Modeling, simulation and estimation of PLC channels

Abstract

The growth interest on the use of low voltage power distribution grid as an alternative to provide telecommunication services has strongly motivated the development of systems which are able to surpass the hostile characteristics of this environment as a communication channel. This work aims to estimate the behavior of PLC (Power Line Communication) networks by means of its transfer function modeling and estimation. An electrical model for the PLC network is presented that allows generating realistic estimations of its transfer function that are simple from the computational viewpoint. Next a well-known mathematical model is presented that describes the complex frequency response of power line channels, covering effects such as multipath propagation and frequency selective fading. Finally, this model is used to produce a novel low complexity procedure for its parameter's estimation. Some tests with synthetic data are presented that reveals a satisfactory adjustment.