Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of equalization of a vector/signal analyzer including: providing a structured test signal within a selected frequency range. The structured test signal includes a plurality of frequency components each having a respective amplitude and phase. The method includes inputting the test signal to the analyzer; the analyzer operating to condition the test signal; determining information representative of frequency distortion of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer; generating a set of equalization coefficients based on the information representative of the frequency distortion, the set of coefficients corresponding to the selected frequency range; and storing the set of equalization coefficients and the correspondence of the set of coefficients to the selected frequency range.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present disclosure relates to the correction of the frequency response and especially of the phase frequency distortions in the vector/signal analyzers or in the similar devices, where the input and output signals are in different frequency ranges. 
   Wireless networking systems have become a prevalent means in the communication industry. In such systems it is very important to measure/analyze with a high degree of accuracy the various properties of a transmitted/received modulation signal. Therefore a large and perpetually increasing demand exists for high precision RF vector/signal analyzers. 
   A typical block diagram of a vector/signal analyzer is shown in  FIG. 1 . The input signal is conditioned by down converter  100  and analog to digital converter (ADC)  101 . The down converter  100  transfers the part of the input signal spectrum to be analyzed to the operational frequency range of the ADC  101 . The ADC  101  transforms incoming continuous signal into a sequence of digital samples. After this conditioning, a processor  102  carries out the necessary analysis of the properties of the processed signal with the presentation of the received results at the display  103 . 
   It is important for the down converter  100  not to create spurious responses, which may substantially distort the processed signal. To attain such a purpose, a conventional down converter contains usually several conversion stages (three or four) with an appropriate selection of the local oscillators frequencies. At each conversion stage a filter is used to separate out the desired frequency components. These filters inevitably introduce frequency distortions in the processed signal. To achieve a high degree of measurement accuracy in a vector/signal analyzer it is necessary to compensate the frequency distortions that emerge in the down converter  100 . 
   The known methods of frequency responses measurement are based on a comparison of the output signal of the device under test with the input signal or with a duplicate of the input signal. Such an approach can be used to find the amplitude frequency distortions in a vector/signal analyzer. However, since the input and the output frequency ranges of the down converter  100  are different, it is impossible to compare the phases of sine wave components in the input signal and output signal: the difference between the phases varies in time continuously. 
   SUMMARY 
   The inventors have realized that frequency distortion of a signal, introduced by the conditioning (e.g. down-conversion and/or analog to digital conversion) of the signal in a vector/signal analyzer, can be measured and equalized using methods and apparatuses of the type disclosed herein. Such measurement and equalization can improve the performance of vector/signal analyzers used in, for example, wireless networking applications. 
   In one aspect, disclose herein is a method of equalization of a vector/signal analyzer including: (a) providing a structured test signal within a selected frequency range, the structured test signal including a plurality of frequency components each having a respective amplitude and phase; (b) inputting the test signal to the analyzer; the analyzer operating to condition the test signal; (c) determining information representative of frequency distortion of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer; (d) generating a set of equalization coefficients based on the information representative of the frequency distortion, the set of coefficients corresponding to the selected frequency range; and (e) storing the set of equalization coefficients and the correspondence of the set of coefficients to the selected frequency range; where the determining information representative of frequency distortion of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer includes evaluating variations in the phases and amplitudes of the frequency components of the conditioned test signal. 
   In some embodiments, the analyzer includes a down-converter and an analog to digital converter, and operates to condition the test signal by transferring the test signal from the selected frequency range to the operating range of the analog to digital converter. the selected frequency range is within the input frequency range of the down converter. The determining information representative of frequency distortion includes determining information representative of frequency distortion introduced by the down-converter. 
   Some embodiments include for each of a plurality of selected frequency ranges, repeating steps (a)-(e), where the plurality of frequency ranges substantially spans the input frequency range of the down-converter. 
   Some embodiments include inputting a measurement signal to the analyzer, the analyzer operating to condition the measurement signal; retrieving one of the stored sets of coefficients, the one of the stored sets of coefficients corresponding to a selected frequency range; correcting, based on the retrieved set of coefficient, at least a portion of a frequency distortion introduced into the measurement signal by the analyzer. 
   In some embodiments, the test signal includes a sequence of N bursts, each burst consisting of three sinusoidal waves with defined frequencies and phases. 
   In some embodiments, each burst in the sequence of N bursts includes, respectively: a measurement sinusoidal wave with a frequency f i , where i=1, . . . N and N&gt;=1, the frequencies f i  substantially spanning the selected frequency range; at least one high reference sinusoidal wave with a frequency f H  near the high end of the selected frequency range; and at least one low reference sinusoidal wave with a frequency f L  near the low end of the selected frequency range. 
   In some embodiments, each burst occurs over a time interval short enough that any change in phase introduced by carriers within the down-converter is the same for each of the sinusoidal waves. 
   In some embodiments, the structured test signal includes an initial zero interval, and the determining information representative of frequency distortion of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer includes: identifying a time position of a transition from the initial zero interval to the sequence of bursts; based on the identified time position of the transition, generating time grid information representative of the time positions of bursts in the sequence. 
   In some embodiments, each of the bursts includes at least one additional type of reference sinusoidal wave. 
   In some embodiments, the test signal includes a sequence of 3N bursts, each burst being one of three types: measurement bursts with frequencies f i , 1&lt;=i&lt;=N; reference bursts with a frequency f L ; reference burst with a frequency f H . 
   In some embodiments, the bursts in the structured test signal are arranged in such a way that each measurement burst has in the immediate vicinity a reference burst with the frequency f L  as well as a reference burst with the frequency f H . 
   In some embodiments, the sinusoidal waves are sine waves. 
   In some embodiments, evaluating the variations in the phases and amplitudes of the frequency components of the conditioned test signal includes: determining information representative of the phase P i  of each measurement sinusoidal wave with the frequency f i ; for each burst that contains a measurement sinusoidal wave with the frequency f i , determining information representative of the phases P L , P H  of adjacent reference sinusoidal waves with the frequencies f L , f H ; determining information representative of the phase distortion θi at the frequency f i  based on the relation
 
