PL 3120/PL 3150/PL 3170 Power Line Smart Transceivers

A major breakthrough in price, performance, and size!

The Power Line Smart Transceivers integrate a Neuron processor core with a power line transceiver. These highly reliable, narrow-band smart transceivers are ideal for appliance, audio/video, lighting, heating/cooling, security, metering, and irrigation applications, making them suitable in the home, building, industrial, and transportation industries.

Essentially a system-on-a-chip, the smart transceivers include...

a highly reliable narrow-band power line transceiver,
an 8-bit Neuron processor core for running applications and managing network communications,
a choice of on-board (PL 3120/PL 3170) or external memory (PL 3150), and
an extremely small size

...all at a price that's too good to pass up—even for the most cost-sensitive consumer product applications!

The PL 3170 Smart Transceiver is the latest addition to the family of Power Line Smart Transceivers. It includes Interoperable Self Installation (ISI) functions built into the firmware stored in the ROM so that complete 4KB of application space is available to the developer even when using ISI functions in the application.

Features

Unmatched communication reliability
Compliant with worldwide power line signaling regulations
Compliant with ANSI 709.1 and ANSI 709.2
Integrated, low-cost, small-size design
Field-tested, proven technology
Extensive development resources for fast time to market

Unmatched Communication Reliability

The Power Line Smart Transceivers incorporate a variety of technical innovations to ensure reliable operation:

Narrow-band technology with digital signal processing: We use a sophisticated digital signal processing core that employs patented noise cancellation and distortion correction algorithms. These features allow the transceiver to correct for a wide variety of impediments to power line signaling, including impulsive noise, continuous tone noise, and phase distortion. The result: Our smart transceivers can successfully receive signals that other solutions can't even detect.
Dual-carrier frequency: This unique feature automatically selects an alternate secondary communication frequency if the primary frequency is blocked by noise.
Forward error correction: Many noise sources interfere with power line signaling by corrupting data packets. Our Smart Transceivers use a highly efficient, low-overhead forward error correction (FEC) algorithm in addition to a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) to overcome packet errors.
Powerful output amplifier: The external, high-output amplifier technology used with the smart transceivers can deliver 7Vp-p while complying with emission requirements worldwide.
Wide dynamic range: Dynamic range relates to the sensitivity of the receiver. The PL 3120 and PL 3150 Smart Transceivers have a dynamic range of > 80dB. On a quiet line, the smart transceivers can receive signals that have been reduced by a factor of 10⁴.

Compliant with Worldwide Regulations

Compliant with FCC, Industry Canada, Japan MPT, and European CENELEC EN50065-1 regulations, the Power Line Smart Transceivers can be used in applications worldwide. The CENELEC communications protocol is automatically managed by the smart transceivers, so you don't have to develop the complex timing and access algorithms mandated under CENELEC EN50065-1. The smart transceivers can also operate in either the CENELEC utility (A-Band) or general signaling (C-Band) bands, so you don't have to stock multiple parts for different applications.

Integrated, Low-Cost, Small-Size Design

You need only a small number of inexpensive external components to create a complete smart transceiver-based device. Our comprehensive Development Support Kit (DSK) lets you implement this interface circuitry. To buy a DSK, contact your Echelon salesperson or distributor.

A typical PL 31xx Smart Transceiver device

Field-Tested, Proven Technology

The underlying core technology used in the smart transceivers was developed and optimized through years of field-testing in applications worldwide. More than 20 million Echelon narrow-band transceivers have been deployed in a wide range of consumer, utility, building, industrial, and transportation applications.

Learn More!

Want to learn more about the value of Echelon's power line solutions? Contact your Echelon salesperson or request more information.