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Maxim > Design Support > Technical Documents > Application Notes > Communications Circuits > APP 5676
Maxim > Design Support > Technical Documents > Application Notes > Energy Measurement & Metering > APP 5676
Maxim > Design Support > Technical Documents > Application Notes > Powerline Communications > APP 5676
Keywords: IEEE, P1901.2, OFDM PLC, G3-PLC, narrowband, powerline communications, LF NB PLC, PRIME, CENELEC, smart grid, IPv6, NIST
APPLICATION NOTE 5676
An Overview, History, and Formation of IEEE P1901.2 for Narrowband
OFDM PLC
By: Jim LeClare, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Smart Grid Solutions
Afshin Niktash, Principal Member of the Technical Staff, Smart Grid Solutions
Victor Levi, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Smart Grid Solutions
Jul 02, 2013
Abstract:
This application
note presents a brief history of how the IEEE
®
Communications Society sponsored the IEEE P1901.2 working group, which
developed a complete, robust low-frequency, narrowband powerline communication (LF NB PLC) standard. It discusses the high-level structure of the
LF NB OFDM PLC specification and concludes with some current and specific real-life test data.
A similar version of this article appeared on EDN, May 22, 2013.
Introduction
This application note presents a brief history of how the IEEE
®
Communications Society (ComSoc), sponsored the IEEE P1901.2
1
Working Group,
which developed a complete, robust low-frequency, narrowband powerline communication (LF NB PLC) standard. The standard is structured around
PHY and MAC layers, and several coexistence mechanisms are incorporated to ensure that existing and future standards can be deployed in a
straightforward manner. This application note summarizes the structure of an LF NB OFDM PLC specification, along with some specific real-life test
data. Readers of this application note should derive a good understanding of how the P1901.2 standard is structured.
The History: the Formative Stages of a Standard
The formation of the P1901.2 Working Group started in early 2009 with PLC discussions among several companies attending automotive standards
meetings. The discussions centered on how to standardize on a sub-500kHz PLC solution that would meet the upcoming automotive specifications
SAE J2931/3 and ISO/IEC 15118-3. At that time, there was limited standardization effort for PLC solutions above the CENELEC
®
(European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) band in the low-frequency (FCC and lower) range. Further discussions took place mid-November 2009
in Denver, Colorado at a NIST-sponsored PAP15 meeting, where NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) outlined the need for
powerline standards with global coexistence. After additional meetings and with direction from the Board of Governors of the IEEE ComSoc, it was
determined that the best path forward would be to approach IEEE for sponsorship of a new standard effort for a PLC solution below 500kHz.
A table similar to Figure 1 was presented to the IEEE ComSoc in late 2009. At this meeting, the IEEE ComSoc agreed to sponsor a new standard
development around LF NB PLC.
*Standards in development at time of presentation.
Figure 1. Summary table of PLC standards in existence or in development in 2009, with purple boxes highlighting present PLC solutions where no
standards exist.
Consequently, the next step was to generate a working group PAR (project authorization request). Over the next month, a PAR
2
was developed,
submitted, and approved with the following scope:
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