Two types of measurements have to be done for repair of the phone boards:
•RF measurements shall be done using a Spectrum Analyzer together
with a high-frequency probe. (Note, that signal will be significantly attenuated). Correct attenuation can be checked by using a “good” phone
board, for example.
•LF (Low frequency) and DC measurements shall be done with a an
oscilloscope together with an 10:1 probe.
Always make sure that the measurement set-up is calibrated when measuring RF parameters at the RF connector. Remember to include the correct losses in the module repair
jig and the connecting cable when realigning the phone.
Most RF semiconductors are static discharge sensitive. ESD protection must be taken
into account during repair (ground straps and ESD soldering irons).
Mjoelner RF ASIC is moisture sensitive. Therefore, Mjoelner RF ASIC must be pre-baked
prior to soldering.
Rx calibration done via Phoenix software is temperature sensitive because of calibration of 26 MHz reference oscillator (VCXO). According to Mjoelner specification
ambient temperature has to be in a range from 22°C to 36°C.
Apart from key-components described in this document there are a lot of discrete components (resistors, inductors and capacitors) for which troubleshooting is done by checking if soldering of the component is done properly and checking if the component is
missing from PWB. Capacitors can be checked for short-circuiting and resistors for value
by means of an ohm-meter, but be aware in-circuit measurements should be evaluated
carefully.
RF power supplies are generated in the UEM and can be measured either in the Mjoelner
can or in the baseband can. Arrows mark the measurement points inside the pictures.
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select Fast SNRRadio Button
The setup should now look like this:
Choose respective band (GSM900).
Press Start. A window pops up, e.g. for GSM900 band:
Connect an external signal generator to the RF connector of the phone and set the generator as told in the window, taking care for external cable losses.
Press ok and the window closes.
Read the SNR result. SNR should be: EGSM900 >20dB
GSM1800 >18dB
Measuring front end power levels using spectrum analyzer
Spectrum Analyzer (SA) level values depend on the probe type and should be validated using a good sample.
General instructions for GSM900 TX troubleshooting
Apply an RF-cable to the RF-connector to allow the transmitted signal to act normally.
The RF-cable should be connected to measurement equipment (GSM Test equipment,
Power meter, Spectrum Analyzer, or similar). Be sure to use at least a 10-dB attenuator,
otherwise the analyzer may be overloaded.
Connect the phone to a PC with DAU-9P cable and dongle and follow the following
instructions:
Connect the phone to a power supply (3.5... 4V).
Open Phoenix and select Fbus connection.
Select ‘File’ and ‘Scan Product’ from the pull down menus.
Select ‘Testing’, ‘RF controls’ from the pull down menu.
Chose Transmit Band for testing, Use the automatically selected channel.
Set Operation Mode to ‘Burst’.
Choose the Power level you want the phone to operate at.
Set spectrum analyzer center frequency, 897.4MHz for EGSM900 and 1747,8MHz for
DCS1800 and set Span to 1MHz.
Set Amplitude of spectrum analyzer reference level to one that you can clearly see the
transmit pulse according to the kind of test probe you are using.
Diagnose as per troubleshooting flowchart.
Note:Be careful when selecting the operation mode, if ‘Continuous’ is selected prolonged transmission
may damage the phone
TX Path of the transmitted GSM900 signal
For easy error tracing it is important to know the signal path of the GSM900 transmitter.
The components can be grouped into blocks and drawn as shown below. Note that the
following picture shows both GSM900 transmitter (bottom) and GSM1800 transmitter
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(top).
GSM900 TX path of Mjoelner RF ASIC
The balanced TX signal is provided by the base band and is coming to the Mjoelner RF
ASIC. The TX paths of the Mjoelner RF ASIC include mainly two RF modulators for upconversion of the base band signals, one for GSM900 and one for GSM1800. The base
band signal is modulated with the LO signal corresponding to the wanted TX channel.
The GSM TX output of the Mjoelner RF ASIC is a balanced signal.
From the output of the Mjoelner RFASIC the signal is fed through the 900 TX SAW filter
(Balanced to single ended), the 900 MHz buffer, and a 5 dB pad to the PA input.
