Real-time error-suppression method and apparatus therefor
OwnerBen K. Sternberg, Steven L. Dvorakinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thorough error suppression signal measurement system (20) having a transmitter (300) for propagating a transmission signal to a first probe 100, through a device under test (26), and into a second probe (200), and for propagating reference signals to the probes (100,200). The probes (100,200) extract normalization signals from the reference signals, exchange specific ones of the normalization signals, and combine the normalization signals with data signals derived from the transmission signal to form receiver signals. The probes (100,200) propagate the receiver signals to a receiver (400), where the signals are gain-ranged, digitized, normalized, and compensated for phase-noise.
Claims46
A signal measurement method incorporating real-time. error suppression, said method comprising:
- establishing a frequency band, all frequencies of which are within ten percent of a center frequency thereof;
- acquiring a first signal at a first frequency within said frequency band;
- obtaining a second signal at a second frequency within said frequency band, said second frequency being offset from said first frequency;
- combining said first and second signals to produce a third signal;
- propagating said third signal over a signal path capable of inducing errors into said third signal to produce a fourth signal;
- separating said fourth signal into a fifth signal and a sixth signal;
- comparing said sixth signal against said second signal to determine a correction factor;
- and
- applying said correction factor to said fifth signal to extract a replica of said first signal therefrom.
A signal measurement system incorporating real-time error suppression, said system comprising:
- a signal source configured to generate a first signal at a first frequency, said first frequency being a frequency within a frequency band, all frequencies of which are within ten percent of a center frequency thereof;
- a first mixer coupled to said signal source and configured to offset said first signal to produce a second signal at a second frequency within said frequency band;
- a second mixer coupled to said signal source and configured to offset said first signal to produce a third signal at a third frequency within said frequency band;
- a combiner coupled to said first and second mixers and configured to combine said second and third signals to produce a fourth signal;
- a propagation medium coupled to said combiner and configured to propagate said fourth signal over a signal path to produce a fifth signal;
- a processor coupled to said propagation medium and configured to extract a replica of said second signal from said fifth signal.
A signal measurement method incorporating real-time error suppression through signal normalization, said method comprising:
- a) providing a first signal at a first frequency;
- b) deriving a second signal at a second frequency from said first signal;
- c) deriving a third signal at a third frequency from said first signal;
- d) combining said second and third signals to produce a fourth signal;
- e) deriving a fifth signal at a fourth frequency from said first signal;
- f) deriving a sixth signal at a fifth frequency from said first signal;
- g) combining said fifth and sixth signals to produce a seventh signal;
- h) propagating said fourth and seventh signals through a first signal path and a second signal path, respectively, in a propagation medium;
- i) normalizing said fourth and seventh signals relative to each other to produce an eighth signal and a ninth signal, respectively;
- and
- j) compensating said eighth and ninth signals for errors relative to said first signal.
A method for signal measurement through a device-under-test, said method comprising:
- a) providing a first signal at a first amplitude;
- b) injecting a second signal at a second amplitude into a first port of said device-under-test, said second signal being derived from said first signal;
- c) extracting a third signal from a second port of said device-under-test, wherein said third signal is responsive to said second signal and a transfer function of said device-under-test;
- d) deriving a fourth signal at a third amplitude from said second signal;
- e) deriving a fifth signal at a fourth amplitude from said second signal;
- f) deriving a sixth signal at a fifth amplitude from said third signal;
- g) deriving a seventh signal at a sixth amplitude from said third signal;
- and
- h) adjusting each of said third, fourth, fifth, and sixth amplitudes to be within a predetermined amplitude ratio of each other.
An apparatus incorporating real-time error suppression with improved accuracy in the measurement of a test signal through a device-under-test, said apparatus comprising:
- an analysis unit;
- a first probe coupled to said analysis unit and to a first port of said device-under-test;
- a second probe coupled to said analysis unit and to a second port of said device-under-test;
- and
- a trans-probe channel coupled between said first and second probes, wherein said trans-probe channel is configured to propagate a first link signal from said first probe to said second probe and propagate a second link signal from said second probe to said first probe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.