Power Line Communications

[dk99]

How do the domestic Energy meters communicate with the power utility centers (Using the Power Lines) ??

What kind of hardware do they use???

Please help me out :)

[berkeman]

How do the domestic Energy meters communicate with the power utility centers (Using the Power Lines) ??

What kind of hardware do they use???

Please help me out :)

[full disclosure] The following information is from the company that I work for. [/full disclosure]

We generally use A-band powerline communication from the electric meters to some "Concentrator" unit mounted at the residential distribution transformers. Each transformer can service a number of homes, with that number varying, depending on what part of the country you are in, and what kind of residences they are (houses, condos, apartments, etc.).

The Concentrator unit gathers the encrypted meter data, and forwards it to the Utility Data Center. It may use RF for that forwarding, and GSM modems are commonly used.

One key to reliable powerline networking in this type of application (lots of attenuation of PL comm signals, lots of noise) is to be able to use the meters themselves as "proxy" nodes. So if the Concentrator cannot communicate with a meter that is too far away, it can use intermediate meters to gather the far meter's data. Much of that technology is proprietary, but some of it is being published now. Here is some information from our website that may help you to understand:

http://www.echelon.com/support/documentation/manuals/cis/078-0348-01E_iLON_SmartServer_2_0_Power_Line_Repeating_Netw ork_Management_Guide.pdf

.

[dk99]

It is using Pocket PC.. isn't it?
I think it's pretty expensive. I don't think it's really implementable in India.
My friend is proposing Regular wireless sensor network.
How does it sound?

[berkeman]

It is using Pocket PC.. isn't it?
I think it's pretty expensive. I don't think it's really implementable in India.
My friend is proposing Regular wireless sensor network.
How does it sound?

Pocket PC? No, but I don't even know what that is. I shouldn't push my company's products here obviously. But it's pretty hard to do it cheaper and better -- that's why the company is in business. Just go to their website and find your local sales office. You can get quotes and other information from them.