GSM900 TX path of the Power Amplifier (PA)
The PA GSM900 part has a minimum stable output power of app. 35 dBm. Voltage supply
is coming directly from the Battery connectors.
The GSM900 output is controlled by the power control loop. From the GSM900 output of
the PA the RF signal is fed through the directional coupler (one of the power control loop
components) to the antenna switch.
Antenna Switch (TX/RX switch)
The antenna Switch works as a diplexer for the RX and TX signals. Moreover, it suppresses the TX harmonics generated by the PA. The antenna switch is controlled by the
Mjoelner RF ASIC using the control signals Vcont1 and Vcont2. The following table
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GSM1800 Transmitter
General instructions for GSM1800 TX troubleshooting
Apply an RF-cable to the RF-connector to allow the transmitted signal to act as normal.
RF-cable should be connected to measurement equipment (GSM Test equipment, Power
meter, Spectrum Analyzer, or similar).
DCS1800 Tx troubleshooting flowchart
The following diagram assumes the following:
•Phoenix has been set up as shown previously (selecting DCS1800 in
the RF control box).
•Relevant components have been visually inspected for orientation,
placement etc.
•The Transmit Signal has been checked with a S pectrum Analyzer at the
RF connector, X602 and was found to be low or non-existent.
•The VCO is running correctly.
•The Power Amplifier is getting a correct VBATRF supply via L809.
•Mjoelner’s supply voltages VR1A, VR2, VR3, VR4, VR5 & VR7 are all
working correctly.
Path of the transmitted 1800 signal
For easy error tracking it is important to know the signal path of the GSM1800 transmitter. The components can be grouped into blocks and drawn as shown below. Note that
the picture shows both EGSM900 transmitter (bottom) and GSM1800 transmitter (top).
The balanced TX signal from base band is coming to Mjoelner RF ASIC. The GSM1800
path includes a RF modulator for GSM1800. The BB signal is up-converted with the LO
signal corresponding to the wanted TX channel. The GSM1800 TX output of Mjoelner is a
balanced signal.
From the output of Mjoelner the signal is fed through the Balun T701 (Balanced to single
ended) and a 3 dB pad.
The path of the PA
The GSM1800 part of the PA has a maximum output of approximately 33dBm. The supply is coming directly from the Battery connectors.
The output is controlled by the power control loop. From the output of the PA the signal
goes through the directional coupler (one of the power control loop components) to the
Antenna Switch.
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Antenna Switch
The Antenna Switch works as a diplexer between RX and TX Bands. Moreover, it partly
suppresses the harmonics generated by the PA. Mjoelner RF ASIC controls the antenna
switch by two voltages Vcont1 and Vcont2. The following table shows the different
states.
If the Tx output is too high, then it is most likely that there is a problem within the Power
Control loop.
Mjoelner is receiving the Reference TXC from Baseband and not getting any feedback
from DET to compare with TXC. The result is that Mjoelner drives VDP_900/VPD_1800
high to try and increase the power output so that the DET signal is matching TXC. With a
break in the Power Control loop, the DET signal never reaches Mjoelner so it assumes
that the PA is not outputting enough power so it tries to compensate by increasing the
gain.
When checking the Power Control loop, make sure that VBD is pulsing at 2.8V Peak to
Peak. Check the DET pulse at Mjoelner input on R706.
There is only one PLL synthesizer generating frequencies for both Rx and Tx for all three
bands. VCO frequency is divided by 2 or by 4 in Mjoelner depending on which band is
active.
General instructions for synthesizer troubleshooting
Connect the phone to a PC with DAU-9P cable and dongle and follow these instructions:
Start Phoenix Service Software (dongle needed):
SelectScan ProductCtrl-R
Wait until phone information shows in the lower right corner of the screen.
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The setup should now look like this:
It is possible to measure frequency of 3769,6MHz at the output of the VCO (G701) using
a resistive probe and a spectrum analyzer. It is possible to measure tuning voltage at
charge pump output (C710) easily. For f
= 3526.4MHz the tuning voltage should be
VCO
2.3VDC. 2.8VDC (Tuning sensitivity of VCO is 240MHz/V typ.).