θ i=P   i   −P   L −( P   L   −P   H )*( f   i   −f   L )/( f   L   −f   H ).
 
   In some embodiments, determining information representative of frequency distortion includes determining information representative of phase distortion of the conditioned signal introduced by the down-converter. 
   In another aspect, disclosed herein is an apparatus for equalization of a vector/signal analyzer including: a test signal generator; a measurement unit; and a memory unit. During operation in a calibration mode: the test signal generator is configured to provide a structured test signal within a selected frequency range, the test signal including a plurality of frequency components each having an amplitude and phase, and to input the test signal to the analyzer; the measurement unit is configured to: determine information representative of frequency distortion of the test signal introduced by the analyzer, where the determining includes evaluating the variations in the phases and amplitudes of the frequency components of the test signal; and generate a set of equalization coefficients based on the information representative of the frequency distortion, the set of coefficients corresponding to the selected frequency range; and the memory unit is configured to store the at least one set of equalization coefficients and the correspondence of the at least one set of coefficients to the selected frequency range. 
   In some embodiments, the analyzer includes a down converter and an analog to digital converter, and operates to condition the test signal by transferring the test signal from the selected frequency range to the operating range of the analog to digital converter, the selected frequency range is within the input frequency range of the down converter, and the information representative of frequency distortion includes information representative of frequency distortion introduced by the down-converter. 
   Some embodiments include a compensation unit. During operation in an operation mode, the compensation unit is configured to: receive a measurement signal, the measurement signal input to and conditioned by the analyzer, receive a set of coefficients from the memory unit, the set of coefficients corresponding to a frequency range which contains the frequency range of the measurement signal, and compensate at least a portion of the frequency distortions introduced to the conditioned measurement signal by the analyzer based on the set of coefficients. 
   In some embodiments, the compensation unit includes at least one linear filter. 
   In some embodiments, the test signal includes a sequence of bursts consisting of sinusoidal waves with respective frequencies and phases, and the measurement unit includes a time grid generator unit configured to determine time grid information representative of time locations of the bursts. 
   In some embodiments, the measurement unit includes a frequency distortion measurement unit configured to determine information representative of frequency distortion of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer based on information representative of the structure of the conditioned test signal and on the time grid information. 
   In some embodiments, the measurement unit includes a distortions to coefficients transformer unit configured to receive the information representative of the frequency distortions of the conditioned test signal introduced by the analyzer from the frequency distortions measurement unit, generate the set of equalization coefficients based on the information related to the frequency distortions, and send the set of coefficients to the memory unit for storage. 
   In some embodiments, the bursts contain sinusoidal waves including in-phase and quadrature components. 
   In some embodiments, the frequency distortion measurement unit includes: a synchronous detector unit configured to determine information related to the amplitudes and phases of the in-phase and quadrature components of the sinusoidal waves; an amplitude and phase calculator unit configured to determine, for a plurality of bursts, information representative of the amplitude and phase of each sinusoidal wave based on the information representative of the amplitudes of the in-phase and quadrature components of the sinusoidal waves and on the time grid information; and a distortions calculator unit configured to calculate information representative of the frequency distortion of the conditioned signal introduced by the analyzer based on the information representative of the sinusoidal waves&#39; amplitudes and phases for each of the plurality of bursts. 
   In some embodiments, each of the bursts comprise: 
