The Impact of Load Characterization on the Average Properties of Statistical Models for Powerline Channels

In this paper the impact of load characterization on the statistical modeling of indoor powerline channels is investigated in the bandwidth 100 kHz-50 MHz. Our analysis refers to the mean properties of such channels (so that their time-varying features are ignored) and is based on: a) the use of the statistical channel simulator, which has been validated through experimental measurements, described in ; b) the availability of a set of experimental results about the impedance of various appliances. Our numerical and experimental results evidence that, on the one hand, for frequencies beyond 20 MHz the influence of load characterization on the accuracy of statistical channel modelling is marginal; however, on the other hand, for frequencies in the order of 0-20 MHz the properties of the loads connected to a power network can appreciably affect the properties of the channel model.