G3-PLC Powerline Communication

Standard for Todays Smart Grid

October, 2012
Jean Vigneron
General Secretary of G3-PLC Alliance
Jean.vigneron@g3-plc.com
Kaveh Razazian
Senior Scientist - Maxim Integrated
kaveh.razazian@maximintegrated.com
Choosing a Technology
Platform for the Future
The biggest challenge facing implementers is how to meet both current and
future smart grid requirements, while ensuring interoperability and open-
endedness among grid elements

When evaluating communications platforms, it is important to look for a solution

that:
Provides cost-effective system architecture - Plug-and-Play
Provides real-time communications Robust, long range, two-way link
Includes security mechanisms - to protect grid assets and theft
Standards based - to ensure interoperability and open-endedness
Scalable and field upgradable
Strong industry support
 PLC Evolution

1950s 10Hz one way communication used managing town

lighting
1970s - X10 low speed (20 bits/s), one way communication for
simple control of devices and appliances
1980s - INSTEON using X10 and RF to address inherent
limitations of X10 to penetrate a wider network
1990s - FSK PLC technology became popular providing low data
rate (2.4kbps), two way communication for command and
control applications
2000s Broadband above 2MHz, PLC communication (OFDM)
for multimedia consumer applications
2010s - G3-PLC low frequency below 500KHz PLC (OFDM)
delivering highly reliable, high speed, secure, two way
communication designed specifically for the Smart Grid
Severe Channel Condition
Preamble Impulsive Noise

Figure 1 Figure 2

In noisy AC line, there is harmonic noise, Noise power distribution

between 10kHz to130kHz
impulsive noise, and frequency selective is 20-30 dB stronger than
attenuation. Therefore signal amplitude signals above 200kHz
variation is large as shown in Figures 1 & 2

Maxim Confidential
G3-PLC
Defined by Utilities, Developed for Utilities

In association with: ERDF (Electricit Rseau Distribution France)

100% subsidiary of EDF (Electricit d France)
35M customers
1,284,000km of electricity power lines
Smart grid deployment plan: 2012

Technology developer: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Over 25 years in business; 12 years in OFDM PLC

Main objective: Communication technology offering a balance of robustness, quality

of service, high data rate and cost
Deliverable: A complete OFDM PLC specification, including PHY, MAC, adaptation layer,
and meter profile
PHY/MAC specification completed: 2009
G3-PLC - A Global Solution
Robustness

MV / MV, MV / LV & LV / LV

High data rate

IPv6 compliant

Secure

Open specification

Smart Grid
Low density areas High density areas and additional
services
 Government Regulations
for PLC

FCC section 15 defined 10-490kHz frequency band for PLC in

North America and Canada

ARIB defined 10-450kHz frequency band for PLC in

Asia and Japan

Cenelec EN50065-1 defined a range of low frequency bands for

PLC in Europe
A-band (3-95 kHz), Frequencies in this band shall only
be used for applications for monitoring or controlling
the low-voltage ,distribution network, including energy
usage of connected equipment and premises
B-band (95-125 kHz), can be used by all applications
C-band(125-140 kHz), for home networking systems
D-band (140-148.5 kHz), specified for alarm-and
security-systems
 G3-PLC
Smart Grid Solution Summary

