PROCEEDINGS 1998 International Symposium on Power-line Communications and its Applications
March 24-26, 1998, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan
Editors Gen Marubayashi and A. J. Han Vinck
ISBN 90-74249-18-3

More or less 15 Years have elapsed since we started our research works on power-line communications in Japan. We considered power-line communications to be an application field of the spread spectrum technology. Our fundamental idea was that for a clear transmission medium such as coaxial pair and/or optical fiber relatively simple modulation techniques can be applied. On the other hand for a hostile medium such as electrical power-line and/or urban mobile radio environment an exquisite modulation technique will be required and the spread spectrum modulation technique seems to meet the requirement well in a broad sense. The more an exquisite technique is required the more seductive it is for us communication researchers. This is why we started our study on power-line communications. At that time several manufacturing companies as well as the Japanese Post Office Ministry worked enthusiastically toward making the plan for the power-line home bus system. And in that plan a commercial spread spectrum power-line home bus system has been developed by NEC Home Electronics, Ltd. To my regret during that time there was not so much demand for the technology. In Japan people did not want such a low-price technology in the past prosperous age.

However, from the point of view of the environmental ecology utilization of existing infrastructure is considered to have growing importance in the coming age as a CO₂ reduction technology.

To be prepared to the coming age further progress will be required for the power-line transmission technology. Transmission environment for power-line communications seems much worse than that for mobile communications, so that, not only to utilize existing high technologies but also to create novel technologies will be needed.

From these view points continued promotion for the research activity started last year in Essen is truly desirable. From the reason I intended to invite the 1998 International Symposium on Power-line Communications and its Applications to Japan.

Finally I would like to express my hearty thanks to persons who encouraged and supported me and also to The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation in Japan for their financial support.

General Chairman

Prof. Gen Marubayashi, Soka University, Japan

Executive Committee Members

Prof. Ryuji Kohno, Yokohama National University, Japan
Mr. Shinji Tsuzuki, Ehime University, Japan
Dr. Shin'ichi Tachikawa, Nagaoka Univ. of Technology, Japan
Dr. Shigenobu Sasaki, Niigata University, Japan

Session Organizers

Prof. A. J. Han Vinck, University of Essen, Germany
Prof. Ryuji Kohno, Yokohama National University, Japan
Dr. John Newbury, European Standardization Committee, UK
Mr. Tadashi Suzuki, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Japan
Mr. Juji Ibuki, Tokyo Electric Power Co., Japan
Mr. Takamu Genji, Kansai Electric Power Co., Japan

Secretary

Mr. Toshiaki Imoto, Soka University, Japan
Department of Information Systems Science

Faculty of Engineering, Soka University
1-236 Tangi-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-8577 Japan
Phone: +81 -426-91 -9426
Fax: +81-426-91-9312
E-mail: imoto@t.soka.ac.jp
WWW: http://i_lab.t.soka.ac.jp/ or http://i-lab.t.soka.ac.jp/

Tutorial/Overview
Chairperson: Gen Marubayashi, Soka Univ., Japan

Spreading Techniques and Applications
Paul Walter Baier, Univ. of Kaiserslautern, Germany

Power Line Communication in Japan
Juji Ibuki, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Japan

A Power Line Communication Tutorial - Challenges and Technologies
Phil Sutterlin, Echelon Corporation, USA

Session 1 Properties of Powerline
Chairperson: Klaus Dostert, Univ. of Karlsruhe, Germany

On The Channel Capacity of A European-Style Residential Power Circuit
Olaf G. Hooijen and A. J. Han Vinck, Signal Communications, Univ. of Essen, Germany

On The Relation Between Network-Topology and Power Line Signal Attenuation
Olaf G. Hooijen, Signal Communications, Germany

A Real Knowledge of Propagation: the Way of Efficiency and Reliability Making PLC Generalization Feasible
Daniel CHAFFANJON, Electricite de France (EDF), France

Session 2 Properties of Powerline, Models
Chairperson: Ruji Kohno, Yokohama National Univ., Japan

Some Key Factors Influencing Data Transmission Rates in the Power Line Environment When Utilising Carrier Frequencies Above 1 MHz
Paul A. Brown, NORWEB Communications, UK

A Phisical Multi-Path Model for Power Distribution Network Propagation
John S. Barnes, Central Queensland Univ., Australia

