Powerline communication standards and frequency bands vary by region and country, and until now, PLC modems couldn't support them all. Meter manufacturers had to develop multiple modems to ensure standards compatibility, or even forgo markets altogether, because they lacked the time and resources to develop new modems. That dilemma is now solved. The ZENO/MAX79356 PLC SoC modem is software-configurable to accommodate all international standards. Now, manufacturers and utilities can use the same device to build meters and data concentrators for any region where they want to use powerline communication. This allows meter designers to bring their products to market faster and be ready for future standards. Furthermore, integrating the analog front-end (AFE) and baseband onto a single chip reduces the number of components and lowers costs.
Key Advantages
• Versatile: Software configurable, compatible with today's PLC standards and compliant with future standards; certified by the G3-PLC Alliance for all three major frequency bands (CENELEC A, ARIB, and FCC) and for PAN devices and PAN Coordinator
• Low power consumption: Uses 80% less power when listening for PLC communication (55mW vs. 300mW); active transmit power consumption is 70mW
• Space efficient: Up to 3 times smaller than other PLC modems
