Interfacing Power Line Communications to Airborne Vehicles: A Technical Review

摘要

This paper reviews the characteristics of a power line network as data communication medium and studies the challenges encountered when communicating over power wiring. This technology review has been done as part of feasibility study for using aircraft power-lines for data communication. Power Line Communication is a term which describes the use of existing electrical lines to provide the medium for a high-speed communications network. Power Line Communications is achieved by superimposing the voice or data signals onto the line carrier signal using an appropriate communication technology. Power Line Communications represent a potential simplicity for communications among different devices, because it does not need additional wires for connecting devices network together. Power line cables have been used as a communication medium for many years. However, because power line cables are not designed for communication, they pose major challenges for a modem designer. Frequency selectivity and time variation of the channel frequency response, high level of noise, and regulatory issues are some of the main considerations. The impedance, transmission line loss and noise level of power line fluctuate greatly according to how the devices are connected and their operating conditions. The paper reviews these sources of attenuation, noise and distortion encountered when communicating over power wiring. The power-line communication channel, in general, is modeled as having a time-varying, frequency-dependent, signal-to-noise ratio over the communication bandwidth.