JP2009038688A - Radio apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio apparatus, capable of changing to other transmission/reception unit before a failure happens in an original equivalent unit, which is a necessary constituent for the radio apparatus, and of avoiding the operation stop state due to the failure, while not requiring works for identifying the failed constituent after the failure. <P>SOLUTION: The radio apparatus is provided with an estimation section 17 for estimating characteristics degradation or aging, based on the information stored in a storage section 15 and the result of inspection to determine the cycle of inspection, and based on the result of a comparison section 16, controls the changeover of the transmitting/receiving unit and the inspection carried out with the cycle determined by the estimation section 17. The performance degradation tendency, including performance aging, is calculated based on the inspection result, wherein the inspection of the other transmitting/receiving unit is carried out by using the original transmission/reception unit, and the tendency is compared with a reference value stored in the storage section and can change over to the other transmitting/receiving unit, before failing to operate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless device that switches to another transmission / reception unit before failure based on the result of inspection.

  In recent years, along with the widespread use of advanced information communication networks, it has been required to improve the reliability of lines and to promptly respond to faulty device isolation and recovery work in the event of a failure.

  In addition, outdoor-installed economical wireless devices integrated with antennas such as mobile communication base station communication wireless devices and satellite communication small earth station wireless devices have been developed.

  Such outdoor installation type radio equipment requires a self-diagnosis function by a folding test in order to evaluate and confirm the equipment performance during maintenance. Therefore, a circuit for taking the transmission output into the reception input and converting it into a reception intermediate frequency signal is required inside the apparatus.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless device that enables a conventional loopback test.

  In the wireless device of the hot standby system, a return path capable of returning a signal from the transmission side to the reception side and from the reception side to the transmission side and a signal generator are provided, and the test signal from the signal generator is sent to the above signal. When the transmission state is monitored from the quality of the transmitted test signal, a synchronization switch having a function of detecting coincidence and mismatch of the two systems of signals is provided, and the synchronization switch includes The test signal and the test signal that has passed through the return path are input to detect an error in the return signal and monitor the transmission state.

As prior art document information related to the invention of this application, for example, Patent Document 1 is known.
JP 2000-324086 A

  However, in the conventional configuration described above, a signal comparison function of a new data signal generator, signal detector or synchronization switcher is required in addition to the components necessary as a wireless device, and the failure location is confirmed after a failure. There was a problem that the operation was stopped until the failure was recovered in order to cope with the post-processing of switching the failed part to another component.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and is a necessary component as a wireless device. By automatic inspection, the performance deterioration state is grasped, and based on the inspection result, switching to another transmission / reception unit before failure occurs and inspection. The purpose is to provide a wireless device that can determine and control the period of the operation, and thus eliminates the need for confirmation and recovery of the failure location after a failure and avoids the operation stop state until recovery It is.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention has the following configuration.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an antenna for transmission / reception, a transmission unit that generates a transmission signal to be transmitted from the antenna, and a reception signal different from the frequency band of the transmission signal are received from the antenna. And at least two transmission / reception units comprising a receiving unit for converting into a baseband signal, an inspection path unit for performing an inspection by inputting a transmission signal from the transmission unit to the receiving unit, and a control unit for controlling the inspection The control unit stores information in advance, stores a result of the inspection, a comparison unit that compares the information and the result of the inspection, and the storage unit An estimation unit that estimates characteristic deterioration or secular change based on the information on the data and the result of the inspection and determines the inspection cycle. The wireless device controls the inspection at a cycle determined by the estimation unit, and the estimation unit uses the information in the storage unit and the result of checking the other transmission / reception unit using one of the transmission / reception units. Therefore, the inspection margin can be determined and the inspection cycle can be determined. Therefore, the inspection can be surely performed before failure, and the transmission / reception unit can be switched to another transmission / reception unit based on the inspection result.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least a result of inspection at the time of shipment or a switching determination value in an operable state, and the control unit performs inspection at the time of shipment. As a result of this, or based on the switching determination value in a normal state, an accurate diagnosis can be made in the period determined by the estimation unit, and the transmission / reception unit whose characteristics have deteriorated can be switched to another transmission / reception unit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the control unit changes the transmission signal output from the transmission unit to the same frequency band received by the reception unit and controls the power level of the transmission signal. The wireless device according to any one of Items 1 and 2, wherein a signal in the same frequency band received by the receiving unit at a predetermined transmission power level can be input from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit. Results can be obtained.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the inspection path unit includes at least two switches that select either a transmission unit or a reception unit provided in the transmission / reception unit, and a filter type attenuator that attenuates an input signal. The filter type attenuator is disposed between the transmission unit and the reception unit selected by the control unit, attenuates a transmission signal from the transmission unit, and inputs the attenuation signal to the reception unit. Any one of the wireless devices described above can form an inspection path including at least two switches and a filter type attenuator, so that the signal from the transmission unit can be attenuated by the filter type without impairing the normal operation function. Since it can be attenuated by the instrument and input to the receiving side, an accurate result of the inspection operation can be obtained.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a radio | wireless apparatus in any one of Claim 1 to 4 in which the information memorize | stored beforehand in the said memory | storage part was made into the received signal strength display (RSSI) voltage, and received signal strength display By setting the level as a reference value, it is possible to accurately determine the basic performance as a wireless device.

