Fast characterization method and error sequence analysis for narrowband indoor powerline channel

Abstract

Designing new communication protocols on the powerline network requires knowledge of the nature of the channel and the error pattern on real scenarios. This paper presents 3 main outcomes: (i) a simplified methodology for fast characterization of the narrowband powerline channel on scenarios with varying degrees of harshness, without requiring the use of expensive hardware equipment and not strictly defined measurement boundary conditions. (ii) A detailed analysis of the obtained results using the proposed methodology, comparing the results with those obtained using other more complex methods, and a study of the Self-Similar characteristic of the error sequence. (iii) On the basis of the measurements obtained for different scenarios, we propose a simplified narrowband PLC channel model for generating realistic error patterns in discrete event simulation environments.