HomePlug Closes in on Low-Rate Powerline Spec for Automation

The group announced last year that it would create the HomePlug Command and Control (HPCC) specification, and in March of this year announced that Israeli firm Yitran would provide the baseline technology for the spec.

Formerly known as Itran, this company has been around for a long time, with both high-rate and low-rate technologies. And although it lost to Intellon years ago for HomePlug's broadband protocol, it has continued to sell its technology for broadband powerline (BPL), as well as low-rate automation applications. In South Korea, LG Electronics has used Yitran technology for everything from light switches to dishwashers. In Japan, Yitran's chipsets can be found in air conditioners from Hitachi.

Yitran is exhibiting at EHX, March 30-April 1, Orlando, Fla. Competing powerline standards Insteon and Universal Powerline Bus (UPB) will also be there in force.

For low-rate automation over the powerline, X10 has dominated the U.S. market. All standards-based efforts have failed to date, including CEBus from the Consumer Electronics Association and Simple Control Protocol (SCP) from Microsoft and others. True, LonWorks is (or it least it was) officially a CEA spec, but it really only became so on a technicality. It is still largely a property of creator Echelon, and it is still used almost exclusively for commercial applications.

Today's most successful new powerline technology is Universal Powerline Bus (UPB), created by long-time X10 implementer Powerline Control Systems. Introduced in 2002, UPB works by transmitting and deciphering short but intense bursts of noise on the powerline. Adding just a few dollars to the cost of a system, UPB has been employed in everything from central vacuum systems (MD Manufacturing) to lighting controls (HAI and others), and a variety of switches and adapters.

Yitran principal Avner Matmor says his company's solution, which employs Spread Spectrum Differential Code Shift Keying (DCSK) "is higher speed (10 kbps class), and much more reliable." UPB maxes out at about 480 bps, and X10 at 60 bps. Despite the alleged superiority of Yitran's technology, says Matmor, "We are at the lowest price you can get for silicon no matter what solution you would take."

He says the design will be sold for abut $3 initially and will go down to $2 in volumes. The bill of materials around the chips should be around $0.60 to $0.70 in volume, he explains.

Matmor also notes, "UPB is more about home automation. We are talking about a full command and control networking that appliance makers like LG, GE and others will pick up, knowing the appliances will not be returned to the show. It will also serve all the energy management systems that utilities and others want to install."

Working closely with Yitran will be GE Security, among others. GE brought its own powerline spec to the bakeoff, but plans to adopt the winning technology. In a statemnet, Jeff Wilson, vertical market manager of GE Security, said, "GE Security is extremely pleased with the restults of the test and is looking forward to working closely with Yitran and the HomePlug Command & Control Specification Working Group to bring this exciting new technology to market."

HomePlug is expecting to ratify the specification in Q3 2006.

Related:

HomePlug Powerline Alliance Sets Baseline Technology for Command and Control Specification, Press release, March 6, 2006

Top 5 Trends: Lighting & Home Automation, CE Pro, Jan. 2006

Echelon Takes Another Stab at U.S. Resi Market, CE Pro, Dec. 2005

Powerline Still Robust Option for Lighting Control, CE Pro, August 2005

Brush off the CEBus Manuals? HomePlug Eyes Automation, Blog, Aug. 9, 2005

First Hybrid RF/PLC Technology Debuts, CE Pro, August 2004

The following images come from my visit to LG's HomNet demo home in South Korea in May. Many of the automated appliances and devices based were based on technology from Yitran.

Click to enlarge

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