  In the invention according to claim 6, the estimation unit has an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the inspection cycle. When the estimated cycle is equal to or higher than the upper limit value, the estimation unit sets the upper limit value. When the estimated cycle is equal to or lower than the lower limit value, the control unit The wireless device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which notifies the switching of the transmission / reception unit to a normal operation by setting an upper limit value for an estimation of a long inspection cycle when the transmission / reception unit in normal operation is normal. In this case, it is possible to carry out inspection before failing more reliably, and when the characteristics deteriorate, by setting a lower limit value for the estimation of a short inspection cycle, it is possible to ensure that other transmitting / receiving units are Can be switched.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the wireless device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit stops supply of power supply voltage to one transmission / reception unit in normal operation, It is possible to reduce the influence on the characteristic deterioration due to heat generation and to maintain a normal transmission / reception unit.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the radio apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit selects any one of the at least two transmission / reception units when a power supply voltage is supplied. When the power supply voltage is supplied, the transmission / reception unit in the best state can be selected.

As described above, according to the present invention, a baseband signal is received from a reception antenna having a transmission / reception antenna, a transmission unit that generates a transmission signal to be transmitted from the antenna, and a reception signal different from the frequency band of the transmission signal from the antenna. A radio comprising: at least two transmission / reception units each including a reception unit that converts the signal into a transmission path; an inspection path unit that performs an inspection by inputting a transmission signal from the transmission unit to the reception unit; and a control unit that controls the inspection A device,
The control unit stores information in advance and also stores a storage unit that stores the inspection result, a comparison unit that compares the information with the inspection result, and information on the storage unit and the inspection result. An estimation unit that estimates characteristic deterioration or secular change and determines an inspection cycle, and is a wireless device that controls inspection at a cycle determined by the switching of the transmission / reception unit and the estimation unit based on the result of the comparison unit Yes, using one transmitter / receiver unit, check the other transmitter / receiver unit, calculate the characteristic deterioration tendency including aging characteristics based on this inspection result, and compare with the reference value stored in advance in the storage unit Before switching to another transceiver unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, a wireless device composed of two transmission / reception units will be described for the sake of brevity.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a radio apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The radio apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes an antenna 3 that transmits and receives signals, a radio unit 1 that modulates and demodulates signals that are transmitted and received from the antenna 3, a control unit 2 that controls inspection operations, and a power source unit 37 that supplies power supply voltage. The inspection path unit 38 inputs a signal from the transmission unit to the reception unit. The wireless unit 1 selects a transmission / reception unit 4 including a transmission unit 6 and a reception unit 7, a transmission / reception unit 5 including a transmission unit 8 and a reception unit 9, and a third transmission / reception unit 4 or 5. The inspection path unit 38 includes the first switch 10 and the second switch 11 that select either the transmission unit or the reception unit, and the input signal. And a filter type attenuator 12 for attenuating. Further, the control unit 2 stores information in advance and also stores a result of inspection, a storage unit 15 that stores an inspection result, information such as an initial inspection result at the time of shipment, a switching determination value in a normal state, and an inspection result. The estimation unit 17 that estimates performance degradation or secular change and determines the inspection cycle, and the comparison unit 16 that compares the information with the inspection result are provided.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a transmission / reception unit of the radio unit.

