POWERNODE
PLC (POWER LINE COMMUNICATIONS)
Internet, networks and telephony, all in the same electric network
Satconxion presents the new Schneider Electric PLC ILEVO solutions. The PLC, also called BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) is a new technology based on the data transmission using as infrastructure the electrical network. This implies the capacity of offering, by this medium, any service based on IP, like the VoIP, IP telephony, total access to any web page, videoconference, high speed data, etc.
There are two kinds of Power Line Communications:
- PLOC (Power Line Outdoors Telecoms, this is, the communication between the electrical substation and the domestic network (electro-modem). The standard is ETSI.
- PLIC (Power Line Indoors Telecoms, this is, using the home interior electrical line for establishing internal communications. An example: PLIC is one of the ways used in domotics.
How does it work?
The concept is simple, from the transformer station to the final user the electric line is used and from the transformer station on the conventional telecommunications network is used. This supposes that Internet access could be had in any point where the electric network arrives, not being necessary a telephonic network access, what makes possible the Internet access in places were the telephonic line does not arrive, and subsequently it allows to have a fast internet connection.
The signal used to transmit data through the electric line uses to be from 1,6 to 30 Mhz, a big difference with the conventional electric network's frequency (50-60 Hz), this implies that the possibility of interference between both signals is practically none.
Outstanding features
- Broadband technology
- Transmission speed up to 200 Mbps shared between users, and depending on the configuration
- Simple and quick installation process for the final client
- Electrical plug (only one plug for supply, voice and data)
- Without need for works or additional cabling
- PLC Modem connection equipment
- Voice and data transmission simultaneously
- Permanent data connection (active 24 hours a day)
- It permits to keep giving the electrical supply without any problem Symmetrical bandwidth
Topology:
To acced to this service, a PLC modem is needed for each particular connection. This modem, that is the only device that is under the user's responsibility, is connected with a device called "repeater" located in the counters room of the building or block. This last device can sustain up to 256 modems. The architecture of a PLC network consists of two systems formed by three elements:
The first system called "Outdoor" or "Access" covers the part that in telecommunications is known as "last mile", and that for the PLC network case consists of the electrical network that goes from the low tension side of the distributor transformer to the electric energy measurer. This first system is administered by a head-end (first element of the PLC network) that connects this network with the telecommunications transport network or backbone. In this way this head-end equipment injects the electrical network the data signal that comes from the transport network. The second system is called "Indoor" and covers the part that goes from the user's measurer to all the other connection plugs placed in the inside of the houses. For it, this system uses as a transmission method the internal electric cabling.
To communicate these two systems a repeater device is used, second element of the PLC network. This equipment, which normally is installed in the electrical energy measurer environment, is composed of a terminal modem and head-end equipment. The first component of this repeater picks up the signal coming form the head-end of the outdoor system and the second component communicates with the terminal part of the repeater and injects the signal in the indoor part. The third and last PLC network element is the terminal or customer modem, which picks up the signal directly from the electrical network through the plug. In this way both the electrical network and the data signals that allows the transmission of the information share the same transmission medium, the electrical conductor.
Advantages
- The main one: it uses the existing infrastructure
- The offered services are competitive in quality and service
- It is a valid alternative to the ADSL and CATV connections.
- Big ubiquity: it allows a massive technology deployment, since the network is already implanted.
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