On October 4, 2006, the use of high-speed power line carrier communication devices was approved for the 2-30 MHz band, and since early 2007, we've seen a flood of products supporting HD-PLC (High Definition Power Line Communication), a new method for high-speed communication over power lines.
HD-PLC uses a unique technology to enable high-speed yet stable data communication, while being highly efficient in its frequency usage. HD-PLC is expected to be the next-generation answer to home networking, offering such powerful features as solid network security, and flexible and easy device expansion.
Established in September 2007 by Matsushita Electric Industrial, Panasonic Communications, and other companies developing and selling HD-PLC products, the HD-PLC Alliance aims to further expand the use of HD-PLC, as well as improve compatibility among products from different companies. At present, fourteen companies in Japan and abroad have officially become members of the HD-PLC Alliance, with thirteen more companies scheduled to join this April.
In February 2008 the HD-PLC Alliance built and opened an HD-PLC testing house for testing performance, compatibility, and interconnectivity of HD-PLC-based devices. The house is expected to speed the development of HD-PLC-compatible products as well as support the release of various products for full practical application.
The HD-PLC testing house is located on the Panasonic Communications campus in Hakata, Fukuoka. The two-story house is built from light-gauge steel, and the gross floor area is 141.2 square meters. The house is fully furnished, including home appliances, and is equipped with test devices to test interconnectivity in a true-to-life HD-PLC user environment.
In addition to PCs, the house contains audiovisual devices such as televisions and recorders, communication devices such as telephones and faxes, and home appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, and dryers, and it is a true living environment where people can even cook and bathe. Reproducing a living environment that includes noise from electronic devices on power lines enables operational tests of network applications (including AV streaming), interconnectivity tests of HD-PLC products from different manufacturers, and communication performance tests.
The testing house allows tests using either of two standard wiring systems. First is the most common system in conventional construction, in which wires extend in a star arrangement from the distribution board to each room, are wired to a power outlet from the room's joint, and then daisy-chained to other power outlets in the room.
The second system, called "unit wiring," has become more common in the growing trend in prefab and semi-prefab houses. In this system, wires extend in a star arrangement from the distribution board to each room, and then a new star arrangement in each room distributes power from the room's joint to its outlets. HD-PLC testers can invoke either of these wiring systems by simply switching the distribution board. This allows them to check differences in performance between the systems.
The house is constructed so as to obtain a field intensity at up to 10 meters in all directions.
The HD-PLC-exclusive testing house, which reproduces almost perfectly the actual user environment, allows testers to obtain objective data through benchmark and interconnectivity testing of HD-PLC devices under those conditions.
One of the rooms in the house is designed as a compatibility certification site for the purposes of obtaining the HD-PLC logo. Companies that pass the certification tests can acquire and use the HD-PLC logo on conclusion of a separate trademark licensing agreement.
The house also provides equipment for theoretical numerical simulations of power transmission line characteristics, as well as PLC transmission simulators for transmission lines simulations.
In addition, the house has an application display space for HD-PLC products and prototypes, to showcase the benefits and convenience of HD-PLC. Users can try out hands-on examples of HD-PLC products used in an actual living environment.
The newly opened HD-PLC testing house and its facilities provide powerful benefits for HD-PLC product developers. The flood of requests to use the testing house is a good indication of the many HD-PLC products that are to come. The conditions are right for the expansion of HD-PLC, and the market is shifting rapidly to full practical deployment.
Release of products will vary depending on the country.
4-1-62 Minoshima, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Japan 812-8531
Tel: +81-(0)92-477-1671
E-mail: hd-plc_alliance@ml.pcc.mei.co.jp
URL: http://www.hd-plc.org/english724/Default.aspx
