Abstract: The illustrative embodiments pertain to a test fixture having low insertion inductance for large bandwidth monitoring of current signals. In one exemplary embodiment, the test fixture includes a baseplate with each resistor of a set of resistors embedded inside a respective non-plated through slot in the baseplate. A first terminal of each resistor is soldered to a top metallic zone of the baseplate and a second terminal soldered to a first of two bottom metallic zones of the baseplate. The top metallic zone is connected by plated-through holes to a second of the two bottom metallic zones. When mounted upon a PCB, the test fixture allows current flow from the first bottom metallic zone, upwards through the set of resistors to the top metallic zone, and downwards to the second bottom metallic zone. An observation instrument may be coupled to a coaxial connector that is mounted on the baseplate.

Abstract: A system includes a test controller configured for testing a device under test (DUT). Testing the DUT includes creating a link aggregation group (LAG) with the DUT, and the LAG includes a first link and a second link. The system includes a first traffic generator circuit including a first physical network port and a first port processor configured to transmit a first stream of test packets over the first link of the LAG. The system includes a second traffic generator circuit including a second physical network port and a second port processor configured to transmit a second stream of test packets over the second link of the LAG. The system is configured for instructing the first port processor to transmit both the first stream of test packets and the second stream of test packets on the first physical network port in response to detecting an anomaly on the second link.

Abstract: A system for continuously phase tuning an optical signal includes one optical switch coupled to a phase modulator having a first waveguide with a first phase shifter and a second waveguide with a second phase shifter. The optical switch alternately switches between the first and second phase shifters to phase shift the optical signal, respectively. The continuously phase tuning system further includes a loop mirror that alternately receives the phase shifted optical signal from the first and second waveguides in accordance with the switching, via corresponding first and second mirror inputs, respectively, and reflects the phase shifted optical signal back to the same first or second mirror input at which the phase shifted optical signal was received. First and second phase values of the first and second phase shifters are determined such that overall phase change continues to accumulate substantially linearly.

Abstract: Illustrative embodiments disclosed herein pertain to a capacitive coupler that is custom fabricated to provide shape conformability with a component under test. The shape conformability allows the capacitive coupler to provide a high level of capacitive coupling between an electrode in the capacitive coupler and a metal part contained in the component. The electrode in the capacitive coupler has one or more characteristics such as a shape and an orientation, that are defined by utilizing the metal part as a template during fabrication of the capacitive coupler. In one exemplary embodiment, the electrode in the capacitive coupler has a form factor that substantially matches a form factor of the metal part contained in the component. In another exemplary embodiment, the metal part is oriented at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to a major surface of a printed circuit board upon which the component is mounted.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for using a signal analyzer are disclosed. The apparatus includes an input port having a first plurality of input channels. The input port generates a digital data stream from each of the first plurality of input channels. The apparatus also includes a trigger bank having a second plurality of trigger processors, each trigger processor receiving a digital data stream chosen from the digital data streams and generating a trigger output having one of a plurality of possible values from the digital data stream. A trigger combiner that receives each of the trigger outputs and generates a trigger signal if the combined trigger outputs satisfy a predetermined criterion. A controller copies the digital data streams to a memory and copies the trigger processor outputs to the memory in response to the trigger combiner generating the trigger signal.

Abstract: A method for testing a DUT, operating in signaling mode, includes receiving sets of advertisements from the DUT over advertising channels; sending queries over one of the advertising channels in each set of advertisements in response to the advertisements; receiving acknowledgements over the one of the advertising channels in response to at least some of the scan requests, respectively; identifying respective advertising channels on which the queries are sent and the acknowledgements are received for each set of advertisements; calculating PER for each of the advertising channels using a ratio of the received and sent acknowledgements and queries; determining RF power of each of the advertising channels based on RF bursts associated with the advertisements and/or acknowledgements; temporally associating the PER and RF power based on timestamping; and determining quality of an RF radio in the DUT based on the associated PER and RF power.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for measuring free space properties of an antenna. The method may include supporting the antenna above the ground by an aircraft and using an analyzer to determine at least one property of the antenna while the antenna is suspended in the air. In example embodiments, the method may further include flying drone around the antenna while the antenna is suspended and using the drone to take measurements of the antenna.

