Merging high-performance instruments and FPGAs for meeting … · 2019-08-20 · LabVIEW FPGA Code...
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ni.com Merging high-performance instruments and FPGAs for meeting hard RF test challenges Andreas Gustafsson National Instruments
Transcript of Merging high-performance instruments and FPGAs for meeting … · 2019-08-20 · LabVIEW FPGA Code...
ni.com
Merging high-performance instruments and FPGAs for
meeting hard RF test challenges
Andreas Gustafsson
National Instruments
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Wireless Everywhere
“The proliferation of mobile devices, including smartphones and other mobile
devices, will continue to be the key growth driver into the foreseeable future.” –Jessy Cavazos, Industry Director, Frost & Sullivan
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Escalating Complexity Over Time
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RF Application Challenges
• Cost of Test • Rapidly Changing RF Standards (802.11ac, LTE)
• More RF Complexity in Mobile Devices
• Increasing Test Time
• Need for Customization • Better Repeatability
• Integrated DUT Control
• Test Sequencing
• Advanced Applications • Channel Emulation
• Software-Defined Radio
• Power Level Servoing
Cos
t of T
est
Device Complexity
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Introducing the NI PXIe-5644R The World’s First Vector Signal Transceiver
PXIe-5644R
Configuration VSA and VSG w/ independent LOs 24 DIO lines @ 250 Mbps
Frequency Range
65 MHz to 6 GHz
Bandwidth 80 MHz
Features • Programmable FPGA w/ LabVIEW • Fast Tuning Mode: <400 μs
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Software-Designed Instrumentation
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PXIe-5644R Block Diagram
IP
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PXIe-5644R VST Receiver Architecture
Zero IF
Very small size, low cost, and low power
Wide analysis bandwidth
Ideal for modulated signal analysis
Alias rejection and image suppression
IQ Calibration/Equalization
40 MHz: 16-bit @ 120 MS/s
40 MHz: 16-bit @ 120 MS/s
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PXIe-5644R VST Receiver Architecture
Zero IF
Very small size, low cost, and low power
Wide analysis bandwidth
Ideal for modulated signal analysis
Alias rejection and image suppression
IQ Calibration/Equalization
40 MHz: 16-bit @ 120 MS/s
40 MHz: 16-bit @ 120 MS/s
Calibration is needed to correct for I/Q gain and phase impairments
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Effects of IQ Impairments on QAM Tr
ad
itio
nal
Wid
eb
an
d
Image
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Effects on 802.11ac Signal (80MHz)
Traditional Correction Wideband Correction
EVM -37.6dB
EVM -47.2dB
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Up to 5 Signal Analyzers and Generators in a Single PXI Express Chassis
• MIMO Configurations
• Parallel Multi-DUT Test
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Closed
Open
Open Source
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RF Board 0
RF Out RF Up
converter
LO
RF Board 1
RF In RF Down converter
LO
Baseband Board
Hardware Architecture
FPGA Virtex 6
LX195/240T
PXIe
FPGA DAC
ADC
BUS DIO DIO
DRAM
CLK DRAM
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LabVIEW Application Code
RF Board 0
RF Out RF Up
converter
LO
RF Board 1
RF In RF Down converter
LO
Baseband Board
The Traditional Approach
FPGA Virtex 6
LX195/240T
PXIe
FPGA DAC
ADC
DRAM
BU
S
CLK
DIO DIO
Open
(LabVIEW)
Processor
Instrument Driver
DSP
DSP NI-RFSG Configuration Calibration
Triggering Data Movement
NI-RFSA Configuration Calibration
Triggering Data Movement
TCLK Synchronization
SMC DRAM
Generation
Acquisition
Closed
(C++/VHDL)
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Baseband Board
FPGA LabVIEW Application Code
RF Board 0
RF Out RF Up
converter
LO
LabVIEW FPGA Code
RF Board 1
RF In RF Down converter
LO
The Open FPGA-Based Approach
PXIe
DAC
ADC
BU
S DIO DIO
Processor
NI Design Library Host Code
Configuration
Acquisition
Generation
DSP
Synchronization
NI Design Library FPGA Code
Configuration
Acquisition
Generation
DSP
Synchronization
DRAM
CLK DRAM
Open
(LabVIEW)
Closed
(C++/VHDL)
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Software-Designed Advantages
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RF Output
RF Input
Configuration
and Processes
Hardware Programmability through Software
Equivalent to ~200,000 lines
of VHDL…
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User Application
Config. & Calibration
Software-Designed Instrument Architecture
Host
FPGA
Waveform Acquisition
Waveform Generation
Sync.