   a measurement sinusoidal wave with the frequency f i , where i=1, . . . N and N&gt;=1, the frequencies f i  substantially spanning the selected frequency range; 
   at least one high reference sinusoidal wave with a frequency f H  near the high end of the selected frequency range; and 
   at least one low reference sinusoidal wave f L  with a frequency near the low end of the selected frequency range. 
   Some embodiments include a switch configured to, in the calibration mode, direct the test signal to an input of the analyzer and, in the operational mode, direct the measurement signal to the input of the analyzer. 
   In some embodiments, the apparatus includes the analyzer. 
   Various embodiments may include any of the above described features, either alone or in combination. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a typical block diagram of a prior art vector/signal analyzer. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a vector/signal analyzer according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2A  is a representation of a test signal according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a measurement and calculation unit according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a phase and amplitude distortions measurer according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A block diagram of a basic embodiment of a vector/signal analyzer according to the present invention is shown at  FIG. 2 . 
   The vector/signal analyzer according to the present invention can work in one of two modes: a calibration mode or an operation mode. In the calibration mode the switch  200  connects the input of the down converter  100  to the output of the test signal generator  202 . In the operation mode the switch  200  connects the input of the down converter  100  to the input of the vector/signal analyzer. 
   The down converter  100  transfers the part of the input signal spectrum to the operational frequency range of the analog to digital converter (ADC)  101 . The ADC  101  transforms incoming continuous signal into a sequence of digital samples. The output of the ADC  101  is connected to the input of the linear filter  201 . The function of the linear filter  201  is to correct the frequency distortion that may emerge in the signal at the output of the ADC  101 . The operational features of the linear filter  201  are determined by the equalization coefficients that come to the linear filter  201  from the coefficients memory  203 . The processor  102  carries out the necessary analysis of the properties of the signal that comes from the linear filter  201 , with the presentation of the received results at the display  103 . 
   The signal from the output of the linear filter  201  goes to the input of the measurement and calculation unit  204  as well. In the calibration mode the measurement and calculation unit  204  performs the measurement of the frequency distortions in the input signal, calculates the change in the equalization coefficients that is necessary to correct the measured distortions and stores the changed coefficients into a coefficients memory  203 . 
   The input signal of the vector/signal analyzer lies in the radio frequencies range (RF range, usually several GHz). The operational range of the analog to digital converter is in the intermediate frequencies range (IF range, usually about a hundred MHz). Since the input frequency range of the vector/signal analyzer is far in excess of the width of the operational range of the analog to digital converter, to receive a complete description of the distortions in the vector/signal analyzer the RF range is divided into chunks. The width of each chunk approximately equals the bandwidth of the IF range. The chunks together cover all the RF range of the vector/signal analyzer. The measurements in the calibration mode and the following calculations are repeated for each chunk. As a result a set of the equalization coefficients is obtained for each chunk, these coefficients being stored in the correspondent region of the coefficients memory. 
   In the operation mode the input signal of the vector/signal analyzer is connected to the input of the down converter  100 . The parameters of the down converter  100  are set up accordingly to the RF range chunk that is occupied by the signal to be analyzed. The equalization coefficients located in the region of the coefficients memory  203  that corresponds to that chunk are loaded into the linear filter  201 . The transformation of the signal performed in the linear filter  201  corrects the frequency distortions that have emerged in the down converter. 
   The test signal generator  202  produces a correspondent test signal for each chunk of the vector/signal analyzer RF input frequency range. There should be a part at the beginning of the test signal that makes it possible to detect the test signal start. It may be, for example, a short zero interval before the first burst. 