Abstract: A method for operating a data processing system to discover the attributes of instruments in a set of instruments connected thereto is disclosed. The method causes the data processing system to determine all instruments in the set of instruments connected thereto by sending a first query on each communication link connected to the data processing system. The data processing system receives a response that identifies one of the instruments and a model identification code for that instrument. The data processing system retrieves model configuration information from an instrument catalog database attached to the data processing system based on the manufacturer's catalog information. The model configuration information includes an option that is available on the one of the instruments having the manufacturer's catalog information and a query that will cause that instrument to provide information on whether that option is installed on the one of the instruments.

Abstract: A method for providing for searching a test objects API specification and defined object instances includes providing a test objects API browser for invoking a search engine to search a test objects API specification and current test configuration data of a network equipment test device. The method further includes receiving, via the test objects API browser search criteria for searching the hierarchical test objects API specification and the current test configuration data. The method further includes searching plural levels of the hierarchical test objects API specification and the current test configuration data using the search criteria. The method further includes outputting, to a user, the indication of test object definitions and defined instances of the test objects that match the search criteria.

Abstract: Systems and methods for testing a wireless device under test (DUT) using over the air (OTA) channel emulation are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, a system is disclosed for testing a wireless DUT having a DUT antenna array. The system includes a probe antenna array, a shielded test chamber, a radio channel emulator, and a wireless communication emulator. The probe antenna array is electrically coupled with the radio channel emulator, and the shielded test chamber is configured to position the DUT antenna array in a radiative near field region of the plurality of probe antennas. The wireless communication emulator is operatively coupled with the radio channel emulator and is configured to emulate an electrical coupling between at least one antenna port of the DUT and at least one radio channel model of the radio channel emulator.

Abstract: A method and system determine a location of a signal emitter. A plurality of sensors each receives a signal transmitted by the signal emitter. One of the received signals is processed to produce a template describing an estimate of the signal transmitted by the signal emitter. The template is cross-correlated with at least some of the signals received at the sensors. At least one cross-correlation feature is identified from each cross-correlation and the cross-correlation features are used to determine the location of the signal emitter.

Abstract: An instrumentation chassis includes a backplane, multiple peripheral slots located on the backplane and configured to receive insertable peripheral modules, respectively, and at least one protocol agnostic high speed connection mounted on, but not electrically connected to the backplane. The high speed connection is configured to interconnect at least two peripheral modules in corresponding peripheral slots of the multiple peripheral slots, bypassing the backplane.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, an RF device includes a receiver and an antenna. The antenna is configured to receive a reflected radio-frequency signal containing a set of modulated signal segments. Each modulated signal segment has a unique modulation pattern that indicates a time-variant reflectivity characteristic of a respective signal reflecting tile of a radio-frequency signal reflector. The receiver can include a circuit to process the modulated signal segments and determine a spatial intensity distribution of the radio-frequency signal incident upon the radio-frequency signal reflector. The spatial intensity distribution can be used by the circuit to determine a spatial radiation characteristic of an RF signal that is transmitted by a transmitter in order to produce the reflected radio-frequency signal.

Abstract: A method is provided for performing over-the-air (OTA) testing of a device under test (DUT). The method includes establishing an OTA connection with the DUT, while the DUT is in signaling mode, the OTA connection including advertising channels and data channels; sending universally unique identifier (UUID) requests at different transmit powers to the DUT over the data channels of the OTA connection; receiving UUID responses from the DUT over the data channels of the OTA connection in response to at least some of the UIDD requests; and determining a packet error rate (PER) for the received UUID responses from the DUT based on a ratio of a number of received responses and a number of sent connect requests. The determined PER indicates sensitivity of a receiver in the DUT.

