Patents Assigned to National Instruments Corporation
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Publication number: 20230114555Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, and other techniques for identifying redundant parameters and reducing parameters for testing a device. A set of test values and limits for a set of parameters are received. A set of simulated test values for the set of parameters are determined based on one or more probabilistic representations for the set of parameters. The one or more probabilistic representations are constructed based on the set of test values. A set of cumulative probabilities of passing for the set of parameters are calculated based on the set of simulated test values and the limits. A reduced set of parameters are determined from the set of parameters based on the set of cumulative probabilities of passing. The reduced set of parameters are deployed for testing the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2021Publication date: April 13, 2023Applicant: National Instruments CorporationInventors: James C. Nagle, Stephen Thung, Sergey Kizunov, Shaul Teplinsky
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Patent number: 11604747Abstract: Systems and methods for communication between heterogenous processors via a virtual network interface implemented via programmable hardware and one or more buses. The programmable hardware may be configured with a multi-function bus such that the programmable hardware appears as both a network device and a programmable device to a host system. Additionally, the programmable hardware may be configured with a second bus to appear as a network device to an embedded system. Each system may implement network drivers to allow access to direct memory access engines configured on the programmable hardware. The configured programmable hardware and the network drivers may enable a virtual network connection between the systems to allow for information transfer via one or more network communication protocols.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2020Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Patrick Karl Sisterhen, Ashish S. Chaudhari, Moritz Daniel Fischer, Daniel Paul Jepson, Hector M. Rubio, Andrew Michael Lynch, Klaus Martin Braun, Antonia Marie Walls Jones
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Patent number: 11595109Abstract: A user equipment device (UE) determines a beam coherence interval metric, which is a measure of stability of a beam pair over time based on a set of beam coherence intervals measured by the UE. The beam pair comprises a receive beam of the UE and a transmit beam of a base station transmitting to the UE. A beam coherence interval comprises a time duration within which a quality of a signal received on the UE receive beam remains within one of a plurality of signal quality bins. The UE also determines a hysteresis value based on the beam coherence interval metric and uses the hysteresis value to decide to switch from an active receive beam to a different receive beam that has a signal quality higher than the active receive beam by at least the hysteresis value. Alternatively, the base station determines and sends the UE the hysteresis value.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2022Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Venkata Siva Santosh Ganji, Ahsan Aziz, James Wesley McCoy
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Patent number: 11515950Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Martin Laabs, Dirk Plettemeier, Thomas Deckert, Johannes Dietmar Herbert Lange, Marc Vanden Bossche
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Patent number: 11452231Abstract: Various types of electronic devices may be mounted in a chassis in order to facilitate interfacing with the devices, containing the devices, provide cooling systems which may remove heat from the electronic devices, etc. Delivering adequate cooling air flow to each electronic device in a chassis may be an important issue for the proper functioning, lifetime, or other characteristics of electronic devices contained in a chassis. Some electronic devices may be particularly challenging to cool due to various design characteristics. Other electronic devices may have other requirements that are not well served by existing chassis designs. For example, some electronic devices may benefit from additional electrical and/or thermal connections. Embodiments presented herein describe a novel design for a modular card cage accessory that may be configured to modify air flow and/or to meet particular requirements of an electronic device in a chassis, among various possibilities.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2020Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Richard G. Baldwin, Jr., Michael H. Singerman
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Patent number: 11408916Abstract: A novel modular probe may include an interchangeable (connectable/disconnectable) probe-tip adaptor having a tip connector for coupling to a device under test, and further having a probe-tip terminal for coupling to a first assembly connector of a cable assembly, which further has a second assembly connector for coupling to a first build-out terminal of a build-out adaptor, which also has a second build-out terminal for coupling to an assembly connector of an interchangeable instrument connector cable assembly, which also has an instrument-end connector for coupling to a measurement instrument. The built-out adaptor may include a compensation adjustment circuit for compensating the probe for varying system capacitances. The probe may include one or more corrective circuits in the interchangeable probe-tip adaptor and/or in the build-out adaptor for at least partially terminating each end of the cable assembly with a characteristic impedance of the cable in the cable assembly to attenuate reflections.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Mark Whittington
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Patent number: 11381297Abstract: A UE determines a beam coherence interval metric that is a measure of stability of a beam pair over time based on a set of beam coherence intervals measured by the UE. The beam pair comprises a UE receive beam and a base station transmit beam. A beam coherence interval comprises a time duration within which a quality of a signal received on the UE receive beam remains within one of a plurality of signal quality bins. The UE reports the metric to the base station. The base station may update beam management resource and reporting configurations to the UE based on the metric. The UE may also use the metric to determine a hysteresis value useable by the UE to decide to switch from an active receive beam to a different receive beam having a higher signal quality by at least the hysteresis value.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2019Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Venkata Siva Santosh Ganji, Ahsan Aziz, James Wesley McCoy
