Transmission on indoor power lines: From a stochastic channel model to the optimization and performance evaluation of multicarrier systems

Abstract

This paper deals with optimization and performance evaluation of multicarrier transmissions on indoor power lines, taking the actual channel characteristics into account. From intensive measurements of noise on lines, the most significant parameters of impulsive noise were defined and classified, and then a statistical study was carried out. The other types of noise, i.e. narrow band and coloured noise have also been characterized. In like manner, the transfer functions between two points of a power line network have been measured. From all these data, a stochastic channel model representative of the environment is built and implemented in a software tool simulating the link. Various transmission schemes have been considered to mitigate the effects on one hand of the stationary noise, the channel frequency selectivity and of the change of its state, and on the other, on the impulsive noise. These techniques are optimized for the indoor power line environment and their performances, expressed in terms of bit error rate, are compared. © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.