ABB DI04 Multi-Standard Protocol Modems

The ABB DI04 PLC modem supports multiple standard and proprietary protocols in frequency bands up to 500 kHz, enabling manufacturers to respond to different end-customer regulatory, market and business requirements. The device is firmware adaptable. The module is designed to handle PLC protocols such as ITU G.9903 (G3-plc) and ITU G.9904 (PINT), as well as Senelec, FCC and Areb-compliant applications, and the PL360B is the latest device in the microchip’s smart energy portfolio. pl360b modems are equipped with a reference device that can be used to add a PLC interface to any end-customer application that requires connectivity. The pl360b modem comes with a reference design that can be used to add a PLC interface to any endpoint application that requires connectivity, including smart metering, lighting, home automation, building automation and remote control. Additional benefits of using the pl360b modem are its power usage, which is 25 per cent higher than previous generations, and a Class D amplification scheme that further optimises the modem’s transmission efficiency.

The ABB DI04 evaluation toolkit includes two evaluation committees to establish peer-to-peer communication. The kit includes PC tools designed to evaluate the performance of the PL360B, including the PYY tester for point-to-point testing, a PLC “sniffer” to capture PLC traffic in the deployment network, and a PLC manager to manage the resulting network. g3-plc and PERM-plc communication firmware is available at no charge. Various reference designs are also available for complete meters with PLCs, single PLC modems and master PLC devices responsible for mastering the complete network of PLC nodes. All reference designs are accompanied by design documentation, bill of materials and diagrams.