Abstract: A MIMO test system is provided that performs non-cable-conducted, over-the-air radiated calibration and test modes of operations. A DUT is located in an anechoic chamber having a plurality of probe antennas disposed therein. During the calibration mode, the test instrument causes predetermined signals to be transmitted over a transmission channel comprising a non-cable-conducted, OTA interface between probe antennas of the chamber and antenna ports of the DUT and obtains measurements of received power and relative phase. The test instrument uses the measurements to construct a radiation channel matrix associated with the transmission channel and obtains an inverse matrix of the radiation channel matrix. During the test mode, the test system performs a non-cable-conducted, OTA radiated test during which the test instrument applies the inverse matrix to DUT performance measurements obtained by the test instrument to calibrate out the radiation channel matrix from the DUT performance measurements.

Abstract: A method for evaluating link or component quality using synthetic forward error correction (FEC) includes generating a bit sequence. The method further includes transmitting the bit sequence over a link or through a component under test without adding FEC to the bit sequence. The method further includes receiving a bit sequence transmitted over the link or through the component. The method further includes determining locations of bit errors in the received bit sequence. The method further includes determining locations of synthetic FEC codeword and symbol boundaries in the received bit sequence for the synthetic FEC algorithm against which link or component quality is being evaluated. The method further includes identifying symbol and codeword errors for the synthetic FEC algorithm based on the locations of bit errors in received bit sequence. The method further includes outputting an indication of link or component quality based on the symbol and codeword errors identified for the synthetic FEC algorithm.

Abstract: A testing system includes a test chamber including an array of spaced-apart probe antennas and a positioner configured to support a device under test (DUT) having an array of digital antenna elements, a radio frequency (RF) signal generator and analyzer configured to send and receive RF test signals to/from the spaced-apart probe antennas, and an RF switch component configured to selectively couple the RF signal generator and analyzer to the array of spaced-apart probe antennas within the test chamber.

Abstract: Generally, in accordance with the various illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, a wideband amplifier includes a direct-current (DC) differential amplifier, an alternating-current (AC) differential amplifier, and a signal combiner circuit. The frequency response of each of the DC differential amplifier and the AC amplifier can be selectively modified by placing the wideband amplifier in one of at least three different operational configurations. The three different operational configurations can be broadly interpreted as a wideband operational configuration, a low-pass operational configuration, and a high-pass operational configuration. The signal combiner circuit operates as a low-pass filter connected to an output terminal of the DC differential amplifier and as a high-pass filter connected to an output terminal of the AC differential amplifier.

Abstract: A method for testing an air interface device using emulated noise in unassigned uplink resource blocks (RBs) includes, in a network equipment test device including at least one processor, receiving a first downlink signal transmission from an air interface device under test. The method further includes identifying unassigned uplink resource blocks. The method further includes transmitting an uplink signal to the air interface device under test with emulated channel noise in at least one of the unassigned uplink resource blocks. The method further includes receiving, after transmission of the uplink signal to the air interface device under test, a subsequent downlink signal transmission from the air interface device under test. The method further includes determining an effect of the emulated channel noise on resource block assignments.

Abstract: Illustrative embodiments disclosed herein pertain to a cooling apparatus that includes a distributor plate and a conduit assembly. The conduit assembly allows a cooling fluid to flow downwards through a first set of holes in the distributor plate and onto a hot object placed below the distributor plate. The cooling fluid then flows upwards from the hot object into a second set of holes in the distributor plate. The first set of holes are shaped to offer a pressure increase to the cooling fluid flowing towards the hot object. The second set of holes are shaped to offer reduced resistance to the cooling fluid flowing away from the hot object. The distributor plate and the conduit assembly are fabricated from a material that is a heat insulator thereby preventing heat transfer from the cooling fluid flowing away from the hot object to the cooling fluid flowing towards the hot object.