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Patent number: 11321341Abstract: A method to dynamically analyze measurement data comprising measurement data sets as the measurement data is received and moved to a data warehouse. The program instructions may receive the measurement data and may extract first metadata from the measurement data. The program instructions may then extract and analyze measurement data points in the measurement data to determine if the measurement data points meet a first criteria and generate second metadata in response to determining that the measurement data points meet the first criteria. The program instructions may then provide the measurement data points, the first metadata and the second metadata to a data warehouse for storage. The analysis of the measurement data and creation of new metadata may be performed dynamically as the data is acquired and stored in the data warehouse.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Sundeep Chandhoke, Michael S. Watson, Alejandro del Castillo, Daren K. Wilson
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Patent number: 11296846Abstract: A UE transmits to a BS an indication of a number of PTRS ports. The number of PTRS ports is a suggestion to the BS for allocating the indicated number of PTRS ports to the UE for transmission of PTRS from the BS to the UE to enable the UE to perform phase tracking. The method also includes allocating, by the BS, PTRS ports to the UE based on the indication of the number of PTRS ports. The indication may be included in a UCI message, MAC CE, or RRC message transmitted by the UE to the BS. The BS may map the allocated PTRS ports to DMRS ports corresponding to spatial streams transmitted by the BS. The UE may estimate CPE of each spatial stream, measure correlations of the estimated CPE among the spatial streams, and use the correlations to determine the suggested number of PTRS.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
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Patent number: 11288281Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may store a first table comprising rows, wherein each row comprises a first data set identification (ID) field which stores a measurement data set identifier value identifying a measurement data set, and one or more fields for storing measurement data metadata associated with the identified data set. The medium may also store a second table comprising rows, wherein each row comprises a second data set identification (ID) field which stores a measurement data set identifier value present in the first data set ID field. The second table may also store a datapoints field for storing individual data set datapoints and a data set index field corresponding to an ordering of the individual data set datapoints. At least a portion of each of the fields of both the first and second tables may be stored in a columnar format in contiguous memory.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Sundeep Chandhoke
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Patent number: 11256641Abstract: Asynchronous event-based start of input/output operations is implemented in a distributed system. Within the distributed system, each master device—of a plurality of master devices coupled to a respective plurality of slave devices via an internal network—may implement one or more timed-functions configured to control timing of physical input operations and/or physical output operations for the respective plurality of slave devices, and streams between the master device and the respective plurality of slave devices. A subset of the slave devices may be further interconnected via a shared signal-based bus, which may be used to propagate an asynchronous event that may be used to start at least one of the one or more timed functions implemented on a master device coupled to at least one slave device of the subset of slave devices. The asynchronous event may be generated by one of the slave devices.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2017Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Sundeep Chandhoke, Richard L. Ratzel, Aaron T. Rossetto
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Patent number: 11255891Abstract: Various embodiments are presented of a system including an alignment fixture for testing (e.g., rapidly and cheaply) phased array antennas and other devices configured for radio frequency (RF) transmission and/or reception. A device to be tested (e.g., the device under test (DUT)) may be positioned in a testing position by the alignment fixture. The alignment fixture may provide a configurable level of friction to retain the DUT in the testing position. The alignment fixture may provide isolation from electromagnetic interference for the DUT while in the testing position.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: David M. Crowley, Gerardo Orozco Valdes, Chen Chang
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Patent number: 11211869Abstract: A multiphase current-sharing configuration may include at least two power supplies providing respective output-currents in the current-sharing configuration. One or more of the power supplies may itself be a multiphase power supply. A first power supply of the current-sharing configuration may detect a phase difference between an external control signal provided to the first power supply to control the output voltage of the first power supply, and an internal control signal provided by a VCO of the first power supply. The phase difference may be provided to an integrator to cause the internal control signal to track the external control signal when the external control signal is available, and maintain a present operating frequency of the internal control signal in case the external control signal is lost, in which case the internal control signal may be used to uninterruptedly control the output voltage of the first power supply.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2018Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: John G. Banaska, Chin-Hong Cheah
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Patent number: 11178628Abstract: A user equipment device (UE) reduces receive beam selection time. An antenna array forms receive beams to receive synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) transmitted by a base station (BS). Each SSB comprises OFDM symbols. Each SSB includes a BS-assigned index. The receive beams are switched in time such that, for each SSB, two or more of the receive beams are used to receive corresponding two or more mutually exclusive sets each having at least one but less than all of the OFDM symbols of the SSB. A processor is programmed to, for each receive beam/SSB index pair, measure a signal quality based on the at least one but less than all of the OFDM symbols of the indexed SSB received by the receive beam of the pair. The processor uses the measured signal qualities to select one of the receive beams to use to receive subsequent communications from the BS.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2019Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Venkata Siva Santosh Ganji, Ahsan Aziz, James Wesley McCoy
