High Speed communication over DC power lines ?

[Yaniv]

I have being facing a similar problem ( only 57.6Kbps was sufficient for my project ). My search on DC power line communication lead me to Yamar's SIG60 devices. I have being using them for sometime now and so far they work very good.

It is a one chip solution with a UART interface so it is very simple for implementation.

[nurquhar]

Dear Yaniv

The SIG60 looks like a another possible solution. I did quick search on Digikey, Mouser & Farnell and could'nt find it

What supplier are you using ?

[Yaniv]

We contacted the company directly. I think there is an email at the web site. [email protected] or something.

[nurquhar]

Dear Yaniv

What is the approx chip cost ?

Neil

[Yaniv]

It was around 4 euro per chip.

[waxppl]

Hi everyone,

I am currently working on this project (for my final year project) as well. I am using tda5051a and referring to the application note by nxp. What bothering me is the coding part. I will be using UART to send the x10 data(digital) from uC (PIC16F877). The problem is can I just simply send out data or need interrupt since I need to send data when there is zero crossings?

Anyone can share a source code using high-tec C compiler?

I seriously need help!

[PCM programmer]

[waxppl]

Perhaps any of you can share the coding that works for tda5051a in CCS compiler. I only need the idea.

thanks!

[criticus11]

Hello,

I have seen on that you have mentioned using SIG60 receiver. I am using it for my college research and I am having trouble with configuration the receiver. I want to read from control register 1 and see the default configuration. I know this is in the datasheet, but I want to change the configuration so first I want to see if it is working on default configuration. I am doing the procedure wrote in datasheet.
1) Lower the uC pin connected to HDC pin to "0".
2) Send via the UART port 1Dh,
3) Set HDC pin back to "High"

and the receiver is sending me back value 0h, instead of FFh because it is the default value of the register. I am using the Stellaris kit for controling the receiver and this is the part of my code for reading register 0 of SIG60:

[Yaniv]

Hello criticus11,

It has been a while since I have visited the forum, so sorry for the late reply.
From what I see, you are doing the correct procedure for reading the register. I think the problem might be in the UART buffer. I am not familiar with the Stellaris kit, however it looks like the UART is not working, since the first byte you should receive is the byte you send (there is a local loopback).

[asmboy]

Just two wires ? Vdc and Ground common?

Not to be too much of a picnic skunk here, but unless the frequency IS High - and appropriate inductors are used for hi pass protection, a TYPICAL PSU will have a very VERY LOW AC impedance on the DC output line. A typical supply might have at least 470uF of capacitance ( or many times that) between +24Vdc and ground.
This is part of the 'compliance' spec of the supply.

SO--
w/o aforementioned chokes to isolate the data carrier - you are trying to ac switch carrier data , into a a Z of well under a 1/10th ohm across the 24Vdc to ground. That will not work very well at all.

[Yaniv]

Indeed the PSU does have a low impedance (for AC signals) however it is enough to put a small inductor at the output of the power supply or even a bid (the types that you get with some USB cables, in my case it was on the AC cable of my TV ).
I have connected two of the evaluation board to a 12V/6A switching power supply, put a bid on the power supply output cable and the system worked perfectly.