
Power Line Communication (PLC) is a communication method that uses power lines as the medium. By using power lines as the communication network, it is possible to build a system quickly at low cost. For this reason, PLC is used for communications in smart meters (advanced metering infrastructure - AMI), home energy management systems (HEMS), building energy management systems (BEMS), and solar panel monitoring systems, part of a smart society. Communication data can be propagated through AC or DC power lines.
Renesas offers power line communication solutions consisting of high-performance and flexible PLC devices, optimized evaluation boards, and a software stack that makes it easy to realize robust communication to support the development of projects.
There are various evaluation kits optimized for different power line conditions. Select the most suitable evaluation kit based on device and the power line conditions, such as AC line or DC line. The R9A06G037 evaluation kit is used as a golden modem authorized by the G3-PLC Alliance.
Renesas offers power line communication software that is compliant with global standards for G3-PLC, PRIME, and Meters and More full stack to support multi-hop communication. Renesas also offers simple communication software based on the G3-PLC MAC layer. Choose from among these packages according to the needs of your system.
Communication signals on power lines may be affected by noise, line impedance and other factors, so analyzing the state of communications is important. Renesas and our partners offer evaluation tools that can visualize power line communication data and display an analysis of that data.
With the spread of smart meters and other smart devices, PLC network system complexity and scale are expected to increase. Several global alliances drive the standardization and creation of profiles for communication protocols that can ensure interconnectivity in these diversifying networks. Renesas has been a strong promoter of research and development and international standardization for these alliances since their establishment, and develops solutions that support each protocols.
Many companies offer products using Renesas PLC solutions.
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Manual - Development Tools
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Quick Start Guide
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Power Line Communications (PLC) | Product Sub-Category |
Renesas PLC Solution Partners | Page |
SEI Podcast – The secret of reliable smart meter communication and standards (Arkossa & Renesas) | External Link |
Smart metering evolution and questions about “quo vadis” | External Link |
IoT, AIoT and Industrial IoT, where is the future taking us? | External Link |
Renesas' Lab on the Cloud is an online environment where Renesas solutions, including popular evaluation boards, winning combinations and software, are hosted in a remote lab that customers access and test online.
This solution uses a small PLC modem module to control lighting on a DC power line to show very high speed (1Mbps) communication over a 1KM distance.