BuiltIn SelfTest for 3rdGeneration Mobile Users

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Built-In Self-Test for 3rd-Generation Mobile Users

• John Sunwoo
• Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
• Auburn University, AL

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Smart Phones

• Download mp3 files and listen.
• Online shopping
• Online gaming
• GPS
• Mobile pay
• Wireless Key
• Start the car

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Paying School Tuition
Are you sure you are paying 5,000, not 50,000?
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Near future
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Objective

• Extensive usage of data transmissions via mobile
  devices
• Tx/Rx of critical data
• Make sure your mobile phone has no fault
• Users need to have access to high-level
  functional test
• The testing operation should be easy
• BIST for users

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History of mobile communications

• 2G has limited data capability

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Cellular network

• Base station is located each cell
• Base station has physical connection to
  phone/data line
• One user connect to other users via base
  stations

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TDMA vs CDMA

• TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
• Allows a number of users to access RF channel
  without interference by allocating unique time
  slots to each user within each channel
• CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
• Every communicator will be allocated the entire
  channel all the time by having different code
  than the others

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2G to 3G Test challenges?

• 3G testing are related to the fact that it is
  fundamentally different than testing 2G networks
• Adjustment with just a power meter. (2G)
• Scan multiple neighboring base stations for
  interference that may affect network performance.
  (3G)

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Case Study
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Model

• Samsung SPH-I500 PDA Phone
• 500 600
• CDMA 800Mhz/1900Mhz
• Built-in memory 32MB

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USB Interface
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Inside

• CDMA Processor
• Base band-to-radio frequency transmit processor
• IF-to-base band processor
• RF-to-IF processor

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My BIST Approach

• Test control Via USB
• TPG CDMA processor
• ORA CDMA processor
• DUT Transceiver circuitry
• RFT3100 - Power amplifier - RFR3300
• - IFR3300

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Plan
-BIST start-No need of additional hardware
within certain assumptions. (Making assumptions
means the design is could be very vague)-Is it
an effective test? (Diagnostic resolution)
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How did others tested RF device?

• Dr. Chatterjee
• Test point insertion algorithm for determining
  the best nodes for sensor insertion
• Sensors outputs can predict system and module
  specifications
• Area overhead

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Dr. Dabrowski (Sweden)
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Drawbacks

• John have never took RF classes. (Major)
• Qualcomm never responds my email for asking the
  actual data sheet of the MSM5100 modem.

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Conclusions

• The applicability of the presented BIST has only
  for the higher-level model
• Mainly useful for hard faults such as spot
  defects rather than parametric faults.
• Only applicable in a stable production process or
  after the production.
• Exactly what consumer want

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Good and Bad

• Avoids affecting the internal RF parts to noise
  or external disturbances.
• Fault diagnosis is not possible.

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Future work

• Bluetooth Testing
• 2.4GHz
• No published paper on Bluetooth BIST