A powerline communications (PLC) protocol developed by Maxim Integrated Products in partnership with French electricity utility ERDF and broadband terminal firm Sagemcom has been approved as a low-frequency, OFDM-based narrowband PLC standard.
Approved by the ITU as a standard PLC protocol for connecting smart meters to the power grid, the G3-PLC specification supports the IPv6 internet protocol to allow web-based energy management systems.
Across Europe PLC will be deployed on the medium voltage lines of the electricity grid, for monitoring meters and other power devices. The technology could also eventually be used in the home.
Unlike the UK which has opted for wireless links using cellular networks to communicate with smart power meters, other European countries are deploying PLC links on the power grid.
The EU has set a target date of 2020 for Europe’s 270 million electricity meters to be replaced with networked smart meters.
“Europe is strong and ahead of the rest of the world in development of this powerline communications technology,” Michael Navid, executive business manager for powerline products at Maxim, told Electronics Weekly.
France and Italy are already rolling out smart meters to be connected through PLC on the grid.
The G3-PLC protocol is based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques, rather than FSK modulation.
“OFDM will support higher data rate which makes it possible to use forward error correction to improve immunity to noise in the 10-500kHz band where it operates,” said Navid.
Maxim also uses multi-tones which, according to Navid, improves signal-to-noise ratio by 10dB compared with single carrier PLC.
The potential maximum data rate is 300kbit/s, which compares with 2.4kbit/s of older systems based on FSK modulation.
Maxim’s first G3-PLC compliant chipset incorporates the MAX2992 modem that pairs with the MAX2991 analogue front-end.
According to Navid, several manufacturers are designing meters based on this chipset, and one is already being deployed in France.
It is hoped that standardising PLC on the narrowband OFDM-based protocol will unlock the smart grid market in Europe and allow operators to roll out the technology.
“Both the formation of the G3-PLC Alliance and the final narrowband PLC standard approval from the ITU provide the standardisation and support that utilities need to begin deployments with the G3-PLC protocol,” said Navid.
Supporters of G3-PLC include chip suppliers Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics and meter companies Itron and Landis & Gyr.
www.G3-PLC.com
www.maxim-ic.com