Instrument Design Libraries
Trigger
Host Interface
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LabVIEW 2012 Sample Projects for the VST
Application /
Host Layer
Firmware /
FPGA Layer
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User Application
Simple VSA / VSG Sample Project
RF In Config. & Cal.
Simple VSA / VSG Sample Project
Host
FPGA
RF Out
Multi-Record
Acq.
Base-card
Config.
Wave-form Seq.
DSP
RF Out Config. & Cal.
Trigger Sync.
DSP
Instrument Design Libraries
DAC ADC
RF In
RF Hardware
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User Application
VST Streaming Sample Project
RF In Config. & Cal.
VST Streaming Sample Project
Host
FPGA
RF Out
Base-card
Config. DSP
RF Out Config. & Cal.
Trigger Sync.
DSP
Instrument Design Libraries
DAC ADC
RF In
RF Hardware
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IP and Examples ni.com/vstgettingstarted
Simple VSA / VSG VST Streaming
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Traditional LTE PA Servoing Application
RF-out
Vector Signal Analyzer Desktop PC and GPIB
Vector Signal Generator
Servoing Time = 4-5 seconds
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PA Settling Time – Traditional Instruments
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Power Level Servoing
The Traditional Approach
With FPGA
DUT
Settle VSG Settle DUT Measure Power Calculation
Settle DUT
Measure Power Calc Dig.
Gain
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PA Settling Time – Vector Signal Transceiver
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FPGA-based RF PA Servoing Application
NI PXIe-5644R
Vector Signal Transceiver
Servoing Time = <5 milliseconds; Over 800x faster!
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Real World Environment Impairments
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Real-Time MIMO Channel Emulation using 2 VSTs
Hardware Configuration
and Application
Control
NI PXIe-5644R Vector Signal Transceiver
DDC/ Sample
Rate Change
Dot Product
DUC/ Sample
Rate Change
…
BRAM Delay Bank
Interpolate
NI PXIe-5644R Vector Signal Transceiver
DDC/ Sample
Rate Change
Dot Product
DUC/ Sample
Rate Change
…
BRAM Delay Bank
Interpolate
RFout
RFout
RFin
RFin
Scalable and flexible from 1x1 up to 8x8 MIMO
Fading Generation
LabVIEW
LabVIEW FPGA
LabVIEW FPGA
High-quality,
wide-bandwidth RF
Tight sample and phase
synchronization for MIMO/
beamforming
Powerful FPGA
tightly integrated
with RF in and out
High-throughput, low-latency
streaming through PXI
Express peer-to-peer
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• The networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm, Inc.
• Leading provider of wired and wireless technologies
• Serving mobile, computing, consumer electronics and networking channels
802.11ac Device Block Diagram
Synthesizer
Power
Management
PCIE
GPIO
PCIE
GPIO
3.3 V
CPU and
Memory
SOC, MAC
and PHY
WLAN RF
2.4/5 GHz 11ac
Radio
Front
End
REF CLK/
Crystal
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Qualcomm Atheros
802.11ac Device Under Test
RF-out
Digital Device
Control
VSA
VSG RF-out
Tx
Rx
Digital
I/O
Digital
I/O
RF-in
RF-in
Vector Signal Transceiver/Device Under Test Integration
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Traditional Instrumentation
-48
-43
-38
-33
-28
-23
-18
-45 -25 -5 15
NI PXI Vector Signal Transceiver
-48
-43
-38
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-28
-23
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EVM (dB) Versus Average Output Power Chain
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Qualcomm Results
Early 2000s—Traditional
Rack and Stack
2007—NI PXI RF
Instrumentation
802.11a + b + g + 802.11n + 802.11ac
10X Faster Than
Traditional
200X Faster Than
Traditional
2012—NI PXI Vector
Signal Transceiver
