DESIGN OF BROADBAND COUPLING CIRCUITS FOR POWER- LINE

COMMUNICATION
Zohaib Hassan
Electrical Engineering Department
Superior University Lahore

Abstract
Any system power line communication (PLC),
one of the most critical elements of an interface
circuit (or coupling circuit) is connected to the
distribution network. This is not a single entity in
view of difficulties in the PLC channel
characteristics. Due to the high voltage must be
carefully designed in a different impedance, high
backs and time-dependent diseases, coupling
circuitry to provide a specific signal transmission
to the appropriate bandwidth and security level of
the national or international standards applicable
required. This article describes the various issues
relating to the coupling circuit design practice. We
investigated the inductive coupling, capacitive
coupling as well as some hybrid designs.
Measuring connection circuit of our proposed for
the transport operations of the power line noise
and PLC channel measurements and charge of the
practice. We have demonstrated the effects of
coupling circuit measurements, and show how to
measure the impact of the power line actual
scattering parameter compensation. We compare
and various designs coupled circuit to determine if
they are applicable to the actual power line
communication system comment.

I.
INTRODUCTION
Waveform signal coverage in the PLC means
coupling circuits and power supply circuits and
interfaces should be carefully designed for
optimum compatibility between the two systems.
Electricity and communications systems work at
both ends - power system in the trend a very low
frequency and very high power, electrical, and at
higher levels of frequency and communication
systems and very low power, current and voltage
levels To be able to design a PLC system, and to
provide appropriate interfaces between power
supply and communication system coupling
circuits must be clearly understood. Coupled
communication signals to P LC channel can be

achieved through a variety of shuttle flow [1]:

Coupled differential mode: In the case of
'line' line is used as a terminal and 'neutral'
wires are used as the second terminal.
Common mode coupling: In this case, the
'line' and 'neutral wire used together, form
a terminal, and the 'ground serves as a
second terminal of the function is called
binding succumb coupled differential
more better than 30 dB of In some
countries, coupled with the common mode
is not in the low-voltage network because
of their potential risk allowed.
Coupling circuit has provided PLC system from
a power line, it can be inductive or capacitive
coupling to achieve the necessary electrical
isolation. Inductive coupling is known to be quite
a loss of several decibels. However, to avoid the
network, which makes it safer and often easier to
install than the capacitive coupling physical
connection. Capacitive coupling, on the other
hand, realizes the required high-pass filtering with
a straight-forward electronics that is easy and
compact to design. The actual coupling circuit
often used a combination of both techniques.
II.
COUPLING CIRCUIT COMPONENTS
To be able to design the optimal coupling
circuit, suitable components must be selected and
their functions must be understood:
Coupling capacitors: These are widely
used in power line communication, power
line signal is typically coupled PLC [6],
and as a more complex, higher-order filter
section [5]. The basic characteristics of the
requirements and the coupling capacitor
has been standardized in ANSI C93.11972, [7]. Coupling capacitor transferring
the traffic, so it should be a highfrequency capacitor (individual -resonant
frequency must be higher than the
modulation frequency is high [4]). Instead,
they have filtered supply voltage (across

components discarded) and voltage spikes,

and therefore must be high-voltage
capacitors. Coupling capacitor filter
characteristic is quite dependent on the
load waveform is terminated [3].
Coupling transformer: The main function
of the coupling transformer to provide
electrical isolation and adaptation, but also
through a coupling transformer so that a
high-frequency communication signals,
and must be designed in such a way.
Current waveform having a much lower
frequency and higher voltage level, and
waveform saturated phase sequence of at
least 105 for the effect of waveform
communication [4]. Thus, the current
waveform is usually before the first lowpass filter into the coupling transformer.
Blocking coil: These must be designed to
power frequency (to avoid saturation) and
the current power (to prevent voltage
drop). Inductance modulation frequency
isolation must be prevented, therefore, the
self-resonant point should be above this
frequency [4]. Air core inductors are
suitable for this application.
Resistors: For circuit coupled to the power
line, in general, a person tries to avoid
using the resistor as the resistance, in
essence, entails the loss of power or
communication signals or waveforms.

