Power line communication (PLC) provides a flexible-access, wide-distribution, and low-cost communication solution for distribution network services. However, the PLC self-organizing networking in distribution network faces several challenges such as diversified data transmission requirements guarantee, the contradiction between long-term constraints and short-term optimization, and the uncertainty of global information. To address these challenges, we propose a backpressure learning-based data transmission reliability-aware self-organizing networking algorithm to minimize the weighted sum of node data backlogs under the long-term transmission reliability constraint. Specifically, the minimization problem is transformed by the Lyapunov optimization and backpressure algorithm. Finally, we propose a backpressure and data transmission reliability-aware state-action-reward-state-action (SARSA)-based self-organizing networking strategy to realize the PLC networking optimization. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has superior performances of data backlogs and transmission reliability.

Impulsive noise (IN) is the most dominant factor degrading the performance of communication systems over powerlines. In order to improve performance of high-speed power line communication (PLC), this work focuses on mitigating burst IN effects based on compressive sensing (CS), and an adaptive burst IN mitigation method, namely combination of adaptive interleaver and permutation of null carriers is designed. First, the long burst IN is dispersed by an interleaver at the receiver and the characteristic of noise is estimated by the method of moment estimation, finally, the generated sparse noise is reconstructed by changing the number of null carriers(NNC) adaptively according to noise environment. In our simulations, the results show that the proposed IN mitigation technique is simple and effective for mitigating burst IN in PLC system, it shows the advantages to reduce the burst IN and to improve the overall system throughput. In addition, the performance of the proposed technique outpeformences other known nonlinear noise mitigation methods and CS methods.

Power line communication (PLC) networks play an important role in home networks and in next generation hybrid networks, which provide higher data rates (Gbps) and easier connectivity. The standard medium access control (MAC) protocol of PLC networks, IEEE 1901, uses a special carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) mechanism, in which the deferral counter technology is introduced to avoid unnecessary collisions. Although PLC networks have achieved great commercial success, MAC layer analysis for IEEE 1901 PLC networks received limited attention. Until now, a few studies used renewal theory and strong law of large number (SLLN) to analyze the MAC performance of IEEE 1901 protocol. These studies focus on saturated conditions and neglect the impacts of buffer size and traffic rate. Additionally, they are valid only for homogeneous traffic. Motivated by these limitations, we develop a unified and scalable analytical model for IEEE 1901 protocol in unsaturated conditions, which comprehensively considers the impacts of traffic rate, buffer size, and traffic types (homogeneous or heterogeneous traffic). In the modeling process, a multi-layer discrete Markov chain model is constructed to depict the basic working principle of IEEE 1901 protocol. The queueing process of the station buffer is captured by using Queueing theory. Furthermore, we present a detailed analysis for IEEE 1901 protocol under heterogeneous traffic conditions. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations to verify the analytical model and evaluate the MAC performance of IEEE 1901 protocol in PLC networks.

This manuscript presents a simple scheme to improve the performance of a feedback control system that uses power line channels for its feedback loop. The noise and attenuation of power lines, and thus the signal to noise ratio, are known to be cyclostationary. Such cyclic features in the channel allow us to predict virtually error free transmission instants as well as instants of high probability of errors. This paper introduces and evaluates the effectiveness of a packet transmission scheduling that collaborates with a predictive control scheme adapted to this cyclostationary environment. In other words, we explore the cooperation between the physical and application layers of the system in order to achieve an overall optimization. To rate the control quality of the system we evaluate its stability as well as its ability to follow control commands accurately. We compare a scheme of increased packet rate against our proposed scheme which emulates a high packet rate with the use of predictive control. Through this comparison, we verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme to improve the control quality of the system, even under low signal to noise ratio conditions in the cyclostationary channel.

This paper provides an overview of power line communication (PLC) applications, challenges and possible evolution. Emphasis is put on two relevant aspects: a) channel characterization and modeling, b) filter bank modulation for spectral efficient transmission. The main characteristics of both the indoor channel (in-home, in-ship, in-car) and the outdoor low voltage and medium voltage channels are reported and compared. A simple approach to statistically model the channel frequency response (CFR) is described and it is based on the generation of a vector of correlated random variables. To overcome the channel distortions, it is shown that filter bank modulation can provide robust performance. In particular, it is shown that the sub-channel spectral containment of filtered multitone modulation (FMT) can provide high notching capability and spectral efficiency. Reduced complexity can be obtained with a cyclic filter bank modulation approach that we refer to as cyclic block FMT modulation (CB-FMT) which still provides higher spectral flexibility/efficiency than OFDM.

With the approval of IEEE 1901 standard for power line communications (PLC) and the recent Internet-enable home appliances like the IPTV having access to a content-on-demand service through the Internet as AcTVila in Japan, there is no doubt that PLC has taken a great step forward to emerge as the preeminent in-home-network technology. However, existing schemes developed so far have not considered the PLC network connected to an unstable Internet environment (i.e. more realistic situation). In this paper, we investigate the communication performance from the end-user's perspective in networks with large and variable round-trip time (RTT) and with the existence of cross-traffic. Then, we address the problem of unfair bandwidth allocation when multiple and different types of flows coexist and propose a TCP rate control considering the difference in terms of end-to-end delay to solve it. We validate our methodology through simulations, and show that it effectively deals with the throughput unfairness problem under critical communication environment, where multiple flows with different RTTs share the PLC and cross-traffic exists on the path of the Internet.

