Electronic synchronous/asynchronous transceiver device for power line communication networks

• US 8,208,518 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Dora Spa, STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Cappelletti, Roberto, Cantone, Giuseppe, Castigliola, Antonello, Lasciandare, Alessandro, Marano, Vincenzo, Antonelli, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US12/211,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20090074041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/145, 710/73
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

An electronic synchronous/asynchronous transceiver device for power line communication networks is integrated into a single chip and operates from a single supply voltage. The transceiver device includes: at least an internal register that is programmable through a synchronous serial interface; at least a line driver for a two-way network communication over power lines implemented by a single ended power amplifier with direct accessible input and output lines that is part of a tunable active filter for the transmission path; and at least a couple of linear regulators for powering with different voltage levels different kind of external controllers linked to the transceiver device.

Claims

1. A transceiver, comprising:

an internal register;

a line driver configured to drive synchronous and asynchronous network communications over power lines, the line driver including a single-ended power amplifier with directly accessible input and output lines;

a header recognition block;

a frame length counter; and

a plurality of linear regulators configured to output different voltage levels to power a plurality of external controllers linked to the transceiver, wherein the register, line driver, header recognition block, frame length counter and regulators are integrated into a single chip and are structured to operate from a single supply voltage, and the chip is configured to selectively activate external controllers coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear voltage regulators.

2. The transceiver according to claim 1 wherein the chip is configured to activate said external controllers only when a message with at least one of a specific header and a specific frame length is detected.

3. The transceiver according to claim 1, further including a programmable automatic level control block configured to selectively freeze and an output level.

4. The transceiver according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic level control structured to automatically adapt transmission levels to a line impedance on the power lines.

5. The transceiver according to claim 1, further comprising a supply voltage terminal structured to receive the supply voltage, wherein the power amplifier has a supply input coupled to the supply voltage terminal and the linear regulators have respective supply inputs coupled to the supply voltage terminal.

6. An electronic synchronous/asynchronous transceiver, comprising:

an internal register;

a supply voltage terminal structured for connection to a supply voltage;

a line driver configured to drive network communications over power lines, the line driver including a single-ended power amplifier with directly accessible input and output lines, the power amplifier having a supply input coupled to the supply voltage terminal;

a programmable header recognition circuit portion and frame length counter; and

a plurality of linear regulators configured to provide different voltage levels to power different external controllers linked to the transceiver device, the linear regulators having respective supply inputs coupled to the supply voltage terminal, wherein the register, line driver, and regulators are integrated into a single chip and are structured to operate from the supply voltage, and the chip is configured to selectively activate external controllers coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear regulators.

7. The transceiver according to claim 6 wherein the programmable header recognition circuit portion and frame length counter is configured to activate said external controllers only when a message with at least one of a specific header and frame length is detected.

8. The transceiver according to claim 6, further including a programmable automatic level control block configured to selectively freeze an output level in noisy environments.

9. The transceiver according to claim 6, further comprising an automatic level control structured to automatically adapt transmission levels to a line impedance on the power lines.

10. An integrated circuit chip, comprising:

a programmable control register;

a serial interface coupled to the control register;

a single-ended power amplifier with a plurality of inputs coupled to respective inputs of the chip and an output coupled to an output of the chip;

a header recognition block; and

a frame length counter; and

a plurality of linear voltage regulators having outputs coupled to respective outputs of the chip, wherein the register, the line driver and the linear voltage regulators are coupled to a common voltage supply line of the chip and the chip is configured to selectively activate external controllers coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear voltage regulators.

11. The integrated circuit chip of claim 10

wherein the chip is configured to selectively activate external controllers coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear voltage regulators when a message with at least one of a specific header and frame length is detected.

12. The integrated circuit chip of claim 10, further comprising:

an automatic level control block.

13. A system, comprising:

an integrated circuit chip, including;

a programmable control register;

a serial interface coupled to the control register;

a single-ended power amplifier with a plurality of inputs coupled to respective inputs of the chip and an output coupled to an output of the chip;

a header recognition block;

a frame length counter; and

a plurality of linear voltage regulators having outputs coupled to respective outputs of the chip, wherein the register, the serial interface, the power amplifier and the linear voltage regulators are coupled to a common voltage supply line of the chip; and

a plurality of external devices coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear voltage regulators, wherein the external devices comprise external controllers and the integrated circuit chip is configured to selectively activate the external controllers.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising:

one or more external filter components coupled to the single-ended power amplifier.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the one or more external filter components is one of the plurality of external devices.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein,

the integrated circuit chip is configured to selectively activate an external controllers when a message with a specific header is detected.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the integrated circuit chip includes an automatic level control block.

18. A system, comprising:

an integrated circuit chip, including;

a single-ended power amplifier with a plurality of inputs coupled to respective inputs of the chip and an output coupled to an output of the chip;

a plurality of linear voltage regulators having outputs coupled to respective outputs of the chip; and

means for controlling synchronous and asynchronous power line communications, wherein the power amplifier, the linear voltage regulators and the means for controlling are coupled to a common voltage supply line of the chip; and

a plurality of external devices coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of linear voltage regulators, wherein the means for controlling includes means for recognizing headers and frame lengths and is configured to selectively activate the external devices.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the plurality of external devices comprise a plurality of external controllers.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

one or more external filter components coupled to the single-ended power amplifier.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the means for controlling comprises:

a header recognition block; and

a frame length counter.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the means for controlling includes a control register and an automatic level control block.