  The transmission units 6 and 8 of the transmission / reception unit shown in FIG. 2 are composed of modulation units 21 and 30 that modulate the baseband signal from the control unit 2 and drive units 22 and 29 that amplify the power for transmission from the antenna 3. The receiving units 7 and 9 suppress the unnecessary waves by the low noise amplifying units 24 and 32 that amplify the RF signal received from the antenna 3, the multipliers 25 and 33 that convert the frequency band of the received RF signal, and the like. Filters 26 and 34, amplification units 27 and 35 that amplify signals, detection units 28 and 36 that convert the signals into baseband signals, and local oscillation units 23 and 31 that are input to a transmission unit and a reception unit.

  As operations of the wireless device of the present invention, there are a transmission / reception unit selection operation at the time of power supply voltage supply, a normal operation after selection, and an inspection operation performed at a predetermined cycle.

  First, a basic operation as a normal operation will be described. Note that the basic operation is the same for the two transmission / reception units, so only one transmission / reception unit 4 will be described.

  The control unit 2 outputs a control signal before or almost simultaneously with the output of the baseband signal for transmission, and switches or adjusts the signal to the signal of the oscillation frequency fs for normal operation from the local oscillation unit 23, and also the driving unit 22. Is set to a predetermined gain. Then, the first switch 10 is switched so that the transmission unit 6 and the third switch 13 select the transmission / reception unit 4, and the RF signal from the transmission unit 6 is controlled to be output from the antenna 3.

  On the other hand, when the baseband signal output from the control unit 2 is input to the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4, the baseband signal is generated by the modulation unit 21 of the transmission unit 6 with the oscillation frequency fs from the local oscillation unit 23. Modulated based on the signal. The modulated RF signal is power-amplified by the driving unit 23 with a predetermined gain controlled by the control unit 2 and converted into an output signal having a predetermined power level.

  Then, the output signal converted into the predetermined power level is input to the filter 14 via the first switch 10 and the third switch 13, and after the unnecessary wave included in the output signal is suppressed, the antenna 3 and the transmission operation is completed. When this transmission operation is completed, the control unit 2 controls the first switch 10 so that the RF signal received from the antenna 3 is input to the reception unit 7 and switches the reception unit 7 to be selected.

  The RF signal received from the antenna 3 is suppressed from unnecessary waves by the filter 14 and input to the receiving unit 7 of the transmission / reception unit 4 via the third switch 13 and the first switch 10. The RF signal input to the receiving unit 7 is amplified by the low noise amplifying unit 24, and the frequency of the amplified RF signal and the local oscillation by the multiplier 25 based on the signal of the oscillation frequency fo from the local oscillating unit 23. The signal of the sum and difference frequency with the frequency fo from the unit is output, and the IF signal of the difference frequency is selected by the filter 26. As a result, the RF signal is converted into an IF signal and down-converted. The IF signal is amplified by the amplification unit 27 and then demodulated as a baseband signal by the detection unit 28. The detector 28 detects a received signal strength display (hereinafter referred to as RSSI) voltage signal, and outputs a baseband signal and an RSSI voltage signal to the control unit 2. In normal operation, it is only necessary to supply power to one transmission / reception unit. A transmission / reception unit to which power is not supplied can reduce characteristic deterioration due to the influence of heat generation and can be held as a normal transmission / reception unit. it can.

  Next, the selection operation of the transmission / reception unit when the power supply voltage is supplied to the wireless device will be described.

  When the power supply voltage is supplied to the wireless device, the power supply voltage is supplied to all the transmission / reception units, and the selection operation of the transmission / reception units is started. In this transmission / reception unit selection operation, the control unit 2 controls the first switch 10 and the second switch 11 to transmit and receive the RF signal from the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4 to the reception unit 9 of the transmission / reception unit 5. Control is performed so that the RF signal from the transmission unit 8 of the unit 5 is transmitted to the reception unit 7 of the transmission / reception unit 4. Then, the oscillation frequency of the signals of the local oscillators 23 and 31 input to the transmitters 6 and 8 is controlled, and an RF signal different from the frequency band from the transmitters 6 and 8 in normal operation is input to the receivers 7 and 9. To do. Further, the control unit 2 selects one transmission / reception unit based on the result of this selection operation.

