NRTC lands two new smart grid product offerings

The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, a service organization with rural telco and utility members, this week added two new offerings to the portfolio of smart grid solutions it offers to its members. The new offerings include wireless communications equipment from Sensus that uses licensed frequencies and a next-generation SCADA offering from Efacec, said NRTC Vice President of Marketing Phil Brenner in an interview with Connected Planet.

Equipment manufacturers such as these like to work with NRTC as a means of breaking into the rural utility market, which consists of about 900 small companies scattered around the country, Brenner said. Meanwhile, NRTC members get better pricing than they would be able to obtain on their own, along with some assurance that products are “rural-ready,” Brenner said.

He noted, for example, that the average rural utility in NRTC has seven customers per mile of line—and some products are only economical for serving urban and metro areas that have dozens of customers per line mile. NRTC, he said, has engineering and business development staff whose job is to verify the functionality of potential new products, along with the business case for the product, before making a product available to NRTC members.

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Is 2011 The Year of Powerline Networking?

Having followed the home networking market for over a decade, I’ve gleaned a few lessons along the way:

1. A decade is probably too long to analyze any market, let alone home networking.
2. It’s a market of a thousand turf wars — many of them over now — for physical layers, software protocols and product categories. (Fun piece of home network nostalgia for the day: While Intel no doubt helped Wi-Fi go mainstream with Centrino, the company once saw Home RF as the future of the wireless home. Luckily for them, they eventually came to their senses.)
3. The home network has become a critical but largely invisible services platform for all things from Netflix to pay TV.
4. As connected entertainment becomes the dominant traffic and demand driver, the nature of the home network itself is changing.

One technology, Wi-Fi (and the spec underlying the Wi-Fi brand, 802.11x) not only won the turf wars, but effectively dropped a nuclear bomb on any competing networking technologies. In fact, it’s a pretty easy argument to make that Wi-Fi has been the single most important technology in the connected-home marketplace for the past decade.

But while Wi-Fi continues to be required on any connected entertainment device, that doesn’t mean the experience of Wi-Fi is always optimal. Anyone whose streamed Netflix over a significant range or a few walls knows the quality of the stream falls off pretty quickly, and sometimes will not work at all.

So what else is there? In the pay-TV space, U.S. providers like Verizon have settled on MoCA (a coax-based networking technology), while many European IPTV providers have adopted powerline, in particular HomePlug, for in-home distribution.

Interconnected Devices Integral to Smart Grid Success

At the New Energy Economy conference in London last week, Dr. Uwe Braun, stressed the importance of interconnected devices to the evolution of the smart grid. Dr. Braun, the Senior Vice President of Sales at Power Plus Communications (PPC), provided insight on the latest developments under Germany’s E-Energy Project, a program that links energy-saving technologies with communication systems.

PPC provides broadband powerline (BPL) Communication systems for smart grids, and its solution forms the backbone of the E-Energy project, one of Europe’s largest Smart City projects, in Mannheim, Germany. Broadband powerline technology is considered vital to the success of smart metering and smart grids. It uses existing power networks and converts them into IP-based real-time communications platforms to create instant, cost-effective, area-wide smart energy networks.

Dr. Braun told his audience, “We are currently at the most challenging point with regard to energy consumption and the technologies now at our disposal. Broadband Powerline (BPL) technology, as provided by PPC, provides the backbone delivering the connectivity demanded by the intelligent consumer devices coming to market. These appliances will be essential in enabling the automation and consumer control so crucial to optimizing future energy consumption.”

Broadcom® Technology Powers the Hottest Products at International CES 2011

Latest 3DTV Set-Top Boxes, Internet-connected TVs, Smartphones, Tablets and Other Popular Devices Will Be Showcased at Broadcom's CES Booth

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011, Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it will showcase a variety of new technologies for digital video, wireless and mobile communications devices at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

These new technologies promise to advance the concept of a fully connected digital lifestyle. Broadcom® technology is designed to enhance the way consumers use their electronic devices to share digital content in and outside of the home, and the demonstrations at CES will touch all facets of the wired and wireless connectivity ecosystem.

