Disconnect the antenna and perform conducted measurements at
the SMA connector or solder a semi-rigid coax cable at the 50 Ω point.
Preferred: Use a signal generator that is capable of sending
data packets. If the signal generator cannot send data packets, just send
preamble data.
If a signal generator is not available, use an EM/Launchpad as
a transmitter. Use coax cables and attenuation between the EM SMA connector and
the 50 Ω point on the custom board.
Note:
It is difficult to get an
accurate number using this method since the exact values of output power
and attenuation are normally not known.
Some energy will also travel over the air from the EM
to the DUT. In addition, background noise could impact the results. To
get more accurate results, the receiver should be placed in a shielded
box.
If the conducted sensitivity is poor:
Are the settings the same as the recommended values
from SmartRF?
software? If the sensitivity is good when using SmartRF Studio and not
with the settings used for the project the settings has to be
evaluated.
What is the frequency difference between the DUT and
the signal source? Ensure that the RF frequency of the DUT sending a CW
is as expected given the tolerance on the xtal used.
Is the schematic according to the reference design
including all component values?