The Design Of Automation Test System For Low Noise Amplifiers

Traditional test process for low noise amplifiers, including instrumentationreading and data collection, is conducted by hands, which can easily lead to test error.The slow test process and low working efficiency are not beneficial to batch test.In this context, an automation test system for low noise amplifiers is designed onthe base of the technology of virtual instrumentation. Different kinds ofprogram-controlled RF instruments, such as network analyzer, spectrum analyzer, RFsignal generators and noise figure analyzer, are connected to an external PC throughthe GPIB bus, which forms the hardware architecture of the automation test system.The software system is developed on the platform of Visual Basic 6.0. With VISACOM, a type of virtual instrumentation library, an external PC is used to sendstandard commands for programmable instruments to the program-controlled RFinstruments so as to conduct instrumentation initializing, calibration and datameasurement. The automation test system can test the following parameters for lownoise amplifiers: reflection coefficient, forward gain, gain flatness, insertion loss,ports isolation, IP₃ and noise figure. The test system can automatically analyze andprocess the data sampled from the instruments, and store the test records that meetcertain specifications into the database system.At present, the system has been established and has greatly increased the testspeed and accuracy. Furthermore, the administrator can efficiently manage the testrecords. In the finality, the further improvements for the system are briefly discussed.