Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Throughput of MIMO PLC Network

In this study, we mainly focused on a theoretical analysis of HomePlug 1.0 and an experimental analysis of modem data rates through a section of a PLC network with several configurations. We introduce the utilization of the MIMO technique to increase the throughput over a PLC channel. Besides, we propose a MIMO PLC channel model to evaluate the channel transfer function of MIMO PLC. We used an equivalent per-unit-length model of the indoor power line network to characterize the three-conductor cable. Based on this mathematical model, we analyzed the throughput of the PLC network with different household appliances. The equivalent circuit of each appliance is also given. The simulation results showed that the throughput is influenced by household appliances connected to the sockets of a MIMO PLC network. Moreover, we also compared the throughput between single and multi-antenna systems. Based on the simulation results, we found that the data rate increased with frequency. In addition, the performance of the MIMO PLC system was almost 90% higher than that of a SISO PLC system in terms of channel capacity

Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Throughput of MIMO PLC Network

In this study, we mainly focused on a theoretical analysis of HomePlug 1.0 and an experimental analysis of modem data rates through a section of a PLC network with several configurations. We introduce the utilization of the MIMO technique to increase the throughput over a PLC channel. Besides, we propose a MIMO PLC channel model to evaluate the channel transfer function of MIMO PLC. We used an equivalent per-unit-length model of the indoor power line network to characterize the three-conductor cable. Based on this mathematical model, we analyzed the throughput of the PLC network with different household appliances. The equivalent circuit of each appliance is also given. The simulation results showed that the throughput is influenced by household appliances connected to the sockets of a MIMO PLC network. Moreover, we also compared the throughput between single and multi-antenna systems. Based on the simulation results, we found that the data rate increased with frequency. In addition, the performance of the MIMO PLC system was almost 90% higher than that of a SISO PLC system in terms of channel capacity

BER evaluation of post-meter PLC services in CENELEC-C band

Low voltage, in-home power-line communications (PLC) networks allow direct communication between smart meters (SM) and in-home devices (IHD). In order to minimize security issues, in many deployment scenarios transmission takes place only towards the IHD to display consumption data, with no backwards channel. As a result, channel estimation is difficult and it is necessary to use robust transmission techniques to mitigate the effect of the impulsive noise within the PLC channel. Performance of such system must be evaluated by taking into account realistic interference and channel models for a broad range of configurations. In this work we focus on performance in terms of bit error rate (BER) of a narrowband PLC (NB-PLC) operating in the CENELEC-C band (125–140 kHz) taking into account realistic noise models. Our system is based on binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation

Power line communications systems

The purpose of this project is to determine the performance of a Power line communication connection by measuring its propagation characteristics. For power line communication to become efficient, a model of their behaviour at frequencies from 0 to 30 MHz is required. The attenuation and phase response are of particular interest. In this project, indoor cables within a building were utilized. A three core indoor cable is modeled as a two wire lumped-element model with distributed parameters. These parameters are capacitance, inductance, conductance and resistance.The predicted results, generated by MATLAB software closely matched those obtained by the measurements carried out on the 10m flat cable. The model and its results will allow communication designers to determine the optimal communication scheme for this power line channel.However, more investigation is required to determine noise characteristics and impedance mismatch in the power line network before it can be completely modeled

A Study on the Optimal Receiver Impedance for SNR Maximization in Broadband PLC

We consider the design of the front-end receiver for broadband power line communications. We focus on the design of the input impedance that maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receiver. We show that the amplitude, rather than the power, of the received signal is important for communication purposes. Furthermore, we show that the receiver impedance impacts the amplitude of the noise term. We focus on the background noise, and we propose a novel description of the noise experienced at the receiver port of a PLC network. We model the noise as the sum of four uncorrelated contributions, that is, the active, resistive, receiver, and coupled noise components. We study the optimal impedance design problem for real in-home grids that we assessed with experimental measurements. We describe the results of the measurement campaign, and we report the statistics of the optimal impedance. Hence, we study the best attainable performance when the optimal receiver impedance is deployed. We focus on the SNR and the maximum achievable rate, and we show that power matching is suboptimal with respect to the proposed impedance design approach

INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF VOICE AND DATA COMMUNICATION OVER POWER LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Communication is the transfer of information from one point to another over a channel. However, as technology is growing, more information is needed to be passed over large distances for the realization of the world being a global village. There is the need to place a reliable communication system that will transmit effortlessly both data and voice over a channel. Power Line Communication (PLC) also known as Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology offers high speed and broadband communication services to homes connected to the power lines. This makes use of the electrical lines for transmission of data up to the last mile and there is no need of separating copper cables, short haul satellite systems, optical fibre cable and Wi-Fi. This work presented an overview of a voice and data communication over PLC in terms of the various types, equipment use, method of communication, application, regulatory activities on PLC and the challenges facing the implementation of power line for transmitting voice and data. Therefore, PLC is a viable alternative to all other methods of transmission as it is readily available and can be easily implemented in rural areas where other communication systems are not implemented for the transmission of voice and data communication. Keywords: Communication, Power Line Communication, Broadband over Power Line, Voice and Data Communication, Broadband over Power Line, Transmission, Electrical Line. DOI: 10.7176/MTM/9-8-03 Publication date: August 31st 201

Characterization and Emulation of Low-Voltage Power Line Channels for Narrowband and Broadband Communication

The demand for smart grid and smart home applications has raised the recent interest in power line communication (PLC) technologies, and has driven a broad set of deep surveys in low-voltage (LV) power line channels. This book proposes a set of novel approaches, to characterize and to emulate LV power line channels in the frequency range from0.15to 10 MHz, which closes gaps between the traditional narrowband (up to 500 kHz) and broadband (above1.8 MHz) ranges

Characterization and Emulation of Low-Voltage Power Line Channels for Narrowband and Broadband Communication

The demand for smart grid and smart home applications has raised the recent interest in power line communication (PLC) technologies, and has driven a broad set of deep surveys in low-voltage (LV) power line channels. This book proposes a set of novel approaches, to characterize and to emulate LV power line channels in the frequency range from0.15to 10 MHz, which closes gaps between the traditional narrowband (up to 500 kHz) and broadband (above1.8 MHz) ranges