Optimized EVM Testing for IEEE 802.11a/n RF ICs

Characterization of RF ICs based on their error vector magnitude (EVM) is gaining a lot of attention in the industry. In order to deliver this specification at a reasonable cost, the input test signal and the analysis techniques have to be optimized such that EVM testing can provide a robust pass/fail decision while utilizing a reasonable amount of tester resources. In this paper, we propose techniques to optimize EVM testing, both from input signal generation and from output analysis perspectives. Our goal is to achieve both efficient and reliable test approaches for WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks) circuits.