Varilume Powerline Modem

The PLC-USB-120 transceiver is a PC-controlled device designed to transport any communication data over 120VAC power lines. Part of the Varilume® powerline communication product line, the PLC-USB transceiver is ideal for functions like monitoring, control, scheduling, diagnostic and automation.

The core of the platform is the PLC modem that implements the Varilume® powerline communications technology. The device communicates with the host computer through a USB 1.1 compatible interface. An analog front end performs the signal conditioning and couples the modulated signals with the power lines. The module is powered by a built-in power supply. The unit is also provided with an external power strip for isolating devices that might influence the communication medium (e.g., the host PC).

With the AC-USB transceiver, the user is free to design his own application code. Communication with the host PC can also be performed using the Varilume® management tools especially designed to setup and evaluate the powerline communication devices.

Features

• Reliable powerline communication in high attenuation and noisy electrical environments
• Very robust narrowband FSK modulation including advanced processing functions
• Communicates on 120VAC power lines and 277/347 VAC lines via voltage/phase couplers
• USB 1.1 compatible
• LED indicators for Power, CPU, CFG and Tx/Rx
• Includes protection against disturbances on the power line
• FCC part 15 and Industry Canada compliant

Specifications

• Supply voltage: 120VAC, 60Hz
• Communicating voltage: 440VAC max.
• Central carrier frequency: 262 KHz
• Bit rate: 2544 bps
• Output signal level: max. 15Vp-p into 50Ω load
• Dimensions (L × W × H): 143 × 82.5 × 38.5 mm

Application Examples

• Remote automatic meter reading
• Remote systems monitoring
• Remote diagnostic
• Lighting Control
• Inter-device peer-to-peer networking