Fast bit-error-rate (BER) test
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorTony Tarng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bit-error-rate (BER) test is a crucial test for wireless devices to pass, since a device with a high BER does not perform at its best. BER tests are both costly and difficult to perform due to a delay incurred by the device under test (DUT) 215 and the testing hardware that is variable in nature. Because the delay is variable, a hardware BER test that can compensate for the delay is difficult to build and a software BER test that can easily compensate for the delay is very slow. The present invention provides a method and apparatus that can compensate for the variable delay. By doing so, a hardware BER test, which is considerably faster than a software BER test, is easily implemented.
Claims30
A method for synchronizing two data streams wherein the first data stream has a delay, the method comprising:
- setting a first data stream generator to output a first periodic pulse stream with its period equal to first period, T1, producing an output after the delay;
- setting a second data stream generator to output a second periodic pulse stream with its period equal to second period, T2, wherein second period, T2, is not equal in duration to first period, T1;
- detecting a time when a pulse of the delayed first pulse stream and a pulse of the second pulse stream occurs simultaneously;
- changing the period of the second pulse stream to be equal to first period, T1;
- and
- starting the generation of the two data streams.
The method of comparing two data streams wherein one data stream is propagated through hardware and has a delay, the method comprising:
- synchronizing the start of the two data streams, wherein the synchronizing step comprising:
- setting a first data stream generator to output a first periodic pulse stream with its period equal to first period, T1, producing an output after the delay;
- setting a second data stream generator to output a second periodic pulse stream with its period equal to second period, T2, wherein the second period, T2, is not equal in duration to the first period, T1;
- detecting a time when a pulse of the delayed first pulse stream and a pulse of the second pulse stream occurs simultaneously;
- changing the period of the second pulse stream to be equal to first period, T1;
- and
- starting the generation of the two data streams;
- and
- comparing the two data streams, after starting the two data streams.
An apparatus for performing a comparison of two data streams wherein one data stream has a delay, the apparatus comprising:
- a first data stream generator containing circuitry to generate a first data stream;
- a second data stream generator containing circuitry to generate a second data stream;
- a controller coupled to the first and second data stream generators, the controller comprising:
- a command issue unit coupled to the first and second data stream generators, the issue unit containing circuitry to issue commands to the first and second data stream generators, controlling type and period of the data streams;
- and
- a synchrony detector coupled to outputs of the first and second data stream generators, the detector containing circuitry to detect the occurrence of pulses from the first and second data stream occurring simultaneously;
- a combinatorial logic unit coupled to outputs of the first and second data stream generators, the logic unit containing circuitry to perform a comparison of the first and second data streams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.