Analysis of Indoor PLC Networks: Laboratory Tests and Simulation Results

PLC technology applications in low voltage indoor power grids apart from Internet services are related also to monitoring and remote control applications. The CENELEC B band provides adequate transfer rate for such narrow band PLC applications. This paper presents an indoor network model, suitable for the analysis of narrow band PLC transmission. Laboratory tests and simulation results concerning signal transmission characteristics for the different model configurations are reported. The ATP-EMTP program is used for the simulation of the transmission path. Results obtained by the simulation of different cases with variable electrical appliances connected are compared to the actual measurements from laboratory tests, showing satisfactory agreement. The impact of the appliances on the signal transmission is investigated and they are classified accordingly. Finally, the proposed equivalent models are used in a simulation of the signal transmission in a building.

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