Empirical modeling of the narrowband Power Line Communication channel

Abstract

This paper proposes an analytical model of the indoor Low-Voltage (LV) narrowband Power Line Communication (PLC) channel in the frequency range from 10 to 500 kHz. After the experimental demonstration of the frequency selective attenuation and the non-linear phase response of the PLC channel, a multipath transmission channel model is described by the superposition of delayed and attenuated propagation paths echoes. The low-frequency power line cable attenuation is linearly approximated based on two-conductor Transmission Line (TL) theory and field measurements. The Matrix Pencil (MP) algorithm is used for the model parameters identification and allows, with a quick convergence and a very low residual error, to detect the dominant propagation paths number as well as their corresponding weighting factors and delays. The proposed model, which is defined for any topology with a limited set of parameters, is validated through experimental measurements in the CENELEC/FCC/ARIB bands.