Power lines were designed to carry electricity in the frequency range of 50–60 Hz from a limited number of sources (the producers) to a large number of sinks (consumers). The three main voltage networks for electrical power lines are high (100kV), medium (1–100kV), and low (1kV). Power line networking (PLN), often referred to as power line carrier, power line digital subscriber line (PDSL), mains communication, power-line telecommunications, or power line, utilizes the existing electrical network for communication. Since there are outlets everywhere, communication services are available and installation costs are lower than for other communication systems. High, medium, and low-voltage supplies have been employed for distant measurement and control tasks for internal communication in electrical utilities. For different communication applications, PLC is also utilized in internal electrical installations in buildings and houses, or ” in-home PLC.” PLC modems are used in power supply networks to facilitate communication. PLC modem transforms data signals from traditional communication devices (computer, phone) into a format appropriate for transmission via power lines. As yet, data communication is not intended for the power supply network. Negative aspects of the PLC transmission channel include frequency-dependent attenuation, fluctuating impedance, fading, and undesirable noise conditions. However, the PLC network must operate in a frequency range of up to 30 MHz in order to offer larger data rates. The electromagnetic radiation produced by the PLC network interferes with other services using the same frequency band. PLC is split into two categories: narrowband PLC, which supports data speeds up to 100 kbps, and broadband PLC, which supports data rates over 2 Mbps. The demand for digital voice, video, and internet data within the home is constantly rising as a result of the unavoidable introduction of broadband connectivity. PLC technology enables the use of extensive power distribution infrastructure that is already in place to give high-speed networking capabilities in addition to many other advantages.
Microchip’s PL 360 Eval Kit
PL360G55CB-EK is a PLC modem board based on the PL360 transceiver and on the SAMG55 ARM Cortex-M4 RISC processor. This evaluation board can be used as a PLC modem reference design for modular architectures; or, in any case, to provide a platform to develop a complete communications system over PLC technology. The isolation amplifier present in between the power and the logic circuit works as the isolation for the circuit. The device can be programmed via microbus. The eval kit is also enabled with UART and SPI as other serial communication protocols.
Applications
- Automatic meter reading:
This technology transfers data from energy meters to a central database for analysis and bill generation. The primary goal of meter reading automation is to collect data rates that are challenging to obtain, not to save labor costs. Most frequently, consumers have asked that their monthly costs be calculated based on real readings rather than predictions. This system prevents recurring travel and bases charging on actual use rather than an estimate. since the first ac transmission line was installed in 1886. It was crucial to quantify the energy that customers pay for. First AMR was invented by Mr. Paraskevakos.
2. Warehouse Automation:
This application refers to the optimization and automation of assembly line and warehouse management and automation. In this technology, the development of new architecture and setup for communication is not required. These power line modules will serve as both the transmitter and the microcontroller for this application.
Microchips PLC PHY Tester
PLC PHY Tester allows us to test the basic functionality of the PLC devices from microchips. It can be set on different baud rates with alternations in the source code. The eval kit comes with preloaded firmware which will allow us to communicate over the power line without any new architecture.
