PLC IoT, a mid-band PLC technology designed for different industrial IoT situations to transport data across power lines over low-voltage networks complies with the HPLC/IEEE 1901.1 standard.

By delivering dependable, secure, and effective communication inside the “final mile” of IoT, PLC IoT removes the requirement to install extra communication lines.

Why Is PLC IoT Necessary?

Internet of Things Communications

The rapid growth of the Internet of Things is driven by ongoing advancements in the communication technologies. People’s demands for data collection from IoT terminals are expanding quickly. Different IoT access solutions are urgently required in order to link everything and provide dependable, secure, and effective communication inside this “final mile” of Internet of Things.

Wireless IoT communication technologies (including WiFi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee) and wired IoT communication technologies are the two main groups (for example, PLC and the industrial field bus). PLC connects to the IoT devices even without the requirement for dedicated lines by reusing power lines for transporting data. It doesn’t have the issues that industrial field buses technologies and wireless communication technology do with regard to line characteristics, severe effect from the environment, and inadequate interoperability and openness (such as weak signals).

PLC avoids the need for additional investments as well as solves the problem of using various communication technologies to share one network. Data transmission across electrical lines will bring interconnectedness of everything closer to a reality.

PLC is even further broken down into three categories: mid-band PLC, narrowband PLC, and the broadband PLC based on the transmission rate and frequency band.

How PLC-IoT Came to Be

PLC-IoT is a cutting-edge method of using PLC in different IoT settings. PLC-IoT can be described as the mid-band PLC technology focused on IoT scenarios that is based on the HPLC/IEEE 1901.1. It fixes issues like power line interference and signal attenuation. For now, I t uses IP-based communication.  Furthermore, PLC IoT runs in the frequency spectrum with low and consistent noise and strong channel quality, spanning between 0.7 MHz and 12 MHz.

OFDM technology that utilizes high frequency bands and good anti-interference capacity, is the technology used by PLC-IoT. PLC-IoT transfers data at high speeds and across a large distance over the power lines through the modulation of digital signals present in carriers or high-frequency.

PLC-IoT offers the rate of the application-layer communication between 100 kbits per second and 2 megabits per second, and via multi-level networking, it may increase the distance of transmission to a few kilometers. Numerous IoT protocols may now run over the power lines thanks to IPv6, enabling intelligent endpoints and enabling complete device connectivity.

Related to the physical properties of power lines, PLC-IoT builds an efficient power line channel transmission communication model and chooses the best frequency for signal transmission. PLC IoT evaluates the channel parameters of the power lines, which includes the impedance, attenuation, as well as noise parameters of signals, depending on a significant amount of the measured data.

Depending on these features, PLC-IoT efficiently reduces attenuation and noise, enhancing power lines’ communication capabilities and enabling high-speed, dependable, as well as long-distance real-time communications.

How Does the PLC IoT Function?

PLC IoT is easy to implement and is explained as follows:

The module for PLC modulation links the signals of high-frequency to the power lines using coupling circuits at the side of its signal source after modulating these data signals that will be conveyed to high-frequency signals using various techniques like modulation and encoding.

he module for PLC demodulation performs demodulation so as to recover the initial data signals at the receiving end after separating data signals out of high-frequency signals carried over the power lines.

Simply explained, this PLC module converts communication data transmitted by the source of signal to the electromagnetic waves of high frequency and sends them across power lines into the data receiving end. These electromagnetic waves of high frequency are then separated from this current by that PLC module found at the receiving end.

The Communication Model for PLC IoT

Let’s first examine the communication models of the conventional PLC and the enhancements PLC-IoT brings to it in order to comprehend how PLC-IoT functions.

Its physical layer, the data link and application layers make up the conventional PLC communication models. This application layer receives service data directly from its data link layers. The transport layer as well as the network layer are integrated into the architecture of the PLC-IoT network centered on the OSI model. The TCP/IP is used to implement typical IP network communications at the network layer that is IPv6-capable. Applications can now execute on its IP layer or network layer rather than the data connection layer as a result.

PLC IoT Networking

This PLC-IoT network will adopt a tree or star topology based on the terminal connection and cabling environment method in real industry applications. The distance of carrier transmission is further increased by its tree architecture, which permits networking up to eight levels deep.

PLC IoT Industry Application

PLC-IoT allows for high-speed, dependable IoT communication via power lines having essentially no significant roadwork, cutting deployment time and costs by more than 50%. PLC-IoT therefore is perfect for a variety of scenarios relating to IoT, including smart street lights as well as traffic lights.

Smart Traffic Lights

This smart traffic light technology uses PLC-IoT to relay data over existing power lines. This solution incorporates centralization of devices for traffic control like traffic lights, guidance screens for traffic, as well as countdown timers. It does this by reusing existing facilities as well as adding devices that are PLC IoT capable.

This solution also implements intelligent linkage between traffic conditions, Take for instance, signal light’s intelligent detection defects as well as online queries of the information of signal light, breaking information silos in-between the systems and exchanging and sharing intersection data. This system creates smart intersections therefore makes the transition to intelligent traffic control possible.

Street Lamps (Smart)

Unprecedented intelligence is what makes a city “smart,” and this intelligence is what is causing conventional street lighting to become intelligent. The finest IoT option now is smart lampposts. This street lamp system uses PLC IoT as well as edge computing technology to automatically alter the street lamps brightness depending on the environment, time, latitude and longitude, hence consuming less energy.

Conclusion

In summary, PLC IoT is designed for different industrial IoT situations to transport data across power lines over low-voltage networks.