State-of-the-art in Power Line Communications: from the Applications to the Medium

In recent decades, power line communication has attracted considerable attention from the research community and industry, as well as from regulatory and standardization bodies. In this article we provide an overview of both narrowband and broadband systems, covering potential applications, regulatory and standardization efforts and recent research advancements in channel characterization, physical layer performance, medium access and higher layer specifications and evaluations. We also identify areas of current and further study that will enable the continued success of power line communication technology.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. Special Issue on Power Line Communications and its Integration with the Networking Ecosystem. 201

Statistical assessment of automotive PLC multipath channel modelss

This paper addresses the modeling of in-vehicle power line communication channels via multipath parametric representations. The study is based on a set of frequency-domain measurements carried out on a commercial automobile. The proposed procedure for the computation of model parameters from real measured data is briefly summarized and a systematic assessment aimed at collecting some useful statistical information on both the estimated models and the channel features is thoroughly discussed. Specific emphasis is given to the definition of the range of the key parameters that allow characterizing real automotive PLC channel

Power-line communications: smart grid, transmission, and propagation

1 School of Informatics, College of Informatics and Virtual Education, University of Dodoma, P.O. Box 490, Dodoma, Tanzania 2 Electrical Engineering Department, Faculdade de Engenharia, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitario, 36 033 330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil 3Wireless and Power Line Communications Lab, Universita di Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy 4 France Telecom, Orange Labs, 2, Avenue Pierre Marzin, 22 307 Lannion Cedex, Franc

A Case Study on Multi-Softcore Aided Hardware Architectures for Powerline MAC-Layer

Powerline communication is a promising technology for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) applications, where devices have strict limitations regarding available installation space and power dissipation. Especially the wiring of these devices benefits from not having additional cables for network connection. Thus, saving costs and additional installation effort. In this paper a very resource-efficient implementation of a HomePlug 1.0.1 [5] compatible powerline MAC layer, which is used to control the data flow and link status of a powerline connection, is presented. The MAC layer is implemented in two variants, using state machines and softcore processors. A comparison of the two approaches shows that the softcore design used up to 78 % less FPGA ressources and is superior in terms of flexibility and maintainability

Powerline communication and demand side management for microgrids

Motivation: The greatest challenge for microgrid deployment is making energy affordable, especially in remote low-income communities. This thesis answers the following research question: Can digital communication reduce the price of electricity for an islanded low voltage microgrid and if so, can broadband powerline communications meet microgrid control requirements? Approach: This study conducts a cost-benefit analysis of the addition of a field area network to a microgrid. Broadband powerline communication is selected as a candidate technology and tested on various microgrid networks to determine its suitability. Results: The main contributions of this study are: A demand-side management strategy and unsubsidised cost reflective tariff structure for rural microgrids in the developing world. A cost-benefit analysis that shows the addition of a low bit rate, medium latency communication system (1 kbps per customer, 100 ms) may reduce the levelized cost of energy by 32%. A performance evaluation of broadband HomePlug powerline communications for microgrids which shows the Homeplug AV2 has a range of 600 m and functions well on complex radial distribution networks. Conclusion: Investment in a minimally capable communication system has significant economic benefit to both customer and utility by enabling smart grid services such as automatic meter reading and demand side management. Since communication technologies share similar bit rate and latency capabilities and are similarly priced, the technology choice is driven more by microgrid geography, complexity, availability and reliability. Powerline communications require no additional cable, but boast reliability similar to dedicated cable solutions. The HomePlug AV meets bit rate and latency requirements, is affordable, reliable, simple and widely available around the world. This study concludes it is a solid candidate for low voltage islanded microgrids. The material presented in this thesis has been published or submitted for publication in an abbreviated format in the following publications: D. Neal et al, "Demand side energy management and customer behavioral response in a rural islanded microgrid," in IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica, 2020. D. Neal, D. Rogers and M. McCulloch, "A Techno-Economic Analysis of Communication in Islanded Microgrids," unpublished. Submitted Oct 2023 to Elsevier Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. D. Neal, D. Rogers and M. McCulloch, "Broadband Powerline Communication for Low-Voltage Microgrids," unpublished. Submitted Oct 2023 to IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery

Review of power line communications standards in Africa

The standards in power line communications (PLC) calibrate parameters such as frequencies allocation, signal level, security, topology of the network and many others parameters. The leap forward of power line communications technology is motivated by the willingness of the standardization organizations (SDO)s such as ITU, IEC, ISO, IEEE, CENELEC to define how the technologies are going to be deployed. This paper presents the different SDOs, Alliances and groups regulating the PLC sector. The interoperability and coexistence for some technologies are underlined. The process of developing PLC standards by ITU, IEEE 1901, CENELEC is described. The advantages and disadvantages of using PLC technology in Africa are discussed

Upgrading the Power Grid Functionalities with Broadband Power Line Communications: Basis, Applications, Current Trends and Challenges

This article reviews the basis and the main aspects of the recent evolution of Broadband Power Line Communications (BB-PLC or, more commonly, BPL) technologies. The article starts describing the organizations and alliances involved in the development and evolution of BPL systems, as well as the standardization institutions working on PLC technologies. Then, a short description of the technical foundation of the recent proposed technologies and a comparison of the main specifications are presented; the regulatory activities related to the limits of emissions and immunity are also addressed. Finally, some representative applications of BPL and some selected use cases enabled by these technologies are summarized, together with the main challenges to be faced.This work was financially supported in part by the Basque Government under the grants IT1426-22, PRE_2021_1_0006, and PRE_2021_1_0051, and by the Spanish Government under the grants PID2021-124706OB-I00 and RTI2018-099162-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”)