  The detailed operation will be described below.

  When the power supply voltage is supplied to the wireless device, the control unit 2 switches or adjusts the signal of the oscillation frequency fs for normal operation from the local oscillation unit 23 provided in the one transmission / reception unit 4 to the signal of the oscillation frequency fo. Then, the gain of the drive unit 22 is controlled, and the first switch 10 is switched so as to select the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4 and the second switch 11 is selected of the reception unit 9 of the transmission / reception unit 5. In addition, the control unit 2 controls the gain of the drive unit 22 to output, for example, signals having three different power levels. Here, three different power levels are used, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the frequency band of the RF signal from the transmission unit by the oscillation frequency fo of the local oscillation unit is a frequency band of a signal received by the reception unit in normal operation.

  At these three power levels, the control unit 2 sets, for example, the maximum power level A1, the predetermined power level A2, and the minimum power level A3, and one transmission / reception is performed under the condition of maximum power level A1> predetermined power level A2> minimum power level A3. Control is performed so that an RF signal having a power level of a set condition is input from a transmission unit provided in the unit to a reception unit provided in the other transmission / reception unit. Here, the linearity of the drive unit 22 can be checked by setting the maximum power level A1, the predetermined power level A2, and the minimum power level A3.

  When the baseband signal output from the control unit 2 is input to the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4, the baseband signal is output from the local oscillation unit 23 by the modulation unit 21 of the transmission unit 6. Modulated based on the signal. The modulated RF signal is power amplified by the drive unit 22 with, for example, the maximum gain A1 controlled by the control unit 2, and converted into an RF signal having the maximum power level A1.

  Then, the RF signal having the maximum power level A1 is input to the filter type attenuator 12 through the first switch 10 and converted to an RF signal attenuated by 10 dB to 30 dB. The attenuated RF signal is input to the receiving unit 9 of another transmitting / receiving unit 5 via the second switch 11.

  The RF signal input to the receiving unit 9 is amplified by the low noise amplifying unit 32, and based on the signal of the oscillation frequency fo from the local oscillating unit 31 by the multiplier 33, the frequency of the amplified RF signal and the local oscillating unit A signal having a frequency of the sum and difference of the oscillation frequency fo of the signal from 31 is output, and the IF signal of the difference is selected by the filter 34. As a result, the RF signal is converted into an IF signal and down-converted. Then, the IF signal is amplified by the amplifying unit 35, demodulated into a Beaband signal by the detecting unit 36, converted into an RSSI voltage signal, and input to the control unit 2. Here, the RSSI voltage signal is converted into a digital signal by an AD conversion unit (not shown) of the control unit 2, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15. Thereafter, similar operations are repeated at the predetermined power level A2 and the minimum power level A3, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15.

  Next, an operation of inputting an RF signal from the other transmitter to one receiver will be described.

  The control unit 2 switches or adjusts the oscillation frequency fs for normal operation of the local oscillation unit 31 provided in the transmission / reception unit 5 to the oscillation frequency fo, controls the gain of the drive unit 29, and the second switch 11 Switching is performed so that the transmission unit 8 of the transmission / reception unit 5 and the first switch 10 select the reception unit 7 of the transmission / reception unit 4. And the control part 2 controls the gain of the drive part 29 with which the transmission / reception unit 5 was equipped, and controls so that the signal of three different electric power levels may be output.

  At these three power levels, the control unit 2 sets, for example, the maximum power level B1, the predetermined power level B2, and the minimum power level B3, and one transmission / reception is performed under the condition of maximum power level B1> predetermined power level B2> minimum power level B3. Control is performed so that the RF signal of the power level of the setting condition is input from the transmission unit of the unit to the reception unit of the other transmission / reception unit. Here, the gains in the different drive units are set to the same conditions of A1 = B1, A2 = B2, and A3 = B3. Similarly, the frequency band of the RF signal from the transmission unit by the oscillation frequency fo of the local oscillation unit is a frequency band received by the reception unit in normal operation.

