# US 12,222,831 B2 · Method, computer program product, test signal and test device for testing a data-transferring arrangement including a transmitter, channel and receiver

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- Number: US 12,222,831 B2
- Document ID: US12222831B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/112,289
- Filed: 2023-02-21
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-21
- Assignees: BitifEye Digital Test Solutions GmbH
- Applicants: BitifEye Digital Test Solutions GmbH
- Inventors: Anton Unakafov; Wolfgang Koebele; Valentina Unakafova; Victor-Rico Sanchez-Guerra; Ransom Stephens; Hermann Stehling
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222831B2

## CPC

- G06F 11/263: Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences {; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers}
- G06F 11/277: with comparison between actual response and known fault-free response
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method for testing a data-transferring arrangement includes (c) acquiring a channel output-side data set, (d)(e) evaluating the channel output-side data set to determine an error distribution and a bit error ratio in the channel output-side data set, (f) determining at least one test subsequence, (g) forming a further test data set with at least the determined test subsequence, (h) applying the further test data set to the data-transferring arrangement, (i) acquiring a present channel output-side data set based on the further test data set, (j)(k) evaluating the present channel output-side data set to determine a present error distribution and to determine a present bit error ratio in the present channel output-side data set, comparing the present bit error ratio with a predetermined threshold value and, if the comparison reveals that the bit error ratio is larger than the predetermined threshold value, repeatedly carrying out steps (f) to (k).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for testing a data-transferring arrangement, the method comprising:
(a) generating an initial test data set with a predetermined minimum number of repetitions;
(b) applying the initial test data set to the data-transferring arrangement;
(c) acquiring a channel output-side data set based on the initial test data set;
(d) evaluating the channel output-side data set to determine an error distribution in the channel output-side data set, wherein the error distribution indicates at what points of the channel output-side signal errors have occurred based on a comparison of the channel output-side data set with the initial test data set;
(e) evaluating the channel output-side data set to determine a bit error ratio in the channel output-side data set;
(f) determining at least one test subsequence by evaluating the error distribution;
(g) forming a further test data set with at least the determined test subsequence;
(h) applying the further test data set to the data-transferring arrangement;
(i) acquiring a present channel output-side data set based on the further test data set;
(j) evaluating the present channel output-side data set to determine a present error distribution in the present channel output-side data set;
(k) evaluating the present channel output-side data set to determine a present bit error ratio in the present channel output-side data set;
(l) comparing the present bit error ratio with a predetermined threshold value and, if the comparison reveals that the bit error ratio is larger than the predetermined threshold value, repeatedly carrying out steps (f) to (k); and
(m) evaluating the present channel output-side data set for error analysis if the comparison reveals that the present bit error ratio is less than the predetermined threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
determining channel parameters of the data-transferring arrangement.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (f) determining at least one test subsequence by evaluating the error distribution has at least the following steps:
(aa) checking whether the determined bit error ratio is less than a predetermined limit value, and performing the following steps if the bit error ratio is less than the predetermined limit value:
(bb) determining at least one further test subsequence based on the determined test subsequence; and
(cc) adding the further test subsequence to the further test data set.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step (bb) determining at least one further test subsequence based on the determined test subsequence comprises the step (dd) of determining an inverse of a test subsequence as further test subsequence.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step (bb) determining at least one further test subsequence based on the determined test subsequence comprises the step (ee) of forming a group of test subsequences with an identical symbol at a predetermined point of a pulse response, or a maximum pulse response.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step (bb)
determining at least one further test subsequence based on the determined test subsequence comprises the step (ff) of determining and evaluating a predetermined similarity criterion with regard to test subsequences to select test subsequences.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
(a) generate an initial test data set with a predetermined minimum number of repetitions;
(b) apply the initial test data set to the data-transferring arrangement;
(c) acquire a channel output-side data set based on the initial test data set;
(d) evaluate the channel output-side data set to determine an error distribution in the channel output-side data set, wherein the error distribution indicates at what points of the channel output-side signal errors have occurred based on a comparison of the channel output-side data set with the initial test data set;
(e) evaluate the channel output-side data set to determine a bit error ratio in the channel output-side data set;
(f) determine at least one test subsequence by evaluating the error distribution;
(g) form a further test data set with at least the determined test subsequence;
(h) apply the further test data set to the data-transferring arrangement;
(i) acquire a present channel output-side data set based on the further test data set;
(j) evaluate the present channel output-side data set to determine a present error distribution in the present channel output-side data set;
(k) evaluate the present channel output-side data set to determine a present bit error ratio in the present channel output-side data set;
(l) compare the present bit error ratio with a predetermined threshold value and, if the comparison reveals that the bit error ratio is larger than the predetermined threshold value, repeatedly carrying out steps (f) to (k); and
(m) evaluate the present channel output-side data set for error analysis if the comparison reveals that the present bit error ratio is less than the predetermined threshold value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7, wherein the initial test data set and the further test data set are stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

### Claim 9

A test device for testing a data-transferring arrangement, wherein the test device is configured to:
generate an initial test data set with a predetermined minimum number of repetitions and to apply the initial test data set to the data-transferring arrangement,
acquire a channel output-side data set based on the initial test data set,
evaluate the channel output-side data set to determine an error distribution in the channel output-side data set, wherein the error distribution indicates at what points of the channel output-side signal errors have occurred based on a comparison of the channel output-side data set with the initial test data set,
evaluate the channel output-side data set to determine a bit error ratio in the channel output-side data set,
determine a further test data set with at least the determined test subsequence,
apply the further test data set to the data-transferring arrangement, to determine a present channel output-side data set based on the further test data set,
evaluate the present channel output-side data set to determine a present error distribution in the channel output-side data set,
evaluate the present channel output-side data set to determine a present bit error ratio in the present channel output-side data set, to compare the present bit error ratio with a predetermined threshold value, and if the comparison reveals that the bit error ratio is larger than the predetermined threshold value, to carry out, in particular repeatedly carry out, at least one process of determining at least one further test subsequence by evaluating the further error distribution, and
evaluate the channel output-side data set for error analysis if the comparison reveals that the present bit error ratio is less than the predetermined threshold value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The test device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the test device is further configured to determine channel parameters of the data-transferring arrangement.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The test device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the test device is further configured to check whether the bit error ratio determined by evaluating the channel output-side data set is less than a predetermined limit value and, if the bit error ratio is less than the limit value, to determine at least one further test subsequence based on the determined test subsequence and to add the further test subsequence to the further test data set.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The test device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the test device is further configured to determine an inverse of a test subsequence as further test subsequence.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The test device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the test device is further configured to form a group of test subsequences with an identical symbol at a predetermined point of a pulse response, or a maximum pulse response.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The test device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the test device is further configured to determine and evaluate a predetermined similarity criterion with regard to test subsequences to select test subsequences.