National Instruments Corporation

Thomas Deckert

Dirk Plettemeier

Martin Obermaier

Marc Vanden Bossche

Gerardo Orozco Valdes

Martin Laabs

Christopher N White

Johannes D H Lange

Karl F Grosz

Johannes Dietmar Herbert Lange

Vincent Kotzsch

A system and method for testing an antenna-under-test (AUT). A multi-probe antenna array transmitter is moved to a plurality of positions within a scan area. At each position, each probe antenna element of the transmitter transmits a near-field (NF) over-the-air (OTA) signal to the AUT. An alignment procedure is performed to align transmission locations for signals transmitted by different ones of the plurality of probe antenna elements. Correction factors are determined that characterize amplitude and phase discrepancies between the probe antenna elements of the transmitter. The correction factors are applied to the signals, and the corrected signals are combined at each transmission location to obtain average signals. A far-field (FF) reception pattern for the AUT is determined based on a discrete Fourier transform of the average signals and stored in a non-transitory computer readable memory medium.

Combining signals transmitted from multiple probe antennas in over-the-air antenna measurements

A system and method for testing an antenna-under-test (AUT). A multi-probe antenna array receiver is moved to a plurality of positions within a scan area. At each position, each probe antenna element of the receiver receives a near-field (NF) over-the-air (OTA) signal from the AUT. An alignment procedure is performed to align reception locations for signals received by different ones of the plurality of probe antenna elements. Correction factors are determined that characterize amplitude and phase discrepancies between the probe antenna elements of the receiver. The correction factors are applied to the received signals, and the corrected signals are combined at each reception location to obtain average signals. A far-field (FF) transmission pattern for the AUT is determined based on a discrete Fourier transform of the average signals and stored in a non-transitory computer readable memory medium.

Combining signals received from multiple probe antennas in over-the-air antenna measurements

A system and method for testing devices such as integrated circuits (IC) with integrated antenna arrays configured for wireless signal reception. The method performs a calibration operation on a reference device under test (DUT). During the calibration operation, the DUT receives a series of first signals from a first far-field (FF) location and a series of array transmissions from a second near-field (NF) location using different beamforming settings, and determines therefrom a set of calibration parameters. The calibration parameters may be used by a probe antenna system (PAS) to transmit an array transmission to the DUT from the second NF location to emulate a single probe or multi-probe transmission from the first FF location.

Over-the-air testing of millimeter wave antenna receiver arrays

A system and method for testing (e.g., rapidly and inexpensively) devices such as integrated circuits (IC) with integrated antennas configured for millimeter wave transmission and/or reception. The method may first perform a calibration operation on a reference device under test (DUT). The calibration operation may determine a set of reference DUT FF base functions and may also generate a set of calibration coefficients. After the calibration step using the reference DUT, the resulting reference DUT FF base functions and the calibration coefficients (or reconstruction matrix) may be used in determining far-field patterns of DUTs based on other field measurements, e.g., measurements taken in the near field of the DUT.

Over-the-air testing of millimeter wave antenna arrays

Antenna characterization systems and methods are described for hardware-timed testing of integrated circuits (IC) with integrated antennas configured for over-the-air transmission and/or reception. An IC to be tested (e.g., the device under test (DUT)) may be mounted to an adjustable positioner in an anechoic chamber. Radio frequency (RF) characteristics (e.g., including transmission characteristics, reception characteristics, and/or beamforming characteristics) of the IC may be tested over-the-air using an array of antennas or probes within the anechoic chamber while continually transitioning the adjustable positioner through a plurality of orientations. Counters and reference trigger intelligence may be employed to correlate measurement results with orientations of the DUT.

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Dresden, Germany

Thomas Deckert