Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving telemetry information from an apparatus that induces electromagnetic waves on a wire surface of a wire of a power grid for delivery of communication signals to a recipient communication device coupled to the power grid, and detecting a condition from the telemetry information that is adverse to a delivery of the communication signals to the recipient communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A network communication device, such as an electricity meter, is configured to communicate with devices on a circuit internal to a site via power line communication (PLC), even when electricity service to the site is disconnected. The network communication device is configured to monitor one or more circuits internal to the site and to receive power line communications from the device(s) coupled to the circuit internal to the site when the site is disconnected from electricity service. A PLC module of the network communication device may include a switch-based or capacitor-based monitor that maintains a PLC coupler electrically connected with the circuit internal to the site even when electricity service to the site is disconnected.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a waveguide system that includes a transmission device having a coupler positioned with respect to a transmission medium to facilitate transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport communications data. The electromagnetic waves propagate along an outer surface of the transmission medium. A training controller detects an impairment on the transmission medium adverse to the transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves and adjusts the electromagnetic waves to reduce the effects of the impairment on the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A system and method are provided for assessing whether a power outage has occurred at a meter location. The method comprises: maintaining, in a memory of a head-end system, information regarding the communication performance of a meter; receiving, by the head-end system, an indication of a power status of the meter; and determining a likelihood that a power outage has occurred at the meter location based on the information regarding the communication performance and the indication of the power status.

The present disclosure provides a technique capable of improving an SN ratio of a current signal which is superimposed on a power line in a photovoltaic string and transmitted and efficiently specifying a failure location. A current source 151 is connected to a power line 11 in parallel with each of photovoltaic elements 14. A controller 152 controls a current value of the current source 151 such that a current signal is generated. A bypass capacitor 153 is connected to the power line 11 to be parallel to the each of the photovoltaic elements 14 and the current source 151. Accordingly, the bypass capacitor 153 can transmit a current signal transmitted through the bypass capacitor 153 from a negative electrode side in a photovoltaic string to a positive electrode side.

A system for controlling a subsea device comprises a complimentary set of data communication interfaces operatively coupled to an electronically interrogatable component of a subsea device and a remotely disposed device controller via a power conductor which defined data pathway between the subsea device and the remotely disposed device controller. A data transceiver is operatively coupled to the electronically interrogatable component and the remotely disposed device controller via the complimentary set of data communication interfaces over the power conductor. In configurations, control and/or telemetry or other data may be unidirectionally and/or bidirectionally transmitted between the electronically interrogatable component of a subsea device and a remotely disposed device controller. In configurations, data faults may be monitored in a primary data path and, if a fault detected, control and/or telemetry or other data transmission switched to the power conductor data pathway, manually and/or automatically.

A PLC network system and method operative with OFDM for generating MIMO frames with suitable preamble portions configured to provide backward compatibility with legacy PLC devices and facilitate different receiver tasks such as frame detection and symbol timing, channel estimation and automatic gain control (AGC), including robust preamble detection in the presence of impulsive noise and frequency-selective channels of the PLC network. A PLC device may include a delayed correlation detector and a cross-correlation detector operating in concert to facilitate preamble detection in one implementation.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system includes an impedance matching circuit that includes one or more adjustable circuit elements, wherein the impedance matching circuit receives an input signal and generates an output signal in response to the input signal. A guided wave launcher is configured to generate, in response to the output signal, a first guided electromagnetic wave along a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the first guided electromagnetic wave propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path. A controller is configured to generate one or more control signals in response to a channel quality indicator, wherein the one or more control signals adjust the one or more adjustable circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit, wherein adjustment of the one or more adjustable circuit elements facilitates reducing an impedance mismatch of the guided wave launcher.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a waveguide system that includes a transmission device having a coupler positioned with respect to a transmission medium to facilitate transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport communications data. The electromagnetic waves propagate along an outer surface of the transmission medium. A training controller detects an impairment on the transmission medium adverse to the transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves and adjusts the electromagnetic waves to reduce the effects of the impairment on the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method for auto-commissioning of multiple device control modules on a power line during the power up of the system. Device control modules associated with the peripheral devices are powered up sequentially and a unique address is assigned to each device controller when it is powered up.