Complete PLC modem for the Smart Grid

(from the PHY to the Application layer) Physical Layer
Support of internationally accepted bands from
10kHz - 490kHz (FCC, CENELEC, ARIB)
COSEM
Interface model
Files Multi-layer error encoding/decoding
Viterbi, Convolution, Reed Solomon and CRC16
Application Layer Application
COSEM AL
Layer
8psk,QPSK, BPSK, Robo, Messaging Mode
TFTP SNMP Adaptive Tone mapping, notching and modulation
Wrapper Application Layer
Init
Compliant ANSI C12.19/C12.22, IEC 62056-61/62
Transport Layer Compressed UDP Mngt (DLMS/COSEM)or other standards used world wide
Transport and Network Layer
Network Layer Compressed IPv6
IPv6 enables potential services: SNMP, TFPT, etc
6LoWPAN Adaptation sublayer Adaptation layer 6LowPan associates the MAC Layer
MAC Layer 802.15.4 to IPV6:
MAC sublayer Compression of IP header, fragmentation, routing,
authentication.
Physical Layer PHY layer MAC layer
Plug and play network management to choose Best Path
CPL media (Full Mesh Support)
Time domain and collision management
MAC Layer IEEE 802.15.4-2006
CSMA/ARQ
Benefits of OFDM
Higher Data rates at Lower SNR

FSK provides only 2Kbps @ 10^-4 BER OFDM provides 32Kbps @ 10^-4 BER, and at only
at 12dB* (From STM Datasheet) 3dB* (G3-Lite - MAX2990 w/DBPSK)

Figure 1 Figure 2

10dB performance improvement vs. single-carrier PLC

Higher reliability
Wider coverage
Longer distances * 12dB SNR means signal is ~4 times stronger than noise
* 3dB SNR means signal is ~1.5 times stronger than noise
G3-PLC Data Rates and
BER plots

Typ Robo Typ DBPSK Typ DQPSK Typ D8PSK Max D8PSK
Frequency Band Data Rate (bps) Data Rate (bps) Data Rate (bps) Data Rate (bps) Data Rate (bps)
CENELEC A (36kHz to 91kHz) 4,500 14,640 29,285 43,928 46,044
FCC (150kHz to 487.5kHz) 21,000 62,287 124,575 186,863 234,321
FCC (10kHz to 487.5kHz) 38,000 75,152 150,304 225,457 298,224
Channel Characteristics:
Bad Condition

Received Signal + Noise in Good channel RMS= 0.071 V Received Noise in Good channel RMS= 0.048 V
0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3

0.2
Preamble
0.2

0.1 0.1

0 0

-0.1 -0.1

-0.2 -0.2

-0.3 -0.3

-0.4 -0.4
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Attenuation= 20 dB (Signal reduced ~10 Times)

SIR = -6 dB (interference stronger 2 times
than Signal )

Maxim Confidential
S-FSK vs. OFDM

Application Data Rate

Time (s) to Get a Load Profile
Technology
Reading of 3300 Bytes*
S-FSK 1200 56
S-FSK 2400 28
OFDM 4
*Notes:
Calculated by DLMS-UA for S-FSK.
Measured in the field for OFDM.
Designed for multiple
Smart Grid applications

Grid asset management Electric vehicle charging

Lighting automation (Street, Airport,

Meter management
commercial buildings)

In-home energy Factory automation/energy

display/management monitoring
G3-PLC progress to
mass roll-out
Standardization starts G3-PLC
(IEEE, ITU, IEC) DC/Meter
Dec 2009 (Production)
OFDM Field July 2011
G3-PLC (DSP) G3-PLC Chipset ITU G3-PLC
Trials Field Trails Available
Dec 2007 June 2009
Standard Pre-
Nov 2010
publication
Dec 2011

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Start Spec Spec DC/Meter DC/Meter

OFDM Demo
EDF/ERDF Development Release (Implementation) Deployment
Jan 2007 Aug 2008 July 2009 June 2010 DC/Meter Completed
(Certification) Sep 2011

May 2011
G3-PLC Standardization
G3-PLC - Main Technology Driving Narrow Band
(NB) OFDM PLC Standardization

NB OFDM PLC Standards under development to date:

ITU G.9955 G3-PLC Annex Pre-publication completed in Dec 2011

IEEE 1901.2 Cenelec through FCC based on G3-PLC target ballot Q2CY12
DLMS /COSEM Upper Layer G3-PLC submitted for inclusion in Blue Book
Field tested Worldwide
France ERDF
Portugal - EDP
USA - WIN Energy and St Louis Coop
Japan TEPCO and Chugoku
China, State Grid and NARI
Taiwan - III/TaiPower
Mexico CFE
Germany - Vattenfall
Field test Results - Examples
Typical Electricity Topology
Isolated
(<9 meters/transformer)

Urban area Residential

(~400 meters/transformer) (200-300 meters/transformer)
Long-distance MV-to-MV
Tests (France)
Test performed by ERDF 6.4KM. No repeaters.

