Comparative analysis of the signal power density in a real PLC channel and a simulation-based NS-3 environment

Abstract

Communication organization over the power lines is complicated by a row of negative factors. One of the main disadvantages of the Power Line Communication (PLC) technology is the existence of various types of noise in the communication channel, which impedes transmission of a signal. As a result, there is a need to minimize the influence of noise on a signal. It is necessary to make a dynamic choice of frequencies suitable for data transmission in the case when the noise minimization is impossible. It is expedient to investigate the spectral power density of a signal during data transmission over the PLC channel to determine the least noisy frequencies. In this article, the investigation of the spectral power density of a PLC channel is described. The research is conducted by simulation modelling in the NS-3 environment and experimentation in a real-world block of flats. The goal of the research is to evaluate conformance of an NS-3 model to a real-world PLC network. During the analysis of the experimental results and simulation modelling results, there was drawn a conclusion that the spectral power density distribution of a signal and noise in the model differs from the real-world PLC channel.