SiConnect proposal takes next step toward inclusion in IEEE powerline standard

SiConnect, the leader in multimedia-ready home networking, has successfully merged its submission for the forthcoming IEEE P1901 powerline communication coexistence standard with the proposal submitted jointly by the Consumer Electronics Powerline Communication Alliance (CEPCA) and the Universal Powerline Association (UPA).

The news of the joint CEPCA-UPA-SiConnect proposal comes ahead of a meeting of the P1901 Powerline Working Group, taking place in Boston, USA, 15-19 October. The merger means that the number of proposals being considered for powerline coexistence has now been reduced to just two. The other proposal is from the HomePlug Alliance. A key activity at the forthcoming meeting is to select one of these two proposals for progression towards ratification as the IEEE powerline co-existence standard.

SiConnect’s VP Marketing, Russell Haggar, said, “We are delighted that SiConnect’s QoS-supporting coexistence mechanism has been incorporated into the CEPCA-UPA coexistence proposal. The engineers from all three groups have worked very hard at combining their ideas to create this proposal and we all hope that this new joint proposal will be adopted at the forthcoming P1901 meeting. For true coexistence to be achieved between differing powerline applications, an effective QoS strategy is needed to accommodate all prospective classifications of traffic, be they audio, video or data oriented. It’s an essential component.”

SiConnect’s proposal on QoS meets P1901’s need for friendly coexistence between disparate powerline communication technologies. It aims to guarantee that technologies provided by different vendors not only acknowledge each other’s existence but also cannot interfere with each other’s performance. Diverse powerline applications are ranked according to QoS need on a packet-by-packet basis. Higher priority traffic is able to access the powerline network in preference to lower priority traffic. In the steady state, this allows network resources to be shared evenly between applications, taking into account their varying needs at different points in time.

A key advantage of SiConnect’s proposal is that it enables low-cost powerline technologies to participate in the emerging standard without affecting their cost of implementation. This means that powerline connectivity can cost-effectively be incorporated into mass market consumer appliances, opening up much wider markets for powerline technologies such as SiConnect’s.

SiConnect’s patented POEM® technology has brought a unique set of benefits to powerline communication in the home: low cost, high data throughput, low error rates, whole home coverage, strong link resilience, low payload latency and global EMC compliance. The company’s first products, the PLT050 digital powerline transceiver and the PLi050 integrated powerline modem, enable whole home video streaming, high fidelity streaming audio distribution, domestic voice-over-IP applications, online gaming and broadband sharing. The sub-$10 complete bill of materials allows powerline connectivity to be incorporated into mass market consumer electronics appliances.