Data
FER
Technology Distance Rate
(Frame Error rate)
(Kbps)
G3* 6.4Km 6.092 0%

*G3 tests preformed in CENELEC (32-95kHz ) frequency band without 8PSK limiting data rate.
 MV-to-LV and LV-to-MV
(France)
MV-to-LV Test Setup

A
(M) 2 km

1,4 km (S)

(S)

Concentrator installed on the MV network, and two slave devices connected to the LV network
MV-to-LV transformer crossing introduced frequency-dependent attenuation of over 40dB

Technology Master/ Slave configuration

Data Rate (bps) FER (Frame Error Rate)
G3-PLC* 4175 bps 1%

*G3-PLC tests preformed in CENELEC (32-95kHz ) frequency band without 8PSK limiting data rate.
Test configuration
Pictures from Field Test

Room #2 with all commonly used home

appliances where PLC Rx #3 was located.
location where PLC Rx #1 and
PLC Rx #2 were located with
two Kotasus were on.
Home Appliances Noise

The following appliances are used as the noise source in the field trial:
IH Heater, TV, triac, 3 Kotasu Heaters, Microwave, Rice Cooker, Water
Pot, Blanket, and carpet vacuum
The noise spectrum of two major noise sources IH Heater an Kotasu are as
shown below:
IH Heater Kotasu Heater

Maxim Confidential
Test Results

At room 2, we compare the received spectrum with all noise sources off (on the
left side), and the received spectrum with all noise sources on (on the right side)
as shown as below
With ATM mode, data rate is about 6-10 kbps

signal level is
much higher than
noise level

signal level is
almost the same
as noise level

Noise level

Maxim Confidential
MV-to-LV Tests
(USA)
High-speed communications while crossing medium-to-low voltage transformers
MV

LV

Frequency Data Rate

From To Distance Mode
Band (Kbps)
A B .8KM 300-450kHz BPSK 54
A C 1.8KM 300-450kHz BPSK 48
Test results in Beijing
MV (10KV)

Distance Freq Band Data Rate

A -> B: 150m ARIB 100Kbps

A -> C: 155m ARIB 100Kbps T1 (701) T2 (703)

MAX2990
A Transmitter

A -> D: 220m ARIB 100Kbps

Air Air
Switch Switch
LV (380V)

A -> E: 200m ARIB 96Kbps Building #1 Building #2 Building ## Building ##

18F 18F 18F 18F
MAX2990
Receiver
D

B 3F 3F 3F 3F
18 Floors
2F 2F 2F 2F
C
MAX2990 1F 1F 1F 1F
Receiver E
MAX2990 Basement MAX2990 Basement Basement
Receiver Receiver
B Air Air Air
Air
Switch Switch Switch
Switch

Test were performed in a customer designated site

Substation located in the basement of a parking structure
Test site had two MV/LV transformers (T1 and T2).

A MV distribution is underground
MV LV
Thank you for your attention

Visit our website

www.G3-plc.com
 Additional G3-PLC
Information
Idaho National Labs Charger and EMC testing
http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/phev/VtoVSESmartGridRpt.pdf
Pacific National Labs 30 million Message test
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/
merit_review_2011/veh_sys_sim/vss055_gowri_2011_
p..pdf
IEEE G3-PLC Research G3-PLC on Galvanized SWER
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber
=6102338&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2
Fiel5%2F6093618%2F6102296%2F06102338.pdf%3Far
number%3D6102338