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Power Line Communication Modem

Power Line Communication Modem Solutions from Texas Instruments

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Tx Line Driver Rx Line Receiver Clock Wired Interface Digital Isolators Digital Isolators Digital Isolators Digital Isolators Isolated AC/DC Supply LED Drivers Core & I/O Power System Power General Purpose MCU - Including Piccolo Wireless

Design Considerations

Power Line Communication Modem technology leverages the power grid to carry data signals without additional wiring. Power Line Communication Modem applications range from high-speed broadband internet links to narrowband control applications and low bandwidth data collection where low cost and high reliability are the main design constraints. In indoor environments, narrowband Power Line Communication Modem (up to 20kbps) enables home and building automation in heat and air conditioning, lighting, room scenario programming, and security. Outside the home, narrowband power line networks allow street lighting control (maintenance and energy saving) or remote data collection from a power meter (facilitates customer billing, tariff selection, energy peak saving). Power Line Communication Modem technology faces several challenges including inherently noisy power lines, various different Power Line Communication Modem protocols and evolving standards, all of which require system design flexibility. Some current standards for indoor installations include INSTEON, X10 and HomePlug Power Alliance. IEEE P1901 is a working group for delivering broadband over power lines.

A Power Line Communication Modem system begins with a modulated signal entering the receiver stage, or active band pass filter where the op-amp selected for the filter should provide low noise, low harmonic distortion, and low input bias as seen in TI’s TL074. The signal converts to a digital form for processing at the F2802x/03x Piccolo™ microcontroller member of the scalable C2000™ 32-bit microcontroller family. There are 2 variants- Piccolo A supports BPSK or SFSK or OFDM schemes of modulation whereas Piccolo B supports BPSK, SFSK, OFDM schemes on the same device. The 12-bit ADC which operates at up to 4.6 MSPS and includes triggering mechanisms for support of multi-frequency and phase sampling (2 sample and hold functions). The F2802x/3x family also features on-board voltage regulation for core power (eliminates 1.8V rail), brown out and power on resets for protection, and integrated oscillators that enable applications to utilize the internal clock source without external components. Additionally, software manipulation in the microcontroller allows multiple standard support and protocol updating which makes the C2000™ 32-bit microcontroller family a smart and flexible solution for Power Line Communication Modem implementation. The F2802x/3x MCU’s ePWMs support duty cycle resolution down to 150 ps to enable more control over harmonics and reduce sample-to-output delay. Processed signals can directly communicate with outside systems (both wired and wireless applications) via one of Piccolo’s serial interface options including CAN, I2C, LIN, SPI (2x) and SCI or the signals are injected back into the power grid by the transmitter stage op-amp (low pass filter) that drives a high output current. The integration on the Piccolo MCU family provides a cost effective system, while the off-board receive/transmit stage provides flexibility in selecting op-amps with enhanced features in noise, output current, and size. Furthermore, isolation at the output provides surge/spike protection emanating from interfaces.

Application Notes

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Reference Designs

Description Part # Company
CC1101EM 315 and 433MHz Reference Design CC1101EM433_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC1101EM 868 and 915MHz Reference Design CC1101EM868-915_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC1110EM 315MHz Reference Design CC1110EM315_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC1110EM 433MHz Reference Design CC1110EM433_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC1110EM 868 and 915MHz Reference Design CC1110EM868-915_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC1111 USB Dongle Reference Design CC1111USB_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC2500 Reference Design (62 mil layer spacing) CC2500_REFDES_062 Texas Instruments
CC2500EM Reference Design CC2500EM_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC2510EM Reference Design CC2510EM_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC2511 USB Nano Dongle Reference Design CC2511NANO_REFDES Texas Instruments
CC2511 USB-Dongle Reference Design CC2511USB_REFDES Texas Instruments

Tools and Software

Name Part # Company Software/Tool Type
TMS320F2808 Experimenter Kit TMDSDOCK2808 Texas Instruments Starter Kits
TMS320F2812 eZdsp Starter Kit (DSK) - Socketed version TMDSEZS2812 Texas Instruments Starter Kits

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