Method for measuring sensitivity of data packet signal receiver

1. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving, with said data packet signal receiver, a single transmission of a data packet signal including a group of data packets, wherein first and second portions of said group of data packets have correspondingly first and second data packet power levels which are greater than and less than, respectively, a predetermined power level;

computing, at least in part with said data packet signal receiver, from said received first and second portions of said group of data packets a cumulative number of correctly received data packets; and

following reception of all of said group of data packets, including said cumulative number of correctly received data packets, determining a single expected PER of said data packet signal receiver based on said cumulative number of correctly received data packets.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said cumulative number of correctly received data packets to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said single expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third portion of said group of data packets having a third data packet power level which is substantially equal to said predetermined power level; and

computing said cumulative number of correctly received data packets from the received first, second, and third portions of said group of data packets.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said cumulative number of correctly received data packets to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said single expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

5. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving, with said data packet signal receiver, a single transmission of a data packet signal including a group of data packets, wherein each of at least two portions of said group of data packets have different data packet power levels;

computing, at least in part with said data packet signal receiver, from said received at least two portions of said group of data packets a cumulative number of correctly received data packets; and

following reception of all of said group of data packets, including said cumulative number of correctly received data packets, determining a single expected PER of said data packet signal receiver based on said cumulative number of correctly received data packets.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said cumulative number of correctly received data packets to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said single expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising transmitting said data packet signal.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein a baseband representation of a data packet signal is scaled to produce scaled baseband data packets, and the scaled baseband data packets are converted and transmitted as the transmitted at least two portions of said group of data packets.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said baseband representation of a data packet signal is a digital representation, the scaled baseband data packets are scaled digital data packets, and the scaled digital data packets are converted by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the scaled baseband data packets are stored in a memory for later retrieval for said converting and transmitting.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the stored scaled baseband data packets are converted and repeatedly transmitted for a predetermined number of times to produce the transmitted at least two portions of said group of data packets.

12. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated bit-rate modulation, comprising:

receiving, with said data packet signal receiver, a single transmission of a data packet signal including a group of data packets, wherein first and second portions of said group of data packets have substantially equal data packet power levels and correspondingly first and second bit-rate modulations which are greater than and less than, respectively, a predetermined bit-rate modulation;

computing, at least in part with said data packet signal receiver, from said received first and second portions of said group of data packets a cumulative number of correctly received data packets; and

following reception of all of said group of data packets, including said cumulative number of correctly received data packets, determining a single expected PER of said data packet signal receiver based on said cumulative number of correctly received data packets.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a third portion of said group of data packets having a data packet with a power level substantially equal to the power level of data packets in the first and second portions, the third portion having a third bit-rate modulation substantially equal to said predetermined bit-rate modulation; and

computing said cumulative number of correctly received data packets from the received first, second, and third portions of said group of data packets.

14. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated bit-rate modulation, comprising:

receiving, with said data packet signal receiver, a single transmission of a data packet signal including a group of data packets, wherein at least two portions of said group of data packets have substantially equal power levels, and each of said at least two portions have different bit-rate modulations;

computing, at least in part with said data packet signal receiver, from said received at least two portions of said group a cumulative number of correctly received data packets; and

following reception of all of said group of data packets, including said cumulative number of correctly received data packets, determining a single expected PER of said data packet signal receiver based on said cumulative number of correctly received data packets.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of said at least two portions has a bit-rate modulation below a predetermined bit-rate modulation, and at least one of said at least two portions has a bit-rate modulation above the predetermined bit-rate modulation.

16. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated bit-rate modulation, comprising:

receiving, with said data packet signal receiver, a single transmission of a data packet signal including a group of data packets, wherein at least two portions of said group of data packets have substantially the same power level and bit-rate modulation, and at least another two portions of said group of data packets have different power levels and bit-rate modulations;

computing, at least in part with said data packet signal receiver, from said received at least two portions of said group a cumulative number of correctly received data packets; and

following reception of all of said group of data packets, including said cumulative number of correctly received data packets, determining a single expected PER of said data packet signal receiver based on said cumulative number of correctly received data packets.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of said at least two portions has a bit-rate modulation below a predetermined bit-rate modulation and a power level below a predetermined power level, and at least one of said at least two portions has a bit-rate modulation above the predetermined bit-rate modulation and a power level above the predetermined power level.