Figure 14: PLL Synthesizer Test Points
T702
VR7
2.8V
Input
T702
VCO
Out
Balanced
Output
VC
0V - 4.7V
Charge Pump
O/p Test Point
If this is not the case, then go to troubleshooting chart in this document for trouble-
The 26 MHz reference oscillator (VCXO) is part of Mjoelner RF-ASIC (N601). It needs only
an external 26 MHz Xtal (B601) as external circuitry.
The reference oscillator has three functions:
•Reference frequency for the PLL synthesizer .
•System clock for BB (RFClk_I = 26 MHz).
•26 MHz Reference clock (LPRFClk_I) for Bluetooth Module (N430) via
buffer V601.
For an error free initial synchronization, the 26MHz frequency of the VCXO must be
accurate enough. Therefore, a VCXO-calibration (cal) value is written via the serial Bus
into the RefOSCCAL register of Mjoelner and an additional bit in the RefOSCCntl register
of the Mjoelner. That is necessary for the rough calibration of the VCXO.
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The VCXO is fine tuned by programming the AFC value via the serial bus of Mjoelner. The
necessary AFC value is written into the RefOSCAFC register in Mjoelner.
VCO
The VCO is able to generate frequencies in the range from 3420MHz to 3840MHz when
PLL is in function. The frequency of the VCO signal is divided by 2 or by 4 in Mjoelner RFASIC. So it is possible to generate the frequency of all channels in GSM900 and
GSM1800 (both RX and TX). Frequency of the VCO is controlled by DC voltage (Vc) coming from the PLL loop filter. Range of Vc when PLL is in function is 0.7V– 3.8V. Typical
tuning sensitivity of the VCO is 250MHz/V. Even if PLL is not working (Vc out of range)
there is a frequency at the output of the VCO, which is between 3 and 4 GHz (if the VCO
itself is ok).
troubleshooting chart for PLL Synthesizer
Set up Phoenix RF Controls
Band: GSM 900
900
Mode: RX Continuous
Channel: 37
Change Channel
to 975. Does LO
124.
change frequency?
37
190
YESNO
YES
NO
3769.6MHz
Check T702
Balanced O/P.
Signal same?
Check T702 I/P.
LO Present?
YESNO
Change
T702
PLL is working
Is LO@
3.77 GHz
NO
Change
R731
START
YES
Check VCO Out.
Is LO visible?
YES
YESNO
Does the VC
Vge change
when you change
channels?
YES
Check Loop Filter
Components. OK?
NO
KEY
Test with
Spectrum
Analyzer
NOYES
Check Mjoelner Voltage Supplies
VR1A, VIO, VR3, VREF1. OK?
Test with
Oscilloscope
Check VR7 VCO
Side of R730.
Vge OK?
Replace G701
YES
YES
Replace Mjoelner
Replace Faulty Loop
Filter Components
Check /
Inspect
NO
NO
Refer to BB
Fault Finding
End
Action
Check VR7 J618.
Vge OK?
NO
YES
Change
R730
It is important to say that power supply for VCXO (VR3) is only switched ‘OFF’ in the socalled ‘Deep Sleep Mode’ and power supply for VCO (G701 VR7) is switched ‘OFF’ in socalled ‘Sleep Mode’.
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26MHz Bluetooth buffer
Antenna
Instructions for antenna troubleshooting
If the TX, RX or SX troubleshootings does not solve RF failure, do the following tests:
Use DA-17 jig and phone in 'local' mode. Use Phoenix to control the phone.
Set TX on and check the output power on low, middle and high channels. If the power
levels are not OK, check the antenna, antenna connection pads and antenna pins. If there
are big differencies (> 5 dB) between channels, change the antenna. If the levels are OK,
the failure reason is bended center shield or in other part of the phone. Change the
shield and try again. If it is still not functional, refer to BB troubleshooting.
Set RX on, connect signal generator to DA-17 and start RSSI testing. Check the RSSI levels on low, middle and high channels. If the RSSI levels are not OK, check the antenna,
antenna connection pads and antenna pins. If there are big differencies (> 5 dB) between
channels, change the antenna. If the RSSI levels are OK, the failure reason is bended center shield or in other part of the phone. Change the shield and try again. If it is still not
functional, refer to BB troubleshooting.
