Terminology » IoT » UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) Basics in IoT

UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) Basics in IoT

iot upb powerline communication home automation wireless technology

This page covers the basic features of UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) technology and its concepts used in the Internet of Things (IoT). Powerline Control Systems, based in California, has developed a new proprietary powerline communication technology known as UPB (Universal Powerline Bus). It’s a protocol primarily used for home automation.

The technology leverages the existing powerline infrastructure for signaling and control. It has evolved from the foundational concepts of the X10 standard. UPB stands out due to its reliability and cost-effectiveness per node.

Here are the major improvements achieved in UPB compared to X10 technology, highlighting the key differences between them:

  • Reliability: UPB is significantly more reliable, offering 100 to 1000 times the reliability of X10.
  • Infrastructure: It’s a 100% powerline communication technology, requiring no new wiring.
  • Affordability: The implementation cost is nearly the same as X10.
  • Addressing: UPB supports over 64,000 total addresses, whereas X10 supports only 256.
  • Compatibility: UPB operates seamlessly alongside CEBus, X10, and Lonworks equipment without interference.

UPB Specifications

SpecificationUPB SUPPORT
Speed in bits/sec480 bps
Speed in commands/sec5 per second
Two way communicationSupported
Central ControllerNot required
Max. Loads64000

UPB Protocol

The UPB protocol generates a pulse on each half-cycle of the 60 Hz AC cycle. It uses the concept of PPM (Pulse Position Modulation), where the position of the UPB pulse determines its value (0, 1, 2, or 3). In this technology, each pulse can encode 2 bits of binary data.

With a total of 120 AC half-cycles per second at 60Hz, UPB supports a raw data rate of about 240bps.