Figure-1. A broadband coupling circuit.

Figure-2.Transfer function of the
Fig.2 presents the transfer function of this
coupling circuit. Coupling circuit should not affect
the actual scattering parameter PLC channel
during the measurement. The role of measured
data coupling circuit is compensated. This can be
accomplished by post-processing of measured
data, due to the coupling loop transfer function are
known. Another method is to calibrate measuring
device (in our case, network analysis S200), so
that the effect of the compensation coupling
circuit. Fig. 3 and 4 present a sample of PLCchannel measurements obtained by using this
coupling circuit. Fig. 3 presents the measured
frequency response of a power cable with a length
of approximately 20 m and Fig. 4 shows PLC
power line frequency noise of practices and
charging resistor channel in response.

III.
COUPLING CIRCUITEXAMPLE
A typical coupling circuit usually two coupling
capacitors and coupling transformers. Fig. 1 shows
a circuit diagram of a broadband coupling circuit
designed for our PLC channel measurements. The
circuit uses a high voltage capacitor to filter high
voltage 50/60 Hz waveform, a wideband
transformer,
combination
of
over-voltage
protection diode.
coupling circuit of Fig.1.
Figure-3. Attenuation in the 20 m power cable

Figure-4. Frequency response of PLC channel.

A. INDUCTIVE COUPLING
When inductive coupling, PLC signal current is
injected into the distribution lines. This is
implemented using a suitable high frequency
ferrite inductive coupling through a transformer.
When injected into the network of low-impedance
signal induction point injection method is most
effective. This usually happens when the signal is
injected into a bus network, wherein each of the
power cord is connected. Connect multiple power
cords to a single point or bus effectively results in
their parallel impedance of the cable. This results
in low input impedance.

The cut-off frequencies of the ferrite.

(Fig.6 shows the frequency response of the
applied ferrite.)
The current rating of the ferrite ring. (The
current in the conductor, which passes
through the ferrite, should not exceed this
current rating.)
Selecting a smaller diameter, can reduce
the installation ferrite.

Coupling capacitors are used to reduce the

resistance in the coupling point, so I increase the
coupling efficiency, and also limits the
propagation of the signal in an undesired direction.
Coupling capacitor as a shortcut to signal injection
signal. Therefore, the main flow through the
coupling capacitor current signal. Both systems
can be used to inject a signal distribution line
PLC, as shown in Fig.7. The first program to use
ferrite and a second system uses two ferrite. The
second method to improve the coupling efficiency.
Fig. 8 presents a measurement of a 20 m power
cable with the 50 ohm termination at both ends,
inductively coupled with the ferrite. The second
scenario, the use of two ferrite (Fig. 7b), to
produce an improved coupling up to 8 db (Fig. 8).

Figure-5. Inductive coupling usingferrites

Inductive coupling is generally the preferred
method for the connection, due to better
performance at low impedance, lower radiation
from the power supply and the use of simple [2].
Inductively coupled ferrite ring (as a transformer)
communication signal injection in the socket. In
this case, the presence of the electricity network
and the PLC device, which is easy to use, but also
from a practical point of view there is no electrical
connection between the safeties. Choose a ferrite
depends on:

a)Figure-6. Frequency response of theferrite

In this paper, we propose a generic design for

broadband channel measurements PLC coupling
circuit, and includes practice charges under
channels and a set of measured power line noise
PLC. We also investigated the use of ferrite
inductive coupling, and in their design practice
mentioned some practical guidance.

[1]
b) a)Figure-6. Frequency response of the ferrite
Figure-7. Inductive coupling schemes

[2]

[3]

[4]

Figure-8. Cable measurements using ferrites

IV.
CONCLUSION
Coupling circuit in the power line communication
system is an important component. In order to
optimize the interface design, the flow between
the circuit elements and the PLC system should be
carefully selected.

[5]
[6]

[7]

V.
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