   The test signal is a sequence of sine bursts. The number of the bursts being N, the index i of a burst lies within the limits 1&lt;=i&lt;=N. Each burst is a sum of at least three sine waves: (1) the measurement sine wave with a frequency f i , (2) the reference sine wave with a frequency f L  that is close to the lowest frequency of the chunk and (3) the reference sine wave with a frequency f H  that is close to the highest frequency of the chunk. The frequencies f i  of the measurement sine waves cover the correspondent chunk. 
   The number N of the measurement bursts frequencies f i  is chosen to be big enough to provide a complete picture of all substantial details of the frequency distortions in one chunk. All the bursts have the same length and the same amplitude. The burst length should be long enough to get the measurement process stabilized and make it possible to exclude the burst border parts, where the transit from one burst to another causes phase fluctuations. 
   The phase of a sine wave in each burst is fixed in relation to the burst borders. For example, the test signal may be generated in such a way that the phase of each sine wave equals zero in the middle of the corresponding burst. The described structure of the test signal establishes a certain relationship between its components. This relationship makes it possible to find the phase distortions in the signal at the output of the analog to digital converter without comparing it to another signal. 
   The number of reference sine waves in a test signal burst may be more than two, in some cases it elevates the distortions measurement accuracy. 
   Another embodiment of the present invention is possible, where the test signal, as shown in  FIG. 2A , is composed with the use of three types of sine bursts: (1) the measurement bursts with frequencies f i , (2) the reference burst with a frequency f L , and (3) the reference burst with a frequency f H . The bursts in the test signal in that case should be arranged in such a way that each measurement burst has in the immediate vicinity a reference burst with the frequency f L , as well as a reference burst with the frequency f H . Such structure of the test signal permits to increase the sine waves amplitudes but it imposes more heavy demands on oscillator frequencies stability. 
   A block diagram of the measurement and calculation unit  204  according to the present invention is shown at  FIG. 3 . The input of the unit is connected to the input of the time grid generator  302  and the input of the phase and amplitude distortions measurer  300 . The time grid generator  302  uses the transition from the initial zero interval to the first burst in the test signal to detect the test signal start. Since the length of different bursts is the same, the start detection makes it possible for the time grid generator  302  to generate a time grid that marks the borders of all bursts. 
   The frequency distortions measurer  300  uses the time grid, received from the time grid generator  302 , while measuring the phase and the amplitude of each sine wave in the incoming burst with following calculation of the correspondent frequency distortions. 
   The collection of the frequency distortions for different frequencies is transferred from the frequency distortions measurer  300  to the distortions to coefficients transformer  301 . The transformer  301  calculates the necessary change of the equalization coefficients, for example by the inverse discrete Fourier transform of the frequency distortions received from the measurer  300 . The new equalization coefficients are found as a convolution of the former equalization coefficients and the calculated necessary change. The new equalization coefficients are stored in the coefficients memory  203 , in the region that corresponds to the analyzed chunk of the vector/signal analyzer RF range. 
   A block diagram of the frequency distortions measurer  300  according to the present invention is shown at  FIG. 4 . The synchronous detector  400  processes each burst of the test signal inside the borders designated by the time grid. It separates out the in-phase I and the quadrature Q components of each sine wave in the burst, the components being calculated in relation to the sine wave of the correspondent frequency with a zero phase in the middle of the burst. Then the values I and Q of the in-phase and the quadrature components are passed over to the amplitude and phase calculator  401 . 
   The amplitude A and phase P of a sine wave in a burst are calculated in the calculator  401  according to the equations:
 
