Enhancing reliability in medium voltage power line communications

Semitech Semiconductor is solving current problems faced in communications over the power grid with its line of innovative semiconductors designed to address power line noise. Owing to noise and variations in equipment and standards, communications over power grid have been historically difficult. Semitech’s proprietary technology design produces chips that reliably operate in this challenging environment.

Semitech CEO Matt Rhodes recently spoke at the Smart Grid Electronic Forum 2010, in San Jose, California on October 18-20, where he presented on "Enhancing Reliability in Medium Voltage Power Line Communications,”

Rhodes examined smart grid characteristics observed from field trials of medium voltage power-line communications and suggesting solutions that enable reliable communications. The presentation also explored using the OFDMA scheme as a means to enhance communications reliability.

Here's a snapshot of his presentation, thanks mainly to Kevin Mayberry, Lages & Associates.

Semitech Semiconductor, in conjunction with a Chinese equipment provider, has implemented OFDM to deliver robust, easy to deploy communication over the medium voltage grid.

The SM2200 is Semitech's high-speed powerline communication solution, a next generation OFDM PLC modem. The SM2200 adds OFDMA to provide most networking flexibility.

The SM2200 implements OFDM technology, and adds adaptation and multiple access features to provide the most flexibility for the networking application. OFDM and the SM2200 are proven in a broad deployment on the medium voltage grid in the Hebei province of China.

The 2000-node system has been operating reliably for nearly two years. Based on these results, a broad deployment across China’s medium voltage grid is in progress.