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Patent number: 11146439Abstract: A method for determining coarse carrier phase and frequency offsets of an initial block of received M-QAM symbols includes creating a grid of discrete candidate phase offset values and for each candidate value: applying the candidate value to each symbol, applying a respective hard decision to each applied symbol, and computing a figure of merit based thereon. The candidate value having the best figure of merit is selected as an initial phase offset estimate. An initial frequency offset estimate is computed using the symbols updated with the initial phase offset estimate, their respective hard decisions, and an approximation of the complex exponential function. To track carrier phase and frequency offsets associated with a series of symbol blocks, for each symbol of a current block, set a binary trust weight based on comparison of a computed parameter with a threshold and use the binary trust weights to compute a phase offset error and a frequency offset error for the current block.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Prabhat Pal, Aayush Verma
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Patent number: 11099525Abstract: Improved process control systems may include shared safety control and process control components/elements, facilitating the sharing of sensors, actuators, and input/output (I/O) interface circuitry between the safety functionality of the system and the general operational (i.e. normal) functionality of the system. Components and/or circuitry corresponding to safety operations of the system may be designed to permit inputs to be monitored during normal operations at all times as there is typically no safety risk associated with monitoring. The components and/or circuitry corresponding (or dedicated) to the safety operations of the system may operate to prevent normal operational control of various designated outputs/actuators when there is a need to activate safety functions. When there is no need to activate safety functions, these same components and/or circuitry may allow normal operational control of the designated outputs/actuators.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2016Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Joseph E. Peck, Jeffrey J. Kellam, Michelle C. Denny
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Patent number: 11050402Abstract: Circuits and methods for electronically adjusting an effective inductance of one or more primary inductors in a circuit. The circuit may include a plurality of sub-circuits connected in parallel between an input and an output of the circuit. Each sub-circuit may include a primary inductor and an auxiliary inductor inductively coupled to the primary inductor. The circuit may further include first circuitry coupled to the primary inductor, wherein the first circuitry configured to introduce an oscillating first voltage across the primary inductor; and second circuitry coupled to the auxiliary inductor, wherein the second circuitry is configured to introduce an oscillating second voltage across the auxiliary inductor. The amplitudes of the second voltages may be selected to reduce a difference between effective inductances of the primary inductors.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Chin-Hong Cheah
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Patent number: 11050496Abstract: Testing devices such as integrated circuits (IC) with integrated antennas configured for millimeter wave (mmW) transmission and/or reception. A DUT may be mounted to an interface in a measurement fixture (e.g., a socket, anechoic chamber, etc.). Power and data connections of the DUT may be tested over the interface, which may also provide connections (e.g., wired) for input/output signals, power, and control and may also provide positioning. Radio frequency (RF) characteristics of the DUT may be tested over-the-air using an array of antennas or probes in the radiating Fresnel zone of the DUT's antennas. Each of the antennas or probes of the array may incorporate a power detector (e.g., a diode) so that the RF radiating pattern may be measured using DC voltage measurements. Measured voltage measurements may be compared to an ideal signature, e.g., voltage measurements expected from an ideal or model DUT.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2018Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Marcus K. DaSilva, Chen Chang, Charles G. Schroeder, Ahsan Aziz, Paramjit S. Banwait
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Patent number: 11038426Abstract: Circuits and methods for operating a programmable load circuit that includes a plurality of sub-circuits connected in parallel between an input and an output. Each sub-circuit may include an inductor, a load, and a switch coupled to the inductor. Each switch may be configurable in a first state and a second state, wherein the inductor is either connected to the output through the load or connected to the output through a connection that bypasses the load. The switches of the plurality of first sub-circuits may be programmable to periodically switch between the first state and the second state according to a duty cycle, and the switches may be out of phase with each other by a predetermined amount. The duty cycle may be programmable to tune the load of the programmable load circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Chin-Hong Cheah
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Patent number: 11023402Abstract: Bus enumeration of a switch fabric bus may be performed without assigning bus numbers to unused switch ports and/or corresponding slots to which the unused switch ports are routed. Accordingly, switches coupled to a switch fabric bus in a chassis may link-train with corresponding slots in the chassis in an attempt to establish active connections with devices coupled to the slots. Unused switch fabric bus lanes running from the switches to unused slots may be identified, and the unused switch ports corresponding to the unused switch fabric bus lanes may be disabled. During a subsequent bus enumeration procedure for the switch fabric bus, bus numbers may be allocated to the identified used switch ports (or corresponding used slots) but not to the identified unused switch ports (or corresponding unused slots). The link training, used/unused switch port identification, and bus enumeration may all be performed each time the chassis is reset.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2020Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Eric L. Singer, Jason W. Frels, Jonathan W. Hearn