"Whether it's a tablet, smartphone or Internet-connected HDTV, the most popular consumer electronics products in the market today all have one thing in common: they are powered by Broadcom technology," said Scott McGregor, President and CEO of Broadcom Corporation. "Broadcom technology touches millions of people every day and our solutions are enabling many of the most popular consumer electronics products available to connect to the Internet and with each other. Accessing the Internet from anywhere at any time and streaming and sharing content among multiple devices are driving consumers' desire for ubiquitous connectivity. No other company is as well positioned as Broadcom to enable the connected ecosystem and our technology on display at CES will showcase the latest advances and innovative features in a wide array of consumer electronics products."

Liverpool homes to receive broadband via electric power cables

Around thousand homes in Liverpool City will receive broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps via electric power cables.

The innovative broadband technology ‘powerline communications’ (PLC) will enable the consumers to get electricity as well as high speed internet access using the existing electric power network.

The Project SmartGrid will soon launch the trial in the new build homes of Plus Dane Homes where smart meters that display the consumer’s electricity and gas usage details, will also be installed.

Powerline technology has both plus and minus. Although power network is capable of delivering superfast broadband to remote areas, the new technology requires huge investments to build infrastructure and provide services.

Putting the ‘Smart’ into Smart Grid

With climate change at the top of the political agenda, governments across Europe are introducing radical emission reduction targets. As part of the drive, the UK is moving towards a smart grid model for its energy market. The smart grid is a simple idea: an intelligent power generation and distribution system that automatically balances and controls supply and demand to make maximum use of energy at minimal cost.

While the idea is simple, there are significant challenges concerning implementation and impact. It will drive a fundamental change in the way we all consume energy and this starts with smart meters. The two-way communication channel between suppliers and consumers, means that consumers can play a far more active role in the supply chain, taking greater control over their energy consumption, emissions and costs.

Broadband Powerline (BPL) technology provides bi-directional transmission of consumption and control data in real time, turning existing electricity grids into an internet protocol-based communication platform. Every power line becomes a broadband data interface and power grids turn into intelligent systems.

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HomePlug® Powerline Alliance’s Green PHY Specification for Smart Grid Applications Published

- Developed With Input from Major Utilities and Appliance Manufacturers to Meet Smart Grid Requirements

- Green PHY Specification-based Products Interoperable with HomePlug AV and IEEE 1901

Portland, Ore. – June 14, 2010 – The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, the driving force for global powerline network technology, today announced the approval and publication of the HomePlug Green PHY (HomePlug GP) specification for Smart Grid applications. HomePlug GP is a low power, highly reliable, cost-optimized powerline networking specification targeting Smart Grid connectivity for home energy management to devices such as HVAC, smart meters, appliances and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

HomePlug GP was developed with direct input from major utility companies and appliance manufacturers including Consumers Energy, Duke Energy, GE, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison. Their input was used to optimize the technology to meet the challenges and requirements for real-world smart energy deployments.

"Utility companies told us loud and clear their requirements in the areas of performance, reliability, coverage, price and footprint for a successful Smart Grid solution, and we listened,” said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. “Another key requirement was an interoperable powerline network and our technology roadmap ensures complete interoperability between current and next-generation HomePlug AV and IEEE 1901 technology, which gives customers confidence that devices will communicate now and into the future.”

“HomePlug powerline network technology can play a key role meeting the reliability and interoperability requirements we have connecting meters, HVAC systems and other home devices to the emerging Smart Grid,” said Wayne Longcore, Director of Architecture and Standards for Consumers Energy, a major Michigan utility. “HomePlug Green PHY enables smart grid devices to freely communicate with other devices on the home area network. We appreciate HomePlug’s approach to crafting their technology to the utility industry’s needs.”

HomePlug GP is a key component of the HomePlug technology portfolio that includes the current HomePlug AV broadband powerline technology, and will include HomePlug AV2, the Gigabit-class next-generation powerline technology specification, due for completion in early 2011. All three specifications are fully interoperable with each other and with the IEEE’s 1901 powerline standard, now completing ratification. HomePlug AV is baseline technology for the IEEE 1901 powerline standard. The HomePlug Powerline Alliance will serve as the compliance and certification body for IEEE 1901, much as the Wi-Fi Alliance certifies 802.11 products.