Connect the phone to a PC running the Phoenix Service Software.
Start Phoenix Service Software and open FBUS connection
SelectFileScan Product
Wait until phone information is shown in the lower right corner of the screen.
RF tuning after repairs
Different repairs require different tuning. In general it is necessary to determine in which
section the repair was done to select which tunings to perform. To determine if RF tuning
is necessary after repair it is important that the functionality of the repaired circuit is
understood well. It is recommended to perform complete RF tuning if RF is repaired.
•In general repairs in the TX part will require "TX Power Level Tuning"
and "TX IQ Tuning".
•In general repairs in the RX part or PLL part always require "RX Calibration", “Rx Band Filter Response Calibration”.
•If Mjoelner is changed all calibrations have to be done.
Other parts interfacing to TX, RX or PLL might require tuning, but common sense should
be used, e.g. if a component that has no influence on RF performance has been changed,
e.g. the microphone, on/off key, mechanical parts or similar, there is no need to do any RF
tuning.
RX channel select filter calibration
This calibration is calibrating the Base band filter inside Mjoelner. It is done by internally
measuring a prototype filter, for this reason the calibration is done once, not separately
in 2 bands.
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The setup should now look like this:
Press Tune and the optimal values are found.
Make sure that Save to Phone is active. It can be activated by clicking with mouse or by
pressing the letter v.
Press Stop and the RX Channel Select Filter Calibration is finished. You can now leave the
tuning by closing the window.
RX calibration (incl. VCXO Calibration)
The "RX calibration" is used to determine gain at different gain-settings for front-end
and Mjoelner and needs to be done in both bands.
RX-calibration requires an external signal generator.
RX-calibration in EGSM900 combines two tunings, VCXO-calibration and AGC-calibration:
Calibration of GSM1800 band only determines AGC values.
The VCXO-calibration finds out a calibration value for VCXO control, an AFC initial
value and 3 AFC-slope coefficients.
A value (RF_TEMP), which represents the RF hardware temperature, is determined during
RX Calibration. This temperature value is used by DSP to RSSI reporting in Normal mode
of the phone. It is not visible in the calibration process.
AGC-calibration:
The AGC-calibration finds the gain values of the RX-gain system.
The AGC consists of RF LNA, which can be either on or off (gain difference between on
and off state is nominally 30dB) and BB gain which can be controlled in 6dB steps. This
gives 15 gain steps RSSI0 to RSSI14. LNA is off for steps RSSI0 to RSSI4.
AGC-calibration measures the gain at gain step RSSI4 and RSSI7. The other gain values
are calculated.
VCXO-calibration:
The VCXO-calibration ensures the function of an initial synchronization (before location
update is done) when the mobile station is in Normal mode. For an error free initial synchronization, the 26MHz frequency of the VCXO must be accurate enough. Therefore, a
VCXO cal value is written into the RefOSCCAL register of the Mjoelner.
During VCXO-calibration, the VCXO cal value is changed by a DSP-algorithm until a synchronization is possible. This means the VCXO oscillates at 26 MHz with a sufficient minimum frequency error.
To further minimize the frequency error, an initial AFC value is determined by the DSP
and written into RefOSCAFC register of the Mjoelner.
Also the DSP algorithm determines 3 AFC slope coefficients Slope C1...3 during VCXO
calibration. One AFC slope value is not sufficient for Mjoelner F3, because the AFC slope
is non-linear in this chip.
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The setup should now look like this:
Press Start and a new window pops up:
Connect an external signal generator to the RF connector of the phone and set the generator as told in the window, taking care for external cable losses.
The EGSM900 has been tuned. To proceed to DCS1800 tuning, press Save & Continue
and a new window pops up::
Let an external signal generator be connected to the RF connector of the phone and set
the generator as told in the window, taking care of external cable losses.
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A window pops up:
Let the external signal generator be connected to the RF connector and set the generator
as told in the window, taking care of external cable losses. Press OK and the following
window pops up:
Set the generator as told in the window.
Press OK and a new window pops up. Repeat this sequence 9 times until all channels are
done.
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TX I/Q tuning
This tuning must be done in both bands.