  When the baseband signal output from the control unit 2 is input to the transmission unit 8 of the transmission / reception unit 5, the baseband signal is output from the local oscillation unit 31 by the modulation unit 30 of the transmission unit 8. Modulated based on the signal. The modulated RF signal is power amplified by the drive unit 29 with a maximum gain B1 controlled by the control unit 2, for example, and converted into an RF signal having the maximum power level B1.

  Then, the RF signal of the maximum power level B1 is input to the filter type attenuator 12 through the second switch 11 and converted into an RF signal attenuated by 10 dB to 30 dB. The attenuated signal is input to the receiving unit 7 of the other transmission / reception unit 4 via the first switch 10.

  The RF signal input to the receiving unit 7 is amplified by the low noise amplifying unit 24, and based on the signal of the oscillation frequency fo from the local oscillating unit 23 by the multiplier 25, the frequency of the amplified RF signal and the local oscillating unit A signal having a frequency that is the sum and difference of the oscillation frequency fo of the signal from 23 is output, and the IF signal of the difference is selected by the filter unit 26. As a result, the RF signal is converted into an IF signal and down-converted. The IF signal is amplified by the amplifying unit 27, demodulated into a Beaband signal by the detecting unit 28, converted into an RSSI voltage signal, and input to the control unit 2. The RSSI voltage signal is converted into a digital signal by an AD conversion unit (not shown) of the control unit 2, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated at the predetermined power level B2 and the minimum power level B3, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15.

  In the above operation, the control unit 2 stores the RSSI voltages corresponding to the maximum power level A1 to the minimum power level A3 and the maximum power level B1 to the minimum power level B3 of the transmission / reception unit 5 stored in the storage unit 15. Then, the comparison unit 16 compares the result of the inspection at the time of shipment stored in the storage unit 15 in advance or the switching determination value in a normal state, selects a transmission / reception unit having a larger RSSI voltage, and operates it for normal operation. The control unit 2 performs control so as to stop the supply of the power supply voltage to the other transmission / reception units except for the normal operation after the selection operation is completed. Further, the comparison unit 16 makes a relative comparison between the RSSI voltage transmitted from the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4 and stored in the storage unit 15 and the RSSI voltage transmitted from the transmission unit 8 of the transmission / reception unit 5 and stored in the storage unit 16. The control unit 2 may select one of the two transmission / reception units 4 and 5 and operate it for normal operation based on the comparison result.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to select the transmission / reception unit in the best state when the power supply voltage is supplied. Further, by adopting the RSSI voltage, it is possible to accurately determine the basic performance as a wireless device. Furthermore, since signals in the same frequency band received by the receiving unit can be converted into a predetermined transmission power level and input from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit, an accurate result can be obtained in the inspection operation.

  Next, an inspection operation performed at a cycle determined by the estimation unit will be described.

  First, the first inspection is performed at the upper limit cycle.

  The control unit 2 controls the inspection operation at a cycle determined by the estimation unit 17. The control unit 2 confirms that there is no reception signal from the antenna 3 in the reception unit of one transmission / reception unit in the normal operation state, supplies a power supply voltage to the other transmission / reception unit, and performs an inspection operation.

  During the inspection operation, when the control unit 2 receives a signal from the antenna 3, the control unit 2 controls the third switch 13 so that the signal from the antenna 3 is input to the selected reception unit. The presence or absence of a received signal can be confirmed from the antenna 3.

  When a signal from the antenna 3 is received during the inspection operation, the inspection operation is stopped and normal operation is performed. For example, the presence / absence of a signal received from the antenna 3 can be detected by the control unit 2 by detecting a signal error or an abnormal value of the RSSI voltage after being changed to a baseband signal by the receiving unit.

  Hereinafter, the inspection operation will be described.

  For example, the inspection operation when the transmission / reception unit 4 is selected in the normal operation will be described.

