On-Chip RF Phased Array Characterization with DC-Only Measurements for In-Field Calibration

Editor's note: This article presents an on-chip built-in self-test (BIST) measurement system for in-field calibration of RF phased arrays. The approach can be used to measure the gain mismatch and phase difference of phased array elements with low degrees of error and does not require knowledge of the exact amplitudes generated by the BIST system. The approach uses a test signal steering circuit that ensures that test signal amplitudes are identical through different phases of testing. -Binoy Ravindran, Virginia Tech.