HomePlug GP is a profile of HomePlug AV, which makes it easier for multiple silicon suppliers to produce GP chips quickly. HomePlug GP delivers scalable data rates with a peak sustained throughput of about 6 Mbps, ample bandwidth to support IP networking and IPv6. The specification also includes features to reduce power consumption by about 75 percent compared to HomePlug AV solutions. The ZigBee and HomePlug Smart Energy liaison is creating a common application layer for HomePlug and ZigBee devices enabling interoperability between those wireless and powerline devices.

HomePlug devices currently account for over 80 percent of the world's broadband powerline communications market, with over 45 million devices sold to date and shipments forecasted to reach 60 million by year’s end. Additionally, more than 50 service providers throughout the world are already utilizing HomePlug technology to deploy broadband, IPTV and triple-play offerings.

Please visit www.HomePlug.org for more information on the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and to download a copy of the HomePlug Green PHY specification.

Netgear Powerline AV 200 Adapter XAV2001 - bridge

At $80, the Netgear Powerline AV 200 Adapter XAV2001 is about $10 cheaper than the recently reviewed Plaster Network PLN3 adapter. However, the fact that it has only one Ethernet port (as opposed to two in the PLN3's case) makes it less of a good deal if you want to connect two computers at the far corner via the house's electrical wiring.

Other than that, the two adapters are very similar in regard to speed and the snap-in design, with the Netgear being about 20 percent more compact overall but noticeably thicker. The XAV2001 doesn't come with a fancy online service like the PLN3, but it makes up for it by having a convenient push-button solution to activate its security feature.

If you are looking to quickly connect a computer to your network via your home's electrical wiring, the Netgear XAV2001 is a good solution, especially when it costs only around $130 when you buy it in a kit that includes two units.

Design, setup and features
The XAV2001 has a typical shape of most power-line adapters, looking just like a two-prong power adapter for a small electronic device, such as a cordless phone or an external hard drive. It comes with only one Ethernet port. This means you will need a hub (or switch) if you want to connect more than one computer at the far end of the connection. What's more important at the far end is another power socket, as the as the XAV2001 doesn't feature a power pass-through and it, like all HomePlug AV power-line adapters, is not designed to work with power strips or surge protectors. To our surprise, it worked with a few strips we tried, but there's no guarantee that it will work with yours.

The XAV2001's setup process is like that of any typical power-line connection. You'll need two adapters, preferably of the same company, though the XAV2001 is compatible with any other HomePlug AV adapters. After that, say if you want to create a connection between the existing network and a device in the basement, you hook the first adapter to the network via the router (or the hub). The second adapter is connected to the Ethernet-ready device at the far corner. After that, you just plug both adapters into the power sockets. If the two locations share the same electrical wiring, which they do in most cases of homes or apartment buildings, the network connection is now established. This whole process takes just a minute or two, and you can't make a mistake.

We had no problem setting up the two test XAV2001 units and believed nobody would run into any issues. After the initial setup is done, the XAV2001 has a nifty security feature that you can enable by pressing on the button on its side. You need to press this button for all XAV2001 units at the same time or within two minutes of one another. After that, a secure connection is created between all of the XAV2001 units. This keeps others from tapping into your network by plugging another HomePlug AV adapter into the same electrical wiring, a necessary security measure for those who live in an apartment building.

Performance
We tested the XAV2001 using the same methodology we use for wireless routers, and it offered about the same speed as the average speed of a wireless-N router at a distance of 100 feet. The adapter registered a speed of around 22.9Mbps, just slightly faster than the 22.6Mbps of the Plaster Network PLN3. At this speed, the XAV2001 adapter can finish transmitting 500MB of data in slightly less than 3 minutes.

Getting things together on the smart grid networking front

Worth noting that the IEEE P1901 Working Group – which is working on global standards for powerline networking – has given the thumbs-up to the current draft of the standard.

A final version of the IEEE 1901 powerline networking standard should be available in the third quarter.

