PLC Modem SoC: Basics and Applications

This page covers PLC Modem SoC basics, application notes, and lists manufacturers/vendors. PLC stands for Power Line Communication. In this system, communication takes place using the existing 50Hz powerline.

Unlike the past, powerlines are now widely used for networking and home automation technologies. This is because it’s a cheaper alternative to a wireless medium. A digital communication system is comprised of a transmitter and a receiver.

The transmitter part consists of an encoder and a modulator. The receiver part consists of a decoder and a demodulator.

To support two-way duplex communication, a modem has been designed which houses an encoder, decoder, modulator, and demodulator in a single chip (SoC). This is referred to as a modem SoC. The PLC modem is the device that helps interface with the powerline to transfer data to and from it. Refer to modem basics for more information.

As the PLC modem needs to be connected to an AC power line, additional electronic circuits are needed for isolation, protection, and impedance matching functionalities.

PLC modems house PHY and MAC layers as per different standards.

Figure 1: PLC Powerline Communication Modem

Figure 1 depicts how a PLC modem-compliant electric device is interfaced with the powerline and what the other internal blocks/modules are. As shown, the PLC modem SoC is interfaced with the power line, CU (Control Unit), Functional Unit (TV or air conditioner etc.), and a power supply module.

PLC coupling and a line driver are needed to interface the PLC modem SoC with the powerline. The PLC Modem is used for a wide variety of applications such as:

• Home and industrial automation
• Smart metering
• Smart appliances
• Control systems
• Intelligent lighting
• M2M
• IoT (Internet of Things) etc.

PLC Modem SoC Application Note

ATMEL has a PLC Modem SoC with part number ATPL210A. It houses an upgraded 8051 microcontroller unit and OFDM PHY and MAC layer functionality. This modem SoC saves space when a microcontroller board needs to be designed, as it has an internal MCU. It has an SPI interface and can be easily interfaced with Flash RAM and SRAM devices. ATMEL offers an evaluation kit (SAM4SP32A) which helps in prototype development and validation. This PLC modem SoC is suitable for the PLC smart meter market.

PLC Modem SoC Manufacturers/Vendors

Following are popular PLC Modem SoC manufacturers/vendors:

• ST Microelectronics
• Texas Instruments
• Silicon Technology (EnVerv) (http://www.si-tech.co.jp/eng/v-env.php)
• Renesas Electronics
• Broadcom
• Atmel
• Maxim Integrated
• ON semiconductor
• Semtech Corporation (http://www.semtech.com)