Abstract
The object of this dissertation is to identify effective techniques for powerline communication using the low voltage (240V) domestic mains electricity supply in the sub 150 kHz frequency range as defined by the European CENELEC standard, concentrating on narrowband techniques suitable for low data rate telemetry applications. In order to conduct a comparison of communications techniques a model of the channel is invaluable. However a survey of the existing literature reveals that the presently available Knowledge of the channel characteristics and impairments of the low voltage mains is limited. In particular there is no widely accepted quantitative model of the mains as a narrowband communications link. The study consisted of four main phases. First, a new piece of equipment, the 'Channel Probe', was developed to perform channel soundings of the mains. The second phase was largely experimental; empirical channel sounding results were collected using the Channel Probe. In the third phase a model was defined to fit the empirical results and a quantitative simulation was constructed based on this model. Lastly, communications techniques were studied using this simulation. This document presents the key impairments introduced by the channel, and proposes a novel narrowband channel model. Quantitative values for these phenomena are identified and justified against the measured results. The simulation that was constructed in accordance with this channel model is entirely novel, and is used to study suitable modulation schemes, receiver structures and algorithms. Original performance results from this simulation are presented, and a novel low complexity narrowband communication scheme is presented which has significant advantages over existing commercially available systems.