This is a big victory for the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, because the standard is, in part, based on HomePlug AV. That means technology that’s out in the market today that uses HomePlug AV will be interoperable with those that use P1901 Powerline Networking. HomePlug will actually get to be the certifying body to ensure that IEEE 1901 devices are truly compliant.

Part of the IEEE P1901 profile will be focused on smart energy/smart grid applications, so those watching smart grid adoption should continue to keep an eye on developments here.

Similarly, they’ll also want to keep tabs on a new collaboration between the IEEE Power & Energy Society and the GridWise Alliance, both of which are pretty heavy into engineering matters associated with the power grid and electric distribution system. The crux of the deal is that the two organizations plan to collaboration on a number of matters including smart grid policy proposals and research projects.

Plaster Networks PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter

The PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter is the first power-line adapter we've reviewed in a long time (more will be reviewed soon) and like all power-line adapters, it offers a quick way to extend your network via the electrical wiring of your home or apartment building. This is a handy and effective solution for those far corners of your home where your router's wireless signal may be weak or nonexistent.

The PLN3 is rather bulky but it has two Ethernet ports, as opposed to only one like many others, to host up to two Ethernet-ready network devices. It also comes with an online service that helps monitor the power-line connection. The device is compatible with all HomePlug AV power-line adapters from other vendors and costs around $90.

Note that you'll need at least two adapters to create a power-line connection. If you don't already have some at home, Plaster Networks is offering a deal by knocking off $30 if you buy a pair of the PLN3 adapters at a time.

Design and setup
The PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter looks like a large power adapter for a small electronics device, such as a cordless phone or an external hard drive. It's about the size of two decks of cards stacked together. With this large size, it would be better if the adapter had a power cord, instead of just two prongs. As it is, the only way to hook it to the power is to snap it over a receptacle. This is a bad design as the adapter takes up a relatively large physical space and might even obstruct other adjacent sockets.

As the PLN3 doesn't feature a passthrough for the power socket, you will need a power strip in the far corner to extend the network. Note that the adapter might not work with all power strips or surge protectors because these devices generally degrade or block signal of HomePlug AV adapters. In this case, the sure way is to plug it directly into the wall and make sure you have extra power outlets. To its credit, the PLN3 has two Ethernet ports. This means it can support up to two Ethernet-ready devices, such as a printer and a NAS server, at the far end. At the near end, where the adapter is hooked to a router, though, the second Ethernet port is redundant.

As with most other power-line adapters, there's really nothing to setting up the PLN3. For a typical power-line connection, say between the existing network and a device in the basement, you'll need two power-line adapters. The first adapter is to connect to the network by hooking it to an Ethernet port of the router (or the hub). The second adapter is connected to the device at the far corner. After that, you just plug both adapters into the power sockets. If the two locations share the same electrical wiring, which they do in most homes or apartment buildings, the network connection is now live. This whole process takes just a minute or two; we had no problem setting up the PLN3, and you won't either, most likely.

The PLN3 comes with a CAT5 network cable, which is needed to connect it to other network devices.

Features
What makes the PLN3 different from other power-line adapters is the included Plaster Networks Service that automatically updates the adapter to the latest firmware and allows users to keep tab of their power-line network over the Internet.

This service is easy to set up. You just need to access it by pointing a browser to service.plasternetworks.com from a computer that's connected to the Internet via the PLN3 adapter. You will then be prompted to register a new account (or log into an existing one). Then the new adapter will also then be recognized and registered automatically.

From then on, each time you login at the same address, you will be able to view the power-line connection's status, activity history log, and so on. You can also change the password for the each PLN3 Powerline adapter. This is a necessary step for an apartment building because if you don't enable password protection or change the default password, others in the same building might be able to join your network (and tap into your Internet connection, for example) by plugging another HomePlug AV-compliant power adapter into any of the building's power outlet.

The service is potentially a handy tool for other service providers to offer remote troubleshooting for your network connection should a problem arise. However, this is possible only if the problem doesn't disconnect your computer from the Internet, as the Plaster Networks Service requires a live Internet connection to function. This also means you can't take advantage of it if you want to have an isolated network.