Session 3 Models
Chairperson: Ruji Kohno, Yokohama National Univ., Japan

Generative Mechanism of Harmonic Noise and Periodic Signal Fading and its Model in Power Line Communication
Kazuhiro Moriyama, Hajime Kubota and Kohichi Sakaniwa, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan

RF-Models of the Electrical Power Distribution Grid
Klaus Dostert, Univ. of Karlsrube, Germany

Session 4 Models
Chairperson: Noriyoshi Kuroyanagi, Tokyo Engineering Univ., Japan

A Simple Model of Cyclostationary Power-line Noise for Communication Systems
Osamu Ohno, Masaaki Katayama, Takaya Yamazato and Akira Ogawa, Nagoya Univ., Japan

Low Voltage Network Models to the Analysis of Unexpected Phenomena in PLC Communications
Guillaume DUVAL, Electricite de France (EDF), France

Session 5 Communication Systems
Chairperson: Noriyoshi Kuroyanagi, Tokyo Engineering Univ., Japan

Simplified Correlation Mapping in M-ARY/SS System and its Application for Power Line
Shin'ichi TACHIKAWA and Hidenobu INAMURA, Nagaoka Univ. of Technology, Tohoku Electric Power Co-operation, Japan

A High Data Rate Powerline Communication System for Combined DA/DSM
M. Ostertag and Christoph Imboden, ABB Cooperate Research Ltd., ABB Network Partner AG, Switzerland

Session 6 Communication Systems
Chairperson: Saburo Tazaki, Ehime Univ., Japan

Needs for the Power Line Communications
Yasuhito KAIZAWA and Gen MARUBAYASHI, Soka Univ., Japan

Development of High Speed Communication System Using Power Distribution Line Carrier
Manabu Sekizawa, Yasuo Yahagi, Hiroshi Hasegawa and Yukio Kamitaira, Tohoku Electric Power Co.,Ltd, Osaki Electric Co.,Ltd., Japan

Session 7 Communication Systems
Chairperson: Saburo Tazaki, Ehime Univ., Japan

Development of a Spread Spectrum Transmission System for Low-Voltage Distribution Lines
Yasunori Kanamori, Shouichirou Nishimura, Masaya Takashima, Yoshiharu Asuka, Masami Wada and Asahi Shimodaira, Kansai Electric Power Co.,INC., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd., Japan

A Media Access Control Protocol for a Power-Line Local Area Network
Tom Coffey, John Griffin and Benjamin Moore, University of Limerick, National Technological Park, Ireland

Cellular Powerline CDMA Communication without Co-Channel Interference
Naoki SUEHIRO, Toshiaki IMOTO and A. J. Han Vinck, Univ of Tsukuba, Soka Univ., Japan and Univ. of Essen, Germany

Session 8 Application
Chairperson: John.E.Newbury, The Open Univ., UK

Power Line Communication Development
John.E.Newbury, The Open Univ., UK

Data Protection and Transmission over Low Voltage in House Power-Line Channels
K. Fallows, J. Yazdani, P. Brown and B. Honary, Lancaster Univ., NORWEB Communications, UK

Application of Power Line Communication with FSK and SS for DSM System
Keiichi SHIMIZU, Takamu GENJI, Ken'ichi SAKAGAMI, Kazuro TODA and Hiroshi HORINO, Kansai Electric Power Co.,Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd., Tokoseiki Co.,Ltd., Japan

Session 9 Measurement
Chairperson: A. J. Han Vinck, Univ. of Essen, Germany

Performance Measurements of Powerline Channels at High Frequencies
Holger Philipps, Braunschweig Technical Univ., Germany

A Novel Method of Measuring the Characteristics of the Powerline Channel for High Speed Communications
S. Ramseier, B. Sabbattini, Ch. Imboden, ABB Cooperate Research Ltd., ABB Network Partner AG, Switzerland

Session 10 Measurement
Chairperson: P. A. Brown, NORWEB Communications, UK

BER Measurements in a High Data Rate DS-CDMA System for Power Line Applications
Christian Hensen and Wolfgang Schulz, University of Paderborn, Germany

HF Broadcast Interference on LV Mains Distribution Networks
A. G. Burr, D. M. W. Reed and P. A. Brown, University of York, NORWEB Communications, UK