- Disconnect the antenna and perform conducted measurements at
the SMA connector or solder a semi rigid coax cable at the 50Ω point.
- Configure the board under test and use the PacketRX option in
SmartRF Studio similar to the test described in Section 12.2. In PacketRX mode, you can set an expected packet count.
- Preferred: Use a signal generator that is capable of
transmitting data packets. Remember to set up the sync word and CRC
correctly.
- If a signal generator is not available, use an EM/LaunchPad as
a transmitter. Use coax cables and attenuation between the EM/LauncPad SMA
connector and the 50Ω point on the custom board. It is difficult to get an
accurate number using this method since the exact values of output power and
attenuation are normally not known. Some energy will also travel over the air
from the EM to the DUT. In addition, background noise could impact the results.
To get more accurate results, the receiver should be placed in a shielded
box.
- SmartRF Studio will calculate the packet error rate (PER) and
bit error rate (BER).
If the wanted RF settings are
different from the predefined setting, PER vs level should be run in addition. The
input power level should be increased in 1- 2dB steps from the sensitivity limit to
around 0 dBm. For each power level, transmit at least 100 packets and record the
PER. If the AGC settings are not optimal it is common that the PER for some of the
steps will be above 0 (residual PER) and if that is the case the AGC settings have
to be reviewed.
If the conducted sensitivity is
poor:
- Are the settings the same as the recommended values from
SmartRF Studio? If the sensitivity is good when using SmartRF Studio and not
with the settings used for the project the settings have to be reviewed.
- What is the frequency difference between the DUT and the
signal source? Frequency offset can be measured by transmitting an un-modulated
continuous wave
- Is the schematic, including all component values, in
accordance with the reference design?
- Is the layout in accordance with the reference design?