Concepedia

Automatic multitone alternate test-generaton for rf circuits using behavioral models

Adnan Haider, S. Bhattacharya, Abhijit Chatterjee

2004 · 64 citations · 10 references

TL;DR

Test generation for complex RF subsystems has been difficult because it requires costly repeated system‑level simulations. This paper introduces a new test‑generation method for RF subsystems that relies on behavioral models. The method generates an optimized multi‑tone stimulus, computes subsystem test specifications simultaneously, maximizes accuracy by analyzing how parameter perturbations affect specifications, and decides pass/fail from a single test response. Simulations demonstrate that the approach accurately tracks multiple specifications, such as gain and IIP3 of an RF transceiver’s receive channel, with errors within 0.1 dB.

Abstract

In the past, it has been diflcult to perform test generation for complex RF subsystems due to the cost of repeated system level simulation necessary for running a test generation algorithm. In this paper, a new test generation method for RF sub-systems driven by behavioral models is presented. The test generator produces an optimized multi-tone test stimulus (alternate test) from which the subsystem test specifcations can be simultaneously computed. The test generation algorithm attempts to maximize the accuracy with which all the system test spec$cations can be determined from knowledge of the different ways in which perturbations of the behavioral model parameters affect the test specifications. Pass/fil test decisions are made using the specification values computed from the observed test response (single test). Simulation results using the proposed test approach show accurate tracking of multiple system speci$ca fions, such as gain and IIP3 for the receive channel of an RF transceiver, with an error within fl dB.