Patent ID: 8903374

Claim:
A method of calibrating a radio-frequency power amplifier in a handheld electronic device, wherein the handheld electronic device comprises a baseband module having a digital-to-analog converter that produces an analog control voltage that is received at a control input of the radio-frequency power amplifier and that controls how much gain is provided by the radio-frequency power amplifier when amplifying radio-frequency signals, wherein the handheld electronic device has a radio-frequency connector at which amplified versions of the radio-frequency signals are provided by the radio-frequency amplifier, wherein a computer is connected to the handheld electronic device during calibration operations, and wherein a power sensor is coupled to the radio-frequency connector by a transmission line, the method comprising: with the power sensor, making power measurements on the amplified versions of the radio-frequency signals over the transmission line; with the computer, producing calibration data for the radio-frequency power amplifier based at least partly on the power measurements; with the computer, directing the digital-to-analog converter to adjust the gain of the radio-frequency power amplifier by changing the analog control voltage while the power sensor gathers the power measurements; storing the calibration data in memory associated with the baseband module, wherein producing the calibration data comprises producing the calibration data in a plurality of radio-frequency communications channels at which the handheld electronic device operates; and with the computer, directing the baseband module to generate test signals at multiple calibration power levels for each of the plurality of radio-frequency communications channels while the power sensor gathers the power measurements, wherein making the power measurements comprises completing the power measurements needed to produce the calibration data by making more power measurements in at least one of the plurality of radio-frequency communications channels than are made in other ones of the plurality of radio-frequency communications channels, wherein at least one power measurement is made in the other ones of the plurality of radio-frequency communications channels.