Measurement setup for characterizing low-voltage and outdoor electric distribution grids for PLC systems

This paper describes a measurement setup that characterizes low-voltage electric distribution grids as a medium for data communication when the frequency band is between 1.7 and 50 MHz. This setup is constituted by several equipment and algorithms that allow to extract the following information from the measured data: i) channel frequency response, ii) additive noise, iii) access impedance, and iv) radio signals. A brief report about the use of this setup in a measurement campaign carried out at Juiz de Fora city is presented. This report reveals the usefulness and applicability of this measurement setup to characterize electric distribution grids for data communication (power line communication - PLC).