Electromagnetic compatibility between power line communication and powers converters

Broadband power line communication (PLC) technologies represent a main factor of the development of the digital convergence voice-data-video in the home environment. Such technologies use the power line network as a propagation and a communication medium which quality depends mainly on the power grid topology, but also on the connected household electrical appliances which impedances have a great impact on the PLC systems. In this paper, we propose a new approach for modeling the impact of such appliances on the PLC transmission link, based on a measurement of their impedance. The protocol of the impedance measurement is described first. Then, we propose to integrate this impedance measurement into a SPICE model of the PLC transmission link, using the so-called theory of transmission line. Simulation and modeling results of a simple PLC transmission link (1 path) are given in terms of insertion loss evaluation (S21 parameter) with a specific appliance connected to the power line network. A validation of this SPICE model is performed by means of a comparison between simulation and measurements results of the insertion loss parameter in the appliance free case.