Beyond automated meter reading, the Smart Grid calls for feature-rich management and control of the existing electrical infrastructure. However, to make this happen, flexible and simple implementation and operation solutions are necessary. MainNet's unique, field-proven BPL/PLC technology and algorithms make its PLUS an intelligent and attractive solution over other market offerings.

Highlights

• Fast network deployment and unit parameter settings
• Dynamic recognition of the network topology
• Automatic unit reconfiguration in the event of failure
• Automatic reconfiguration of replaced equipment
• Network management advanced functionalities
• BPL unit history restoration
• Physical unit performance curves
• Alarm management
• Simple software upgrade capabilities
• Functionality of commercial and operational management of the
• customer premises equipment (CPE)

What is Broadband Powerline Communications?

Powerline networks transmit high-frequency data signals over the same electrical grid as that used for carrying electrical power to households. Accordingly, electrical wires and sockets are used simultaneously for electricity and for data transmission, without causing disruption to either.

Typically, BPL equipment vendors use OFDM processes to handle high-speed data transmission between computers, as a solution for a noisy electricity network. The OFDM modulation detects changes within the powerline and maintains network communication – even during power spikes or other powerline disruptions. However, this has proved to be insufficient for maintaining a broadband network delivering high-speed data that is subject to frequent changes, both in terms of the number of users and the bandwidth consumption. Therefore, OFDM as such is not sufficient to support commercial broadband communications over the electricity grid. Enhancing the technology to support not only the physical layer, but also layer two and the application layer, makes BPL/PLC a feasible option in a widely commercial implementation.

MainNet's Unique BPL/PLC Technology Offerings

Capitalizing on the company’s vast experience in commercially-deployed networks, MainNet offers its PLUS solution – a combination of algorithms and mechanisms optimally adapted from wireless and wireline technology. Using three additional communication methods (CSMA/CA, Smart Repetition and Access Unit Hopping) makes the PLUS solution ideal for managing and controlling data traffic over powerline grids – the behavior of which is known to be unpredictable.

Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA)

The CSMA/CA method is designed for data transmission where reliable collision detection is not possible – such as, in powerline communications. Performance improvement is achieved by reducing the probability of collision and retry. While the CSMA/CA method improves line performance and data throughput, it may affect data latency. MainNet's unique QoS (quality of service) mechanisms, implemented in addition to CSMA/CA, enhance performance of all jitter-sensitive applications such as Voice and Video, thereby guaranteeing QoS.

Smart Repetition – Reduced Network Planning Hassl