Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: TMS320F28x
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 07 December 2005
DSP moves powerline comms to new price
point
Adaptive Networks has developed a new family of powerline communications (PLC) products enabled by TMS320F28x digital signal controllers.
Adaptive Networks has developed a new family of powerline communications (PLC) products enabled by TMS320F28x digital signal controllers The new PowerConnect series of PLC solutions provides robust network communications through powerlines over distances up to 50 kilometers, for outstanding performance in a variety of control and monitoring applications in industrial and other rugged environments, including utility metering
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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PowerConnect solutions leverage the real-time performance and cost-efficiency of TI's F28x controllers, making the benefits of reliable high-speed PLC affordable to a much wider range of applications than those supported by competing products.
Based on TI's digital signal processor (DSP) technology, F28x controllers offer a unique combination of 150MIPS of 32bit control-optimised performance, system integration and microcontroller-like ease of use.
Unlike conventional wired data networks that use dedicated transmission lines, Adaptive Networks' PLC networks use F28x controller-enabled PowerConnect products to transmit and receive data via existing low-, medium- and high-voltage powerlines.
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This innovative, single chip PLC technology offers reliable throughput of 19.2Kbit/s to full-scale networks over a wide area in harsh environments and makes it possible to monitor and control all nodes within a network.
In factories, utility distribution systems, office complexes, mines, subsea cabling, and other rugged settings, PowerConnect's high transmission rate for robust real-time communications over existing powerline infrastructure eliminates the need to deploy additional wiring for control and monitoring.
F28x controllers offer the performance flexibility that, in many cases, will allow PowerConnect system developers to integrate the application on the same hardware platform as the communications.
For example, the Power Connect PLC functions could be combined with electronic utility metering, or lighting ballast control for an office building, and integrated onto one F28x controller.
Adaptive Networks is a leader in powerline communications technology, with more than 20 years of PLC research, development and manufacturing.
Adaptive Networks' PLC products are currently used for material handling on factory floors, utility control, monitoring, and metering, shipboard communications, mining, and long distance subsea cabling for oil and gas production, among many applications.
PowerConnect solutions extend Adaptive Networks field-proven Pro-Line technology, an ISO standard for refrigerated container monitoring on ships and an IEC standard for automated meter reading, to a cost-effective solution for high volume applications such as utility meter reading and lighting control.
New PowerConnect solutions are designed to extend Adaptive Networks' groundbreaking PLC technology to new application areas, as well as more widely within existing areas.
For instance, in certain applications PowerConnect products can be used in networks over distances of several kilometers; new solutions targeting utilities will support networks over even greater distances.
The types of systems that will benefit in the future include utility metering, lighting and motor control, shipping climate control, point-of-sale, wide-area control and monitoring of embedded applications, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
The first of the new family of PowerConnect products, the AN192DPL - available now - is based on TI's TMS320F2810 controller and operates with a data communications rate of 19.2Kbit/s.
Different versions of the family of PowerConnect products provide design flexibility by handling different carrier frequencies in the sub-500kHz frequency range, thus satisfying automated meter reading (AMR) requirements worldwide.
Adaptive Networks plans to extend its digital signal controller-based technology to its other Pro-Line products that operate with different datarates up to 100Kbit/s, allowing developers to choose for their systems the level of throughput performance that matches the available frequency allocation and requirements of their markets.
"The new DSP controller-based PowerConnect product line will bring our customers greater flexibility, high-volume price points, and the ability to integrate their applications along with our field-tested PLC technology", said Michael Propp, President and founder.
"With its high performance and ease of development, TI's F2810 controller enables us to address a new range of control and monitoring, and metering applications at the right price point".
Adoption of TI's F28x controller platform provides a cost-effective means to extend Adaptive Networks' PLC technology to new applications through high-volume manufacturing.
Along with advanced DSP cores, the controllers integrate robust peripherals such as analogue-to-digital convertors (ADCs), timers and pulsewidth modulation (PWM).
This high level of system integration simplifies design and keeps control systems compact and cost-efficient.
MCU-like instructions and on-chip flash memory enables rapid prototyping for fast time to market.
"PowerConnect PLC products from Adaptive Networks illustrate the value of combining 32bit digital signal processing with the design flexibility of an MCU", said Andrew Soukup, TMS320C2000 World-Wide Marketing Manager, TI.
"F28x controllers offer leading control-optimised signal processing performance and system-level integration at an affordable price".
The 19.2Kbit/s throughput AN192DPL is now available from Adaptive Networks, as a ROM-coded chip, module, and as licensable software for high-volume production.
A reference design is also available to help simplify system development.
Developer products based on the reference design and manufactured in quantities over 100,000 units are expected to have a bill of materials per unit of less than $10.00.
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