While we find this service useful, we didn't find it useful enough to justify the annual fee of $30. The good news is the service is free during the first year.

Note that if you don't want to use this service at all or do not even want Plaster Networks to be able to locate your PLN3 adapter (to update its firmware automatically for example), you can turn this all off. To do this--on a computer that's connected to the adapter--point an Internet browser to PLNxxxxxx, where xxxxxx is the adapter's six-digit identification number printed on its side. This allows access to the adapter's Admin Console, where you can change all of the adapter's additional settings, including those relating to the Plaster Networks Service.

Unlike the Plaster Networks Service, the Admin console doesn't require a live Internet connection to work.

Performance
We tested the PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter by using two units and the same test methodology we use for wireless routers. The adapters consistently registered 22.4Mbps in our sustained throughput tests. This is about the same average speed of 2.4Ghz Wireless-N routers at 100 feet distance. Note, however, this throughput speed can change depending on the electrical wiring of your home. At this speed, the PLN3 adapters can finish transmitting 500MB of data in about three minutes.

In our anecdotal movie streaming tests, the adapters proved that they can offer decent streaming for high-def content, as long as we streamed just one at a time with no other network activities, such as Web surfing or data copying, going on at the same time. We did notice, however, when we increased the file size of the movie or the workload, the streaming wasn't smooth at times, especially when we wanted to jump from one part of the movie to another.

On the other hand, for other casual network needs, such as printing, surfing the Internet, or even playing YouTube movies, the PLN3 will get the job done just fine.

Overall, we weren't terribly impressed with the PLN3's performance, but we weren't disappointed either. We believe it is a good alternative when wireless networking is not a viable option.

Plaster Networks PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter

The PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter is the first power-line adapter we've reviewed in a long time (more will be reviewed soon) and like all power-line adapters, it offers a quick way to extend your network via the electrical wiring of your home or apartment building. This is a handy and effective solution for those far corners of your home where your router's wireless signal may be weak or nonexistent.

The PLN3 is rather bulky but it has two Ethernet ports, as opposed to only one like many others, to host up to two Ethernet-ready network devices. It also comes with an online service that helps monitor the power-line connection. The device is compatible with all HomePlug AV power-line adapters from other vendors and costs around $90.

Note that you'll need at least two adapters to create a power-line connection. If you don't already have some at home, Plaster Networks is offering a deal by knocking off $30 if you buy a pair of the PLN3 adapters at a time.

Design and setup
The PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter looks like a large power adapter for a small electronics device, such as a cordless phone or an external hard drive. It's about the size of two decks of cards stacked together. With this large size, it would be better if the adapter had a power cord, instead of just two prongs. As it is, the only way to hook it to the power is to snap it over a receptacle. This is a bad design as the adapter takes up a relatively large physical space and might even obstruct other adjacent sockets.

As the PLN3 doesn't feature a passthrough for the power socket, you will need a power strip in the far corner to extend the network. Note that the adapter might not work with all power strips or surge protectors because these devices generally degrade or block signal of HomePlug AV adapters. In this case, the sure way is to plug it directly into the wall and make sure you have extra power outlets. To its credit, the PLN3 has two Ethernet ports. This means it can support up to two Ethernet-ready devices, such as a printer and a NAS server, at the far end. At the near end, where the adapter is hooked to a router, though, the second Ethernet port is redundant.

As with most other power-line adapters, there's really nothing to setting up the PLN3. For a typical power-line connection, say between the existing network and a device in the basement, you'll need two power-line adapters. The first adapter is to connect to the network by hooking it to an Ethernet port of the router (or the hub). The second adapter is connected to the device at the far corner. After that, you just plug both adapters into the power sockets. If the two locations share the same electrical wiring, which they do in most homes or apartment buildings, the network connection is now live. This whole process takes just a minute or two; we had no problem setting up the PLN3, and you won't either, most likely.

The PLN3 comes with a CAT5 network cable, which is needed to connect it to other network devices.

