Upper and Lower Bounds for Frequency Response of PLC Channels in Presence of Load Variations

In this paper the bounds of the frequency response of an indoor power line channel are derived taking into account also the effects of the nonlinear behavior of the electrical devices plugged to the sockets. From the high frequency signal point of view the communication channel is a linear system formed by an interconnection of transmission lines terminated on time varying loads that depend on the values of the mains voltage. In order to obtain an estimate of the bounds of the frequency response of the channel the load impedances are written as the sum of a nominal behaviour and a number of elementary pulse shaped terms with uncertain weights. The sensitivity functions of the frequency response with respect to these weights are evaluated and upper and lower bounds are consequently estimated. Comparison has been performed with the simulations obtained by using Monte Carlo methods