Title :
An Improved RF Loopback for Test Time Reduction
Author :
Negreiros, Marcelo ; Carro, Luigi ; Susin, Altamiro A.
Author_Institution :
Departamento de Engenharia Eletrica, Escola de Engenharia
Abstract :
In this work a method to improve the loopback test used in RF analog circuits is described. The approach is targeted to the SoC environment, being able to reuse system resources in order to minimize the test overhead. An RF sampler is used to observe spectral characteristics of the RF signal path during loopback operation. While able to improve the observability of the signal path, the method also allows faster diagnosis than conventional loopback tests, as the number of transmitted symbols can be greatly reduced. Practical results for a prototyped RF link at 860MHz are presented in order to demonstrate the relevance of the method
Keywords :
integrated circuit technology; integrated circuit testing; radio links; radiofrequency integrated circuits; system-on-chip; 860 MHz; RF analog circuits; RF link; SoC; loopback test; signal path; system resources reuse; test time reduction; Analog circuits; Bit error rate; Circuit testing; Costs; Filters; Observability; Radio frequency; System testing; Transceivers; Transmitters;
Conference_Titel :
Design, Automation and Test in Europe, 2006. DATE '06. Proceedings
Conference_Location :
Munich
Print_ISBN :
3-9810801-1-4
DOI :
10.1109/DATE.2006.244012