  First, the control part 2 supplies a power supply voltage to all the transmission / reception units, and the inspection operation | movement of a transmission / reception unit is started. In the inspection operation of the transmission / reception unit 4 in the normal operation state, the control unit 2 controls the second switch 11 to input the RF signal from the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4 to the reception unit 9 of the transmission / reception unit 5. To do. In addition, the third switch 13 is controlled so that it can be input to the receiving unit 9 of the selected transmission / reception unit 5 so that the presence / absence of the reception signal from the antenna 3 can be confirmed during the inspection operation. Further, the oscillation frequency of the signal of the local oscillation unit 23 input to the transmission unit 6 is controlled, and an RF signal different from the frequency band from the transmission unit 6 in normal operation is input to the reception unit 9.

  The detailed operation will be described below.

  The control unit 2 switches or adjusts the oscillation frequency fs for normal operation of the local oscillation unit 23 provided in the transmission / reception unit 4 to the oscillation frequency fo, controls the gain of the drive unit 22, and the first switch 10 The transmission unit 6 and the second switch 11 of the transmission / reception unit 4 are switched so that the reception unit 9 of the transmission / reception unit 5 and the third switch 13 select the transmission / reception unit 5. In addition, the control unit 2 controls the gain of the drive unit 22 to output, for example, signals having three different power levels. Here, three different power levels are used, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the frequency band of the RF signal from the transmission unit by the oscillation frequency fo of the local oscillation unit is a frequency band received by the reception unit in normal operation.

  At these three power levels, the control unit 2 sets, for example, the maximum power level A1, the predetermined power level A2, and the minimum power level A3, and one transmission / reception is performed under the condition of maximum power level A1> predetermined power level A2> minimum power level A3. An RF signal having a power level of a set condition is input from a transmission unit provided in the unit to a reception unit provided in the other transmission / reception unit. Here, the linearity of the drive unit 22 can be checked by setting the maximum power level A1, the predetermined power level A2, and the minimum power level A3.

  When the baseband signal output from the control unit 2 is input to the transmission unit 6 of the transmission / reception unit 4, the baseband signal is output from the local oscillation unit 23 by the modulation unit 21 of the transmission unit 6. Modulated based on the signal. The modulated RF signal is amplified by the drive unit 22 with, for example, a maximum gain A1 controlled by the control unit 2, and converted into an RF signal having the maximum power level A1.

  Then, the RF signal of the maximum power level A1 is input to the filter type attenuator 12 through the first switch 10, and an RF signal attenuated by 10 dB to 30 dB is obtained. The attenuated RF signal is input to the receiving unit 9 of another transmitting / receiving unit 5 via the second switch 11. Here, the inspection path unit 38 including the first switch 10, the second switch 11, and the filter type attenuator 12 attenuates the signal from the transmission unit with the filter type attenuator without impairing the function of the normal operation, Since it can be input to the receiving side, an accurate result of the inspection operation can be obtained.

  The RF signal input to the receiving unit 9 is amplified by the low noise amplifying unit 32, and based on the signal of the oscillation frequency fo from the local oscillating unit 31 by the multiplier 33, the frequency of the amplified RF signal and the local oscillating unit A signal having a frequency of the sum and difference of the oscillation frequency fo of the signal from 31 is output, and the IF signal of the difference is selected by the filter 34. As a result, the RF signal is converted into an IF signal and down-converted. Then, the IF signal is amplified by the amplifying unit 35, demodulated into a Beaband signal by the detecting unit 36, converted into an RSSI voltage signal, and input to the control unit 2.

  The signal of the RSSI voltage is converted into a digital signal by an AD conversion unit (not shown) of the control unit 2 and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15. Thereafter, similar operations are repeated at the predetermined power level A2 and the minimum power level A3, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15.

  Next, an RF signal is input from one transmitter to the other receiver.

  The control unit 2 switches or adjusts the oscillation frequency fs for normal operation of the local oscillation unit 31 provided in the transmission / reception unit 5 to the oscillation frequency fo, controls the gain of the drive unit 29, and the second switch 11 Switching is performed so that the transmission unit 8 of the transmission / reception unit 5 and the first switch 10 select the reception unit 7 of the transmission / reception unit 4. And the control part 2 controls the gain of the drive part 29 with which the transmission / reception unit 5 was equipped, and controls so that the signal of three different electric power levels may be output. Here, the control unit 2 sets, for example, the maximum power level B1, the predetermined power level B2, and the minimum power level B3, and the maximum power level B1> predetermined power level B2> minimum power level B3. Control is performed such that an RF signal having a power level of a set condition is input from the transmitting unit of one transmitting / receiving unit to the receiving unit of the other transmitting / receiving unit. The gains in the different drive units are the same as A1 = B1, A2 = B2, and A3 = B3. Similarly, the frequency band of the RF signal from the transmission unit by the oscillation frequency fo of the local oscillation unit is a frequency band received by the reception unit in normal operation.

