Method for efficient calibration of EVM using compression characteristics

1. A method for measuring an error vector magnitude (EVM) of a signal produced by a data packet signal generator for obtaining a more optimal calibration of the data packet signal generator, comprising:

receiving at least one of a first plurality of data packet signals transmitted at an initial predetermined output power level by the data packet signal generator;

estimating an initial compression level for the at least one of the received first plurality of data packet signals based on an initial EVM measurement and fixed EVM contributors, including

subtracting from the initial EVM measurement the fixed EVM contributors to obtain an initial compression-related EVM portion,

comparing the initial compression-related EVM portion to a pre-constructed graph showing EVM versus compression level to estimate an initial compression level; and

adjusting iteratively the initial compression level to a final adjusted compression level substantially at a predetermined target compression level.

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

performing a true EVM measurement for the final adjusted compression level;

comparing the true EVM measurement to an expected EVM target level; and

making a power adjustment if an absolute difference between the true EVM measurement and the expected EVM target level is greater than a predetermined EVM difference amount.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the performing a true EVM measurement includes performing a true EVM measurement with EVM averaging.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed EVM contributors include phase noise and IQ mismatch.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting iteratively the initial compression level is discontinued if a subsequent next output power level for transmitting and receiving at least one of a next plurality of data packet signals would become greater than a predetermined maximum output power level.

6. A method for measuring an error vector magnitude (EVM) of a signal produced by a data packet signal generator for obtaining a more optimal calibration of the data packet signal generator, comprising:

receiving at least one of a first plurality of data packet signals transmitted at an initial predetermined output power level by the data packet signal generator;

estimating an initial compression level for the at least one of the received first plurality of data packet signals based on an initial EVM measurement and fixed EVM contributors; and

adjusting iteratively the initial compression level to a final adjusted compression level substantially at a predetermined target compression level, including firstly adding a predetermined power increase to the initial predetermined output power level to determine a next output power level having an associated next compression level, wherein the predetermined power increase is less than an absolute difference between said initial compression level and the predetermined target compression level.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said adjusting iteratively said initial compression level further includes:

receiving at least one of a plurality of data packet signals transmitted at said next output power level by the data packet signal generator;

computing a complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) curve associated with the at least one of the received plurality of data packet signals transmitted at said next output power level;

estimating said next compression level based on at least one intersection point of the computed CCDF curve and at least one predetermined CCDF curve; and

comparing said next compression level to the predetermined target compression level to determine whether to perform an iterative adjustment to said next compression level to obtain a subsequent next compression level.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the determining whether to perform the iterative adjustment includes determining to perform the iterative adjustment if an absolute value of a difference between said next compression level and the predetermined target compression level is greater than a predetermined compression difference amount and a subsequent next output power level corresponding to the subsequent next compression level does not exceed a predetermined maximum output power level.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein when having determined to perform the iterative adjustment to said next compression level, the iterative adjustment is performed by:

adjusting said next output power level upwards if said next compression level is less than the predetermined target compression level, wherein said next output power level is adjusted upwards to a subsequent next output power level by adding to said next output power level an absolute difference between the predetermined target compression level and said next compression level; and

adjusting said next output power level downwards if said next compression level is greater than the predetermined target compression level, wherein said next output power level is adjusted downwards to the subsequent next output power level by subtracting from said next output power level the absolute difference between the predetermined target compression level and said next compression level.

10. A method for measuring an error vector magnitude (EVM) of a signal produced by a data packet signal generator for obtaining a more optimal calibration of the data packet signal generator, comprising:

receiving at least one of a first plurality of data packet signals transmitted at an initial predetermined output power level by the data packet signal generator, the initial predetermined output power level chosen at an expected power level associated with the predetermined target compression level;

computing an initial compression level for the at least one of the received first plurality of data packet signals, and, for iteration purposes, considering the initial compression level to be a next compression level and the initial predetermined output power level to be a next output power level; and

adjusting iteratively the next compression level to a final adjusted compression level substantially at a predetermined target compression level, including

comparing the next compression level to the predetermined target compression level to determine whether to perform an iterative adjustment to the next compression level to obtain a subsequent next compression level, and

having determined to perform an iterative adjustment, then

receiving at least one of a plurality of data packet signals transmitted at a subsequent next output power level by the data packet signal generator,

computing a complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) curve associated with the received at least one of a plurality of data packet signals transmitted at the subsequent next output power level, and

estimating the subsequent next compression level based on at least one intersection point of the computed CCDF curve and at least one predetermined CCDF curve.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the adjusting iteratively the next compression level is discontinued if a subsequent next output power level for transmitting and receiving at least one of a plurality of data packet signals would become greater than a predetermined maximum output power level.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the determination is made to perform the iterative adjustment to the next compression level to obtain the subsequent next compression level if an absolute value of a difference between the next compression level and the predetermined target compression level is greater than a predetermined compression difference amount and the subsequent next output power level corresponding to the subsequent next compression level does not exceed a predetermined maximum output power level.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein when having determined to perform the iterative adjustment to the next compression level to obtain the subsequent next compression level, the iterative adjustment is performed by:

adjusting the next output power level upwards if the next compression level is less than the predetermined target compression level, wherein the next output power level is adjusted upwards to the subsequent next output power level by adding to the next output power level an absolute difference between the predetermined target compression level and said next compression level; and

adjusting the next output power level downwards if the next compression level is greater than the predetermined target compression level, wherein the next output power level is adjusted downwards to the subsequent next output power level by subtracting from the next output power level the absolute difference between the predetermined target compression level and said next compression level.

14. The method according to claim 10 ,further comprising:

performing a true EVM measurement for the final adjusted compression level;

comparing the true EVM measurement to an expected EVM target level; and

making a power adjustment if an absolute difference between the true EVM measurement and the expected EVM target level is greater than a predetermined EVM difference amount.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the performing a true EVM measurement includes performing a true EVM measurement with EVM averaging.