 A =√{square root over (( I   2   +Q   2 ))};  (1)
 
 P =tan −1 ( Q/I );  (2)
 
In the distortions calculator  402  the amplitude A and phase P are used to calculate the frequency distortions. The amplitude frequency distortions are calculated in the usual way by comparing the amplitudes of different sine waves in a burst. The calculation of the phase frequency distortions requires a more sophisticated approach.
 
   The frequency instability of local oscillators in the down converter  100  results in the permanent change of the carrier phases. The phase of a carrier in a signal frequency conversion is added to the phases of all signal frequency components alike. Because of the inevitable errors in test signal start detection and because of the frequency instability of the analog to digital converter clock oscillator the bursts borders specified by the time grid from grid generator  303  differ from real bursts borders with time error τ. Therefore the signal component with the frequency f in a burst is phase shifted by a value f*τ. These two effects cause the phases P of sine waves at the output of the amplitude and phase calculator  401  to have random values, so that they cannot be used for distortions calculations directly. 
   The test signal according to present invention has such a structure that an arbitrary measurement sine wave with a frequency f i  and two adjacent reference sine waves with frequencies f L  and f H  are located in the same short time interval. The initial phases of the carriers in the down converter for all practical purposes do not vary during such short time. Therefore the phases of the mentioned three sine waves are increased in the down converter by the same value θ. In a similar manner the burst borders time error τ is the same for all three sine waves. Since in all bursts of the test signal the sine waves phases initially equal zero in the middle of the burst, the phase P i  of the measurement burst with a frequency f i , the phase P L  of the reference burst with a frequency f L  and the phase P H  of the reference burst with a frequency f H  in the middle of the burst at the input of the measurement and calculation unit  204  satisfy next set of equations:
 
 P   i   =θ+f   i *τ+θ i ;  (4)
 
 P   L   =θ+f   L *τ+θ L ;  (5)
 
 P   H   =θ+f   H *τ+θ H ;  (6)
 
   Here the symbols θ I , θ L  and θ H  are total phase shifts in the filters of the down converter at the frequencies f i , f L  and f H  respectively. By combining the equations (4), (5) and (6) with the simultaneous elimination of the variables θ and τ, by solving the resulting equation for the phase shift θ i  and by dropping the terms in the solution that do not effect the quality of the signal transmission the final relation may be obtained:
 
θ i   =P   i   −P   L −( P   L   −P   H )*( f   i   −f   L )/( f   L   −f   H )  (7)
 
   The distortions calculator  402  calculates the phase frequency distortions of the vector/signal analyzer from the phases at the output of the amplitude and phase calculator  401  using the equation (7). 
   One or more or any part thereof of the equalization techniques described above can be implemented in computer hardware or software, or a combination of both. The method can be implemented in computer programs using standard programming techniques following the method and figures described herein. Moreover, the program can run on dedicated integrated circuits preprogrammed for that purpose. 
   A number of the details of an exemplary implementation of the present invention were described above. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible without departing from the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, such modifications are understood to be within the scope of the following claims. 
   Although the examples above describe the use of bursts which include, it is to be understood that any suitable sinusoidal wave may be used. As used herein, the term “sinusoidal wave” refers to any wave with a waveform whose shape does not deviate from that of a sine wave in an amount sufficient to inhibit the proper functioning of the analyzer/equalizer for the application at hand.