  When the baseband signal output from the control unit 2 is input to the transmission unit 8 of the transmission / reception unit 5, the baseband signal is output from the local oscillation unit 31 by the modulation unit 30 of the transmission unit 8. Modulated based on the signal. The modulated RF signal is power amplified by the drive unit 29 with a maximum gain B1 controlled by the control unit 2, for example, and converted into an RF signal having the maximum power level B1.

  Then, the RF signal of the maximum power level B1 is input to the filter type attenuator 12 through the second switch 11 and converted into an RF signal attenuated by 10 dB to 30 dB. The attenuated signal is input to the receiving unit 7 of the other transmission / reception unit 4 via the first switch 10.

  The RF signal input to the receiving unit 7 is amplified by the low noise amplifying unit 24, and based on the signal of the oscillation frequency fo from the local oscillating unit 23 by the multiplier 25, the frequency of the amplified RF signal and the local oscillating unit A signal having a frequency of the sum and difference of the oscillation frequency fo of the signal from the signal 23 is output, and the IF signal of the difference is selected by the filter unit 26. As a result, the RF signal is converted into an IF signal and down-converted. The IF signal is amplified by the amplifying unit 27, demodulated into a Beaband signal by the detecting unit 28, converted into an RSSI voltage signal, and input to the control unit 2. The RSSI voltage signal is converted into a digital signal by an AD conversion unit (not shown) of the control unit 2 and stored in the storage unit 15. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated at the predetermined power level B2 and the minimum power level B3, and stored and accumulated in the storage unit 15.

  Then, the comparison unit 16 uses the RSSI voltage corresponding to the maximum power level A1 to the minimum power level A3 of the transmission / reception unit 4 as the normal operation stored in the storage unit 15 and the determination value stored in the storage unit 15 in advance. Compare. As a result of the comparison, if it is equal to or less than the determination value, the control unit 2 is notified of switching to another transmission / reception unit. And the control part 2 switches to another transmission / reception unit, and stops supply of a power supply voltage in all the remaining transmission / reception units. However, if the comparison result is equal to or greater than the determination value, the estimation unit 17 preliminarily stores the RSSI voltage corresponding to the minimum power level A3 from the maximum power level A1 to the minimum power level A3 of the transmission / reception unit 4 stored in the storage unit 15. Based on the inspection result at the time of shipment and the switching determination value as information stored in the storage unit 15, characteristic deterioration or secular change is estimated, and the next inspection cycle is estimated. If the estimated inspection cycle is equal to or greater than the upper limit value held by the estimation unit 17, the upper limit value is determined as the next inspection cycle, and the control unit 2 determines the next inspection cycle at the determined inspection cycle. Control the behavior. Here, characteristic deterioration or secular change may be estimated using an Eyring model or an Arrhenius model to determine the inspection cycle.

  Further, if the estimated inspection cycle is equal to or less than the lower limit value held by the estimation unit 17, the control unit 2 is notified of switching of another transmission / reception unit. Then, the control unit 2 switches to the other transmission / reception unit 5 and stops supplying the power supply voltage in all the remaining transmission / reception units. Further, when the estimated inspection cycle is between the upper limit value and the lower limit value, it is determined as the inspection cycle, and the control unit 2 controls the operation of the inspection with the determined inspection cycle. Then, the switch is controlled so that the selected transmission / reception unit can perform the normal operation, and supply of the power supply voltage is stopped in all the remaining transmission / reception units. Here, by storing and accumulating the inspection results in the storage unit, it is possible to improve accuracy by estimating based on the results of many inspections by the estimation unit.

  Further, based on the result of the inspection at the time of shipment or the switching determination value in the operable state, an accurate diagnosis can be made in the period determined by the estimation unit 17, and the control unit 2 can transmit / receive the degraded transmission / reception unit to other units. Switching to the transmission / reception unit is possible.

