ABSTRACT

This chapter explains the basics of dual conductor transmission line theory, considered interesting background reading for those new to power line communication (PLC) signal propagation. Since the late 1990s, an increased effort has been put into the characterisation of PLC channels with the aim of designing communication systems that use the electrical power distribution grid as data transmission medium. In-vehicle PLC has been considered to provide data access to moving vehicles like trains, as well as within the vehicles themselves, for example, in cars, aerospace and outer space applications, ships and submarines. Building on the success of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signal processing within wireless communications, it is worth noting that medium-voltage (MV) and high-voltage (HV) installations often make use of four or more conductors. A network analyser (NWA) is connected to two PLC couplers via its transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) ports.