Key Facts:
6 kbps software modem for low-cost communication and control in utility applications
Kit allows designers to start running demos in minutes
Compatible with universal power-line
Supports power meter, in-home energy monitoring and control, and smart-grid designs
Applications for power-line communication include utility power meters, in-home energy monitoring and control, and smart-grid products. The utility-band development kit is Microchip’s second low-cost power-line carrier solution, following the launch of the consumer-band PLM PICtail Plus Daughter Board Development Kit earlier this year. The utility-band daughter board includes two nodes for out-of-the-box, point-to-point communication, allowing customers to start running a selection of demos in minutes. The BPSK scheme provides a robust modulation method that performs well in noisy environments, and the data rate can be selected in software. Microchip’s wide portfolio of dsPIC33F DSCs allows customers to select a device to optimises performance and cost for each application.