Electro magnetic compatibility for Power Line Communications

Within the ICT OMEGA project, a thorough study of the Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues linked to Power Line Communications (PLC) has been conducted. In this paper, we present our investigations carried out in the context of a frequency bandwidth extension of PLC systems up to 100 MHz. The current status of EMC regulations for PLC is first recalled. An experimental study is then presented for the assessment of the effect of electromagnetic field radiation from an electrical network, in the 30 - 100 MHz band. Recommendations are given for the injected PSD levels to be used for future studies within the OMEGA project. From these results, the capacity of the PLC channel is evaluated in terms of outage probability. This analysis shows that an extended bandwidth up to 100 MHz provides capacities in excess of 1 Gbps, while satisfying the current emission limits. Finally, the possible countermeasures for the mitigation of EMC issues are discussed.