EGSM900
Caution: In case you use a spectrum analyser make sure that the external attenuation (20 - 30dB)
between phone and spectrum analyser is high enough that the input of the analyser can’t be destroyed.
Adjust the reference level offset according to the insertion loss from the phone to the spectrum analyser.
PC/Phone operation:
Set operating mode to local mode
SelectTuningAlt-u
TX IQ TuningI
Wait until the TX IQ Tuning window pops up.
Select TestingAlt-s
RF ControlsR
Wait until the RF Controls window pops up.
Connect a Spectrum Analyzer or GSM tester with the option *Narrow Spectrum' to the
RF connector of the phone.
If a spectrum analyzer is used then use the following settings.
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The Spectrum Analyzer now shows a plot like this:
Use the variables 'Amplitude difference' and 'Phase difference' to adjust the +67kHz signal to a minimum level (Marker 3). After tuning to the minimum the level difference
between the peak levels at marker 1 and 3 must exceed 40dB. Tuning is possible by using
arrow keys on the keyboard. Pushing the sliders by using the mouse is less sensitive but
even possible.
Use the variables ‘Amplitude difference’ and Phase difference’ to adjust the +67KHz signal to a minimum level (Marker 3). After tuning to the minimum the level difference
between the peak levels at marker 1 and 3 must exceed 40dB, Tuning is possible by using
arrow keys on the keyboard. Pushing the sliders by using the mouse is less sensitive but
even possible’
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TX power tuning
This tuning must be done in both bands.
Note: TX Power tuning must be done with a peak power meter, e.g. Anritsu model ML2408A with
Anritsu Peak Power Sensor MA2442A and a suitable attenuator. Tuning can also be done with a spectrum analyzer.
The use of power meter in GSM testers is likely to cause larger error than the use of a
dedicated power meter and might cause the phone to be non-compliant with GSM specifications.
Connect a calibrated power meter to the RF connector of the phone.
SelectTestingAlt-S
RF controlsR
Select TuningAlt-u
TX Power Level TuningL
SelectBandGSM900
Active UnitTX
Press Start and the following window pops up:
If you are using a spectrum analyser, make the necessary settings. Press OK to continue.
If you are using a spectrum analyzer, adjust the marker to the highest peak to see the
power level.
Tune Base level to –30 dBm.
Adjust DAC Values for Power Level 5 (32.5 dBm), 15 (13 dBm) and 19 (5 dBm) according
to Target values. The Power levels may differ from Phoenix mentioned target power levels.
Press “Save and Continue” and the tuning continues with DCS1800 power level tuning.
levels may differ from target power levels mentioned in Phoenix.
Press “Save and Continue” and TX Power Level Tuning is finished.
Auto-Tune with Phoenix
Automatic tuning for RH-29 RF parameters is possible. Auto-Tune tunes all RF parameters for both of the bands.
Needed equipment
•PC running Nokia Phoenix SW
•Test jig MJ-21
•Power source
•Cables: RF-cables for measurements and GPIB-cable(s) to control test
equipment
Set Loss
•R&S CMU200
OR one TX- and one RX-equipment and RF-splitter:
TX:
•Agilent E4406 (VSA series transmitter tester)
•Agilent E4445 (PSA series transmitter tester)
•Rohde&Schwarz, FSE-family of Signal Analyzers
•Rohde&Schwarz, FSIQ-family of Signal Analyzers
RX:
•Agilent ESG family of RF Signal Generators
•Rohde&Schwarz, SME-family of Signal Generators
Path losses caused by test jig MJ-21 and RF-cables must be set correctly before tuning.
To be able to change these values, there have to be some phone connected to Phoenix.
Select right connection type from Phoenix and set operating mode to local mode.
Connect the test jig MJ-21 to PC and to measurement equipment (if you are using R&S
CMU200, use RF2-port). Connect the engine board to jig, turn power on. Run Phoenix.
Select right connection type from Phoenix and set operating mode to local mode.
SelectFileAlt-F
Scan ProductP
Wait until phone information is shown in the lower right corner of the screen.
Check that there is right jig selected and losses set correctly, as described previously.
Press “Tune”, and Phoenix will do all the tunings, both TX and RX. That will take about a
couple of minutes. If autotuning can be made successfully, you will see following message: