Patent Description:
The battery lifetime of radio frequency devices, especially devices for the Internet of Things (IoT), has become a very important design factor for manufacturers of such devices. To further improve the battery lifetime, the devices have to be debugged in a way that the power consumption has to be correlated with the emission of radio frequency signals.

Oscilloscopes having the mentioned correlation ability are known but oscilloscopes are very expensive and difficult to use. An example of an oscilloscope with such ability is described in <NPL>, as found on the Internet at https:// cdn. rohde-schwarz. com/it/downloads_38/common_library_38/brochures_and_datasheets_38/ Debugging_of_Embedded_IoT_System_with_Multidomain_Oscilliloscope.

<CIT> discloses a test system for product testing by measuring their electronic signals by means of an oscilloscope. The oscilloscope may derive signals from a device under test that can be digitally sampled, stored in a memory and sent to a PC wireless in order to display the data on the PC. The signals may be transmitted via transceivers.

<CIT> describes a virtual oscilloscope on a smartphone.

Thus, there is a need for a power analyzer system and a power analyzer setup that provide a correlation of the power consumption and radio frequency signals of a device under test cost-efficiently and easily.

For the above purpose, a power analyzer system for correlating power consumption and RF (radio frequency) signals of a device under test is provided, having a RF sensor unit for sensing a RF signal of the device under test, a power probe unit for sensing a power consumption of the device under test and an analysis device being a physically separate device from the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit, wherein the analysis device is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone. The analysis device comprises a display module and a standardized interface module for a standardized data protocol by which the analysis device is connected to the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit, and the analysis device is configured to control the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit, to receive measurement values from the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit as well as to synchronously display a representation of the RF signal of the device under test and a representation of the power consumption of the device under test. The power analyzer system comprises a synchronization link between the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit for synchronization of the measurements. The synchronization link is a cable connecting the power probe unit and the RF sensor unit such than they share a common clock for their measurement intervals, wherein the synchronization link comprises a separate clock signal generator.

By using a dedicated radio frequency unit and power probe unit, the costs for the system are reduced, as these units are well established in the market.

Further, by providing a standardized interface module, the analysis may be done without the need for specialized hardware, like an oscilloscope.

By providing a synchronization link between the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit for synchronization of the measurements, the correlations are determined with higher precision.

According to the present invention, the analysis device is a personal computer, like a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

The power probe unit and/or the RF signal sensor unit may have an Analog-to-Digital converter.

For example, the RF signal sensor unit does not sample the RF signal received from the device under test. Further, no analysis of a bus protocols or symbols contained in the signals of the device under test is performed.

In an aspect of the invention, the representation of the RF signal and the representation of the power consumption are displayed over time, in particular on the same timescale, for example in the same diagram. This way, correlations are determined more precisely.

In order to allow a broad range of device to be used as the analysis device, the standardized data protocol is the wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, the Bluetooth protocol, the universal serial bus (USB) protocol and/or the Ethernet protocol and the interface module is a wireless local area network interface module, a Bluetooth interface module, a universal serial bus interface module and/or an Ethernet interface module, respectively.

The wireless local area network protocol is, for example, standardized in the standard IEEE <NUM>, the Ethernet protocol in the standard IEEE <NUM>, the Bluetooth protocol in the standards of the Bluetooth special interest group and the USB protocol in the standards of the USB Implementers Forum.

The power consumption of the device under test may be analyzed in more detail as the power probe unit may be configured to measure the voltage supplied to the device under test, the current supplied to the device under test and/or the power supplied to the device under test.

The power probe may be a so-called V/I/P analyzer unit.

For precise correlations, the representation of the power consumption may represent the voltage supplied to the device under test, the current supplied to the device under test and/or the power supplied to the device under test.

In an embodiment of the invention, the representation of the RF signal represents the power of the RF signal of the device under test, in particular the total power or the power in a predetermined frequency band allowing a precise analysis of the RF activities of the device under test.

In an aspect of the invention, the RF sensor unit is a RF power sensor unit for a precise and cost efficient measurement. The RF power sensor unit may measure the total power of the RF signal or the power of the RF signal in a predetermined frequency band.

For example, the RF sensor unit comprises a diode rectifier, a thermal power measurement module, a spectrum analyzer and/or a RF receiver providing exact measurements at low cost.

According to the present invention, the synchronisation link is a cable configured to synchronize the measurement of the RF sensor unit and the measurement of the power probe unit.

In order to provide a compact system, the power analyzer system comprises a housing in which the RF sensor unit, the power probe unit and/or the synchronization link are integrated and/or arranged. In particular, the analysis device is separate from the housing.

To facilitate debugging, the analysis device may be configured to execute a debugging software for debugging the device under test, wherein the analysis device is further configured to synchronize the debugging software with the displaying of the representation of the RF signal of the device under test and the representation of the power consumption of the device under test.

In an aspect of the invention, the analysis device is configured to trigger the measurement of the RF sensor unit and the power probe unit based on the signal of the RF sensor unit and/or the power probe unit to focus the measurements on certain events.

For the above purpose, further a power analyzer setup is provided, comprising a power analyzer system according to the invention and a device under test. The power probe unit is connected to the device under test such that the power probe unit is able to measure the power consumed by the device under test, and the RF sensor unit is arranged such that the RF sensor unit receives a RF signal generated by the device under test.

The features and advantages of the power analyzer system also apply to the power analyzer setup and vice versa.

Further features and advantages will be apparent from the following description as well as the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made. In the drawings:.

In <FIG>, a power analyzer setup <NUM> with a device under test <NUM> and a power analyzer system <NUM> is shown.

The device under test <NUM> may be a radio frequency device for a specific purpose running on batteries. For example, the device under test <NUM> is a radio frequency module for an loT (Internet of Things) component and may comprise an antenna <NUM> for radio frequency transmission.

The power analyzer system comprises a RF (radio frequency) sensor unit <NUM>, a power probe unit <NUM>, an analysis device <NUM> and a synchronization link <NUM>.

The RF sensor unit <NUM> is a RF power sensor unit, meaning that the RF sensor unit <NUM> is configured to measure the power of a radio frequency signal received.

The RF sensor unit <NUM> may be configured to measure the total power of the radio frequency signal received or the power of the signal received within a predetermined frequency band.

The RF sensor unit <NUM> may comprise a diode rectifier <NUM>, a thermal power measurement module <NUM>, a spectrum analyzer <NUM> and/or a RF receiver <NUM>.

Of course, the RF sensor unit <NUM> comprises an antenna <NUM> connected to a measurement input <NUM> of the RF sensor unit <NUM>.

The RF sensor unit <NUM>, more precisely its antenna <NUM>, is arranged with respect to the device under test <NUM> such that the RF sensor unit <NUM> receives radio frequency signals generated by the device under test <NUM>.

The power probe unit <NUM> may be a V/I/P analyzer unit being able to measure a voltage, a current or a power. The power being the current times the voltage for direct current (DC).

The power probe unit <NUM> is connected to the device under test <NUM> at the power supply e.g. the battery of the device under test <NUM> via at least one measurement input <NUM> of the power probe unit <NUM>.

More precisely, measurement inputs <NUM> of the power probe unit <NUM> are connected to the two poles of a battery of the device under test <NUM> or a DC power source of the device under test <NUM>.

Thus, the power probe unit <NUM> is connected to the device under test <NUM> such that it is able to measure the power consumed by the device under test <NUM>.

According to the present invention, the synchronization link <NUM> is a cable connecting the power probe unit <NUM> and the RF sensor unit <NUM> such that they share a common clock for their measurement intervals.

According to the present invention, the synchronization link <NUM> comprises a separate clock signal generator <NUM> (shown in dashed lines in <FIG>).

According to the present invention, the analysis device <NUM> is a personal computer, like a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet and/or a smartphone.

Especially, the analysis device <NUM> is not an oscilloscope.

The analysis device <NUM> is thus a device separate from the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM>.

The analysis device <NUM> comprises a display module <NUM>, a control unit <NUM> for the analysis device <NUM> and at least one standardized interface module <NUM>.

The standardized interface module <NUM> may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface module (Wi-Fi module), a Bluetooth interface module, a universal serial bus (USB) interface module and/or an Ethernet interface module.

Using the standardized interface module <NUM>, the analysis device <NUM> is connected to the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM>.

The RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> also comprise corresponding standardized interface modules <NUM>. Thus, the analysis device <NUM>, the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> are connected for the exchange of data using a standardized data protocol like the wireless local area network protocol, the Bluetooth protocol, the universal serial bus protocol and/or the Ethernet protocol.

For measuring or correlating the power consumption of the device under test <NUM> with the emission of radio frequency signals by the device under test <NUM>, the radio frequency sensor unit <NUM> measures the power of the radio frequency signals of the device under test <NUM>, digitizes the measurement values and transmits the digitized measurement values to the analysis device <NUM> via the standardized interface modules <NUM>, <NUM>.

Likewise, the power probe unit <NUM> measures the voltage, the current and/or the power supplied to the device under test <NUM>, digitizes the measurement values and transmits the digitized measurement values to the analysis device <NUM> using the standard interface modules <NUM>, <NUM>.

Thus, the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> both digitize the outcomes of the measurement with at least an analog-to-digital converter (not shown).

However, especially the radio frequency signals received by the RF sensor unit <NUM> are not sampled or analyzed concerning a bus signal or symbols that are transferred by the signal. This is neither done in the RF sensor unit <NUM> nor in the analysis device <NUM>, for example.

The measurements are synchronized by the synchronization link <NUM> so that the measurement values of that RF sensor unit <NUM> and of the power probe unit <NUM> correspond to measurements taken at exactly the same time.

The RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> as well as the synchronization link <NUM> may be controlled by the analysis device <NUM>.

For example, the analysis device <NUM> may be configured to trigger the measurement of the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> based on the signals of the RF sensor unit <NUM> and/or the power probe unit <NUM>. For example, a measurement may be triggered if it is detected that the device under test <NUM> emits a radio frequency signal.

The analysis device <NUM> receives the measurement values from the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> and displays on its display module <NUM> a diagram showing a representation the radio frequency, especially the power of the radio frequency signal of the device under test <NUM> and a representation of the power consumption of the device under test, for example as a representation of the voltage supplied to the device under test <NUM>, the current supplied to the device under test <NUM> and/or the power supplied to the device under test <NUM>.

Such a diagram can be seen in <FIG>, in which the total power of the RF signal received by the RF sensor unit <NUM> (upper line) as well as the voltage V and the current A supplied to the device under test <NUM> - measured by the power probe unit <NUM> - are drawn over time on the same time scale in the same diagram.

Of course, it is also possible that only the power of the radio frequency signal of the device under test <NUM> in a predetermined frequency band is displayed.

In this case, the RF sensor unit <NUM> may comprise suitable filtering means.

The representations of the RF signal and the power consumption of the device under test <NUM> are shown synchronously so that the power consumption and the RF signals generated are correlated, thus a user of the power analyzer system <NUM> may easily detect correlations between the power consumption and the radio frequencies emitted from the device under test <NUM>.

Further, expensive equipment, like an oscilloscope, is not necessary as the RF sensor unit <NUM> and the power probe unit <NUM> may be acquired as separate devices. For example, the RF sensor unit <NUM> may be a Rhode & Schwarz sensor of the NRP series and the power probe unit <NUM> may be a Rhode & Schwarz multichannel power probe unit.

The power analyzer system <NUM> and the RF sensor unit <NUM> may be powered via the standardized interface modules <NUM>, <NUM>, especially in case of USB or Ethernet as the interface.

<FIG> shows a second embodiment of the power analyzer setup <NUM> with a second embodiment of the power analyzer system <NUM>.

The power analyzer system <NUM> of the second embodiment corresponds to the power analyzer system <NUM> of the first embodiment so that only the differences are explained in the following. The same and functionally the same parts are referred to with the same reference signs.

In the second embodiment, the power analyzer system <NUM> comprises a housing <NUM> for the radio frequency sensor unit <NUM>, the power probe unit <NUM> and the synchronization link <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> may be a rack or, as shown in <FIG>, a housing in which the RF sensor unit <NUM>, the power probe unit <NUM> and the synchronization link <NUM> are integrated.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the analysis device <NUM> is separate from the housing <NUM>.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the standardized interface is a wireless interface whereas in <FIG>, a cable has been shown.

For example, the standardized interface modules <NUM>, <NUM> in the second embodiment are wireless local area network interface modules or Bluetooth interface modules.

Another difference to the first embodiment lies in the fact that, in the second embodiment, the analysis device <NUM> is connected to the device under test <NUM>, for example for debugging.

The connection is shown with a cable <NUM>, but it is of course possible that the connection is established wirelessly.

Any of the mentioned interface modules and protocols may be used for the connection between the device under test <NUM> and the analysis device <NUM>.

In the second embodiment, the analysis device <NUM>, especially the control unit <NUM>, is configured to execute a debugging software for debugging the device under test <NUM> and simultaneously perform the measurement described above.

Further, the analysis device <NUM> controls the debugging software and the measurements such that the debugging, e.g. transmission of a debugging signal to the device under test <NUM>, is synchronized with the measurements and the displaying of the representations of the radio frequency signal of the device under test <NUM> and of the power consumption of the device under test <NUM>.

The shown embodiments are of course only examples of possible embodiments and the features of the different embodiments may be combined arbitrarily.

Claim 1:
Power analyzer system for correlating power consumption and RF signals of a device under test (<NUM>), having a RF sensor unit (<NUM>) for sensing a RF signal of the device under test (<NUM>), a power probe unit (<NUM>) for sensing a power consumption of the device under test (<NUM>) and an analysis device (<NUM>) being a physically separate device from the RF sensor unit (<NUM>) and the power probe unit (<NUM>), wherein the analysis device (<NUM>) is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone,
wherein the analysis device (<NUM>) comprises a display module (<NUM>) and a standardized interface module (<NUM>) for a standardized data protocol by which the analysis device (<NUM>) is connected to the RF sensor unit (<NUM>) and the power probe unit (<NUM>),
wherein the analysis device (<NUM>) is configured to control the RF sensor unit (<NUM>) and the power probe unit (<NUM>), to receive measurement values from the RF sensor unit (<NUM>) and the power probe unit (<NUM>) as well as to synchronously display a representation of the RF signal of the device under test (<NUM>) and a representation of the power consumption of the device under test (<NUM>), and
wherein the power analyzer system (<NUM>) comprises a synchronization link (<NUM>) between the RF sensor unit (<NUM>) and the power probe unit (<NUM>) for synchronization of the measurements,
the power analyzer system being characterised in that:
the synchronization link (<NUM>) is a cable connecting the power probe unit and the RF sensor unit such than they share a common clock for their measurement intervals, wherein the synchronization link comprises a separate clock signal generator (<NUM>).