  Further, by stopping the supply of the power supply voltage in all the transmission / reception units except for the normal operation, it is possible to reduce the influence on the characteristic deterioration due to heat generation in the operation state, and to maintain a normal transmission / reception unit.

  The estimation unit 17 can perform the inspection before failure more reliably by setting an upper limit value for the estimation of the long inspection period when the transmission / reception unit in normal operation is normal, When the characteristics deteriorate, by setting a lower limit value for the estimation of a short inspection cycle, it is possible to surely switch to another transmission / reception unit before failure. Note that the result of the inspection operation or the switching state of the transmission / reception unit after the inspection operation may be displayed by an LED or the like so that it can be notified to the outside and notified. Although the inspection limited to the normal operation transmission / reception unit has been described here, the same inspection may be performed to check whether the other transmission / reception units to be switched are normal, and the normal operation may be confirmed and switched.

  With the above configuration, it is necessary for the wireless device to grasp the performance degradation state by automatic inspection, and based on the inspection result, switch to another transmission / reception unit before failure or determine the inspection cycle and control Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless device that can avoid the operation stop state until it is restored without the need for confirming and restoring the failure location after the failure.

  Based on the switching judgment value in the operable state, the normal operation transmission / reception unit can be switched to another transmission / reception unit, which is effective for roadside equipment such as ECT installed in places where trouble repair is difficult. is there.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the radio | wireless apparatus in embodiment of this invention The block diagram which shows the structure of the transmission / reception unit in embodiment of this invention Functional block diagram showing the configuration of a wireless device that enables a conventional loopback test

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Radio | wireless part 2 Digital control part 3 Antenna 4, 5 Transmission / reception unit 6, 8 Transmission part 7, 9 Reception part 10 1st switch 11 2nd switch 12 Filter type attenuator 13 3rd switch 14, 26, 34 Filter DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Memory | storage part 16 Comparison part 17 Prediction part 21, 30 Modulation part 22, 29 Drive part 23, 31 Local oscillation part 24, 32 Low noise amplification part 25, 33 Multiplier 27, 35 Amplification part 28, 36 Detection part 37 Power supply part 38 Inspection route section

Claims (8)

An antenna for transmission and reception;
At least two transmission / reception units each including a transmission unit that generates a transmission signal for transmission from the antenna and a reception unit that receives a reception signal different from the frequency band of the transmission signal from the antenna and converts the reception signal into a baseband signal; ,
An inspection path unit for performing an inspection by inputting a transmission signal from the transmission unit to the reception unit, and
A wireless device comprising a control unit for controlling the inspection,
The control unit stores information in advance and also stores a storage unit that stores the inspection result, a comparison unit that compares the information with the inspection result, and information on the storage unit and the inspection result. And an estimation unit that estimates characteristic deterioration or secular change and determines the inspection cycle, and controls the inspection at the cycle determined by the switching of the transmission / reception unit and the estimation unit based on the result of the comparison unit.   The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least a result of inspection at the time of shipment or a switching determination value in an operable state.   3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the transmission signal output from the transmission unit to the same frequency band received by the reception unit, and controls the power level of the transmission signal. 4. Wireless devices. The inspection path unit includes at least two switches for selecting either a transmission unit or a reception unit provided in the transmission / reception unit;
A filter type attenuator for attenuating the input signal,
The filter type attenuator is disposed between the transmission unit and the reception unit selected by the control unit, attenuates the transmission signal from the transmission unit, and inputs the signal to the reception unit. A wireless device according to 1. Information stored in advance in the storage unit,
The radio | wireless apparatus in any one of Claim 1 to 4 used as the received signal strength display (RSSI) voltage.   The estimation unit has an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the inspection cycle. When the estimated cycle is equal to or higher than the upper limit value, the estimation unit sets the upper limit value. When the estimated cycle is equal to or lower than the lower limit value, the control unit is notified of switching of other transmission / reception units. A wireless device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops supply of power supply voltage to one transmission / reception unit in normal operation.   The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects one transmission / reception unit of the at least two transmission / reception units when a power supply voltage is supplied.

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