STMicroelectronics Power-Line Communication (PLC) modem chipset

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STMicroelectronics is powering the shift to smarter energy consumption and management with its modular Power-Line Communication (PLC) modem chipset, set to provide flexibility to manufacturers of utility meters, smart-grid nodes, streetlamps, and home and industrial controllers.

A turnkey solution, the chipset consolidates protocol handling to package and adapt data so it can be transmitted and line driving for sending over mains wires. It enables users to implement powerline communications either as part of recent designs or as the core of an add-on module on older devices.

The product is also suitable for markets with specific regulatory requirements. In these scenarios, the chipset acts as an external communication module that interfaces with either the existing or a new metering or controlling device. Flexible programmability allows multiple product variants to share a common hardware foundation and permits software updating in the field.

The two-chip set comprises the ST8500 programmable PLC engine and STLD1 line driver.

The ST8500 is a system-on-chip (SoC) IC containing a high-performance quad-core DSP, for real-time protocol processing, and an ARM Cortex-M4F core for upper-layer processing and system management. Each has its own code and data SRAM on-chip. A dedicated set of peripherals focused on smart-energy applications is provided, including an AES cryptographic engine. The analog front end (AFE) for connecting to the STLD1 line driver is also integrated. The SoC consumes less than 100 mW in receive mode, ensuring ultralow-power performance to minimise the grid load imposed by smart meters.

The STLD1 line driver communicates well, even across noisy cables and with low impedance, with high-drive capability and high linearity over a wide output range of 18 V in single-ended or 36 V in differential mode.

For more information: www.st.com/powerline.