Features
What makes the PLN3 different from other power-line adapters is the included Plaster Networks Service that automatically updates the adapter to the latest firmware and allows users to keep tab of their power-line network over the Internet.

This service is easy to set up. You just need to access it by pointing a browser to service.plasternetworks.com from a computer that's connected to the Internet via the PLN3 adapter. You will then be prompted to register a new account (or log into an existing one). Then the new adapter will also then be recognized and registered automatically.

From then on, each time you login at the same address, you will be able to view the power-line connection's status, activity history log, and so on. You can also change the password for the each PLN3 Powerline adapter. This is a necessary step for an apartment building because if you don't enable password protection or change the default password, others in the same building might be able to join your network (and tap into your Internet connection, for example) by plugging another HomePlug AV-compliant power adapter into any of the building's power outlet.

Continued ...

Atheros weaves mesh networking effort - Standard could unite Wi-Fi, powerline chips in home nets

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Atheros Communications is trying to rally interest in defining a standard for mesh technology in home networks. Such a standard would help the company merge and add value to its Wi-Fi and powerline chips.

The IEEE 802.11 group that created the Wi-Fi standard has tried for years to set a standard for mesh networks, so far without success. The problem, in part, has been efforts have involved a wide range of stakeholders interested in a variety of home, metro, military and public service nets.

"When you start with that kind of crowd in a room you get a mess," said Bill McFarland, chief technology officer at Atheros in an interview at the Embedded Systems Conference

"We are interested in standardization, but we will do it in a focused way for mesh in powerline, Wi-Fi and MoCA," McFarland said, referring to the Multimedia over Coax Alliance. "We are only talking about home networking," he said.

The discussions so far have involved members of MoCA, other Wi-Fi companies and members of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. They have not yet decided whether they want to try to set an ad hoc standard or work through the 802.11 group.

"There is a lot of discussion of that at the moment, and each approach has its advantages," said McFarland. "I expect it will be resolved in the next few months," he said.

Atheros is in an early stage of developing its own mesh technology. It demonstrated traffic running across Wi-Fi and powerline nets over a few discrete hops at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. However, it is yet to show robust multi-hop technology supporting quality-of-service policies.

Atheros envisions hybrid home nets that can use powerline to help Wi-Fi nets extend their range or route past walls. "There's a great use model story there," he said.

Of course, vendors such as Atheros will have to create software to make the different device IDs, addresses and keys on hybrid networks appear as if they are on a single net for consumers, McFarland noted.

The work on mesh standards comes as Atheros is sampling a new powerline chip set from Intellon which it acquired in September. As many as five other chip makers are about to debut powerline chips that, like Intellon, are based on the ad hoc standard of the HomePlug group and the IEEE 1901. They include Arkados, Gigle Networks, Renesas and STMicroelectronics.

"The big evolution is we now have an IEEE standard coupled with price reductions that will let us move from installations based on adapters to being embedded," said McFarland. "Powerline has never been embedded into another devoice, but now TVs and Blu-Ray players might have it built right in.

"We are across the chasm in embedded Wi-Fi and we are about to cross it for powerline," he added.

Long term, Atheros believes it can produce integrated silicon for Wi-Fi and powerline, making the mesh software even more strategic. "We don't have definite product plans, but I don't see how it would not come to pass eventually," he said.

HD Quality Entertainment Design Over Home Electrical Wires

SPiDCOM Technologies, provider of powerline communication System-on-Chips (SoC), have rolled out the SPR300-AV Pass-Through Reference Design, based on the SPC300 HomePlug AV SoC, embedding an ARM processor.

The reference design is a powerline to Ethernet bridge enabling whole-house HD quality entertainment over home electrical wires, with an integrated noise filter to optimize performance and an integrated socket that leaves the electrical outlet available to plug any other appliance.

The reference design is based on the SPC300 HomePlug AV SoC. This open platform embeds an ARM9 processor . The SPR300-AV has a modular approach for a quick integration by product manufacturers. The digital part, including the SPC300 SoC, fits into a small 30 X 65 mm module, which then plugs into the power supply mother board. SPiDCOM provides all the hardware, software and manufacturing documentation required to begin production of a SPR300-AV bridge.