We present MIMO-OFDM based broadband power line communication (BPLC) that uses antenna and fading diversity. We evaluate the proposed MIMO-OFDM over BPLC channels, with or without cross-talk between antenna paths. The proposed scheme employs maximum ratio combining (MRC) that effectively combines both multiple antenna diversity gain and multipath fading diversity gain over 3-phase (22 MIMO, outdoor) or 1-phase (SISO, indoor) power line channels. Simulation results prove the performance advantage of the proposed scheme, whether or not cross-talk exists, over existing schemes.

This paper discusses a control system that employs a power line to transfer signals to control the motion of a single machine, and explores the influence of packet losses on the quality of the control. As an example of a controlled system, a controller with a rotary inverted pendulum as a controlled object, is considered. The feedback loop in between is the power line. The control performance is evaluated in the power line cyclostationary noise environment and compared against the performance in a stationary noise environment. As a result, it is confirmed that the power line and its cyclostationary noise features present an advantage against transmission in a channel with stationary noise.

For the control of multiple servomotors in a humanoid robots, a communication system is proposed. In the system, DC electric power, command/response signals and a common clock signal for precise synchronous movement of the servomotors are transmitted via the same wiring with a multi-drop bus. Because of the bandwidth limitation, the common clock signal and the command/response signals overlap each other. It is confirmed that the coexistence of both signals is possible by using interference cancellation at the reception of command/response signals.

We investigated the effect of a high-speed power line communication (PLC) signal induced into a very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) system by conductive coupling based on a network model. Four electronic devices with AC mains and telecommunication ports were modeled using a 4-port network, and the parameters of the network were obtained from measuring impedance and transmission loss. We evaluated the decoupling factor from the mains port to the telecommunication port of a VDSL modem using these parameters for the four electric and electronic devices. The results indicate that the mean value of the decoupling factor for the differential and common mode signals were more than 88 and 62 dB, respectively, in the frequency range of a PLC system. Taking the following parameters into consideration; decoupling factor Ld, the average transmission signal powers of VDSL and PLC, desired and undesired (DU) ratio, and transmission loss of a typical 300-m-long indoor telecommunication line, the VDSL system cannot be disturbed by the PLC signal induced into the VDSL modem from the AC mains port in normal installation.

The attenuation effect of the walls of a building on the electromagnetic (EM) field generated by an indoor power line communication (PLC) system is numerically investigated using the finite integration (FI) method. In particular, we focus on the frequency range 2-6 MHz, for which the attenuation effect has not yet been sufficiently analyzed. We model a single, finite-sized wall instead of an entire house, to focus on the dependence of the EM field on the wall structure and also reduce the computational resources required. The EM field strength is evaluated at many points on a view plane 10 m from the wall model, and the results are statistically processed to determine the attenuation effect of the wall. We show that the leakage of an EM field at 2-6 MHz is suppressed by about 30 dB by a reinforced concrete wall. We also show that the main contributor to the attenuation effect is the rebar in the wall. We then investigate the relation between the attenuation effect of a single-wall model and that of a house model. The results show that the attenuation effect of a house model is almost the same as that of a 15-m-wall model. We conclude that the use of a single-wall model instead of a house model is effective in determining the attenuation of the EM leakage. This simple structure reduces analytic space, time, and memory in the evaluation of the dependence on the wall structure of the EM leakage from indoor PLC systems.

A statistical model based on a partitioned Markov-chains model has previously been developed to represent time domain behavior of the asynchronous impulsive noise over a broadband power line communication (PLC) network. However, the estimation of its model parameters using the Simplex method can easily trap the final solution at a local optimum. This study proposes an estimation scheme based on the genetic algorithm (GA) to overcome this difficulty. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme yields estimates that more closely match the experimental data statistics.

We address reliable key distribution scheme for lossy channels such as wireless or power line. In the key distribution over these lossy channels, if key information is lost, there is critical issue that the subsequent communication is disabled. In this paper, we show that our proposal has more reliable property than the related works and has the reliable property equivalent to the dedicated communication channels such as Ethernet.

High-speed power line communication (PLC) can transmit an information signal of several hundred megabits per second over the power lines that transport electrical energy. Because this system employs unmodified existing transmission lines and the signal can be accessed through the simple interface of an ordinary electrical outlet, it promises to serve as the most effective transmission system for supporting information home appliances. For high-speed PLC to become practical requires that the frequencies used be expanded to 30 MHz, a frequency band is already used by many wireless communication systems. Thus, shared use with those systems is the most important problem. This paper introduces technical trends related to that issue.

Power Line Communication (PLC) is very attractive for achieving high-rate in-home networks. Noise in power lines is modeled as a cyclostationary Gaussian process. In order to achieve reliable communication using power lines, effective measures including error control techniques need to be taken against this particular noise. This paper focuses its attention on an effect of turbo codes on PLC. We adopt two noise environments for examining the effect in terms of BER performance. The result of the examination provides that turbo codes have enough capability to limit the effect of the noise. It also provides that the effect depends on size of a channel interleaver. Since an effective SNR estimation scheme should be required to apply turbo codes to PLC, we also examine the effect of two SNR estimation schemes in terms of BER performance.

We propose a spread-spectrum power line communication system considering the cyclic features of the noise in the lines. For this purpose, we model the noise as the sum of a time-invariant stationary process and two cyclostationary proceses, i.e., cyclic continuous noise and cyclic impulsive noise. The proposed system employs two different countermeasures to each of these two classes of cyclic noise. For the cyclic continuous noise, it uses multiple-processing-gain spread spectrum technique: the smaller processing gains are assigned for the periods with lower instantaneous noise power and the larger ones for the periods of higher noise power. Considering the cyclic impulsive noise, convolutional coding with interleaving is applied. In order to analyze the performance improvement due to the employment of multiple processing gains, we introduce a simple model of the continuous noise. The overall performance is evaluated by computer simulation with the actual noise wave-form measured in power lines.