Technique and test signal for determining signal path properites

摘要

A test signal for determining a frequency-dependent or any other property of a receiver path is proposed. The test signal comprises, in a time domain representation, a sequence of discrete states that may be periodically repeated and that gives rise to a plurality of discrete tones in a frequency domain representation of the test signal. The test signal can be utilized for determining a frequency-dependent imbalance (e.g., an IQ imbalance) between different signal branches of a receiver or transmitter.

主权项

1. A method of determining a frequency-dependent imbalance between different signal branches, the method comprising:
providing at least one test signal, wherein the test signal in a time domain representation comprises a sequence of discrete signal levels that gives rise to a plurality of discrete tones in a frequency domain representation of the test signal; subjecting the test signal to one or more time domain signal processing operations in each signal branch to obtain a processed test signal from each signal branch; converting the processed test signals from the signal branches, or an error signal derived therefrom, to the frequency domain to obtain a respective frequency domain representation; and determining the frequency-dependent imbalance from the one or more frequency domain representations,wherein the conversion to the frequency domain maps each of the processed test signals, or the error signal derived therefrom, to a number of predefined frequency points, and wherein the plurality of discrete tones in the frequency domain representation of the test signal coincides with the predefined frequency points.