transistor, in self-test mode.
A self-test method for a radiofrequency integrated circuit comprising the following steps:
- a) configuring a radiofrequency signal amplifier in operational mode, so as to perform a function of amplifying a first radiofrequency signal applied at an input, said radiofrequency signal amplifier being configured so as to perform an oscillator function in a self-test mode of the integrated circuit, to generate a second radiofrequency signal on at least one of the input or an output of said radiofrequency signal amplifier, wherein the integrated circuit is configured, in said self-test mode, so as to allow said second radiofrequency signal to propagate in at least one component of said radiofrequency integrated circuit, separate from said radiofrequency signal amplifier, and in that it also comprises a measuring circuit for measuring a signal generated following propagation of said second radiofrequency signal in said component of said integrated circuit and representative of at least one characteristic of said component, said radiofrequency signal amplifier comprises a field-effect transistor controlled as a switch by an operating mode control signal, said switch forming a feedback loop between two nodes of the radiofrequency signal amplifier and a node coupled to its input, said loop being open, corresponding to a blocked mode of said transistor, in operational mode, and closed, corresponding to a conductive mode of said transistor, in self-test mode;
- b) propagating said radiofrequency signal in at least one component of said radiofrequency integrated circuit, separate from said radiofrequency signal amplifier;
- and
- c) measuring a signal generated following propagation of said radiofrequency signal in said component of said integrated circuit, and deducing at least one characteristic of said component therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.