System and method for automated loss testing
AssigneeIntrobotics Corporation
InventorsBrian D. Butler, David L. Works
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and device for analyzing time domain waveforms traveling in electronic interconnect for the purpose of measuring the attenuation. This includes the use of an automated processing system and method to transmit a TDR step pulse into one end of an interconnect and to record the time domain waveform response from the same end of the interconnect. The processing algorithms separate the portions of the collected time domain waveform which contain return loss and insertion loss information and process each portion of that waveform data through FFT techniques to extract the frequency dependent loss data. The method describes the calibration techniques required to achieve these measurements and the device utilized can be a manual or robotic probing system.
Claims24
A method for determining return loss of a device under test (DUT), the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting a step waveform through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- saving the calibrated reflected step waveform
- inserting the step waveform through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- saving the measured reflected step waveform;
- windowing into time segments the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform;
- and
- calculating a the return loss from the windowed waveforms.
A method for determining insertion loss of a device under test (DUT), the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting a step waveform through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- saving the calibrated reflected step waveform
- inserting the step waveform through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- saving the measured reflected step waveform;
- windowing the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform;
- and
- calculating the insertion loss from the windowed waveforms.
A system for determining return loss of a device under test (DUT) comprising;
- means for inserting a step waveform through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- means for saving the calibrated reflected step waveform;
- means for inserting the step waveform through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- means for saving the measured reflected step waveform;
- means for windowing into time segments the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform;
- and
- means for calculating the return loss from the windowed waveforms.
A system for determining insertion loss of a device under test (DUT) comprising:
- means for inserting a step waveform through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- means for saving the calibrated reflected step waveform;
- means for inserting the step waveform through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- means for saving the measured reflected step waveform;
- means for windowing the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform;
- and
- means for calculating the insertion loss from the windowed waveforms.
A non-transitory computer-executable storage medium comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement a determination of return loss of a device under test (DUT) comprising:
- program instructions that cause a step waveform to be inserted through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- program instructions that cause the calibrated reflected step waveform to be saved;
- program instructions that cause a step waveform to be inserted through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- program instructions that cause the measured reflected step waveform to be saved;
- program instructions that cause the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform to be windowed into time segments;
- and
- program instructions that cause the return loss be calculated from the windowed waveforms.
A non-transitory computer-executable storage medium comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement a determination of insertion loss of a device under test (DUT) comprising:
- program instructions that cause a step waveform to be inserted through a Radio Frequency (RF) probe, when the probe is not in contact with the DUT to obtain a calibrated reflected step waveform;
- program instructions that cause the calibrated reflected step waveform to be saved;
- program instructions that cause the step waveform to be inserted through the RF probe, when the probe is in contact with the DUT to obtain a measured reflected step waveform;
- program instructions that cause the measured reflected step waveform to be saved;
- program instructions that cause the calibrated reflected step waveform and the measured reflected step waveform to be windowed;
- and
- program instructions that cause the insertion loss be calculated from the windowed waveforms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.