An intelligent connector is disclosed having a signal processing unit, a first port, and a second port. The signal processing unit communicates signals between a bus and a slave module. The first port is coupled between the bus and the signal processing unit, and is connected to a power supply line. The second port is coupled between the signal processing unit and the slave module, and is positioned to provide a power supply to the slave module.

A slave control device receives a communication signal from a master control device, and controls loads according to the received communication signal. A modulator superimposes the communication signal from the master control device on power source lines, and a demodulator demodulates the communication signal superimposed on the power source lines and supplies the demodulated communication signal to the slave control device. The modulator is provided on power source lines on a battery side, and the demodulator is provided on the power source lines on a load side. The modulator superimposes the communication signal on the power source lines which are on a side closer to the loads with respect to the modulator among the power source lines.

For a simple and reliable data communication in an arrangement composed of a plurality of inverters (3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, . . . 3.sub.n) connected in series and a network monitoring unit (5) it is provided that the network monitoring unit (5) superimposes a synchronization pulse (10) to the network voltage (V.sub.N) applied to the electrical load (4), which synchronization pulse can be detected by the inverters (3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, . . . 3.sub.n) for temporal synchronization.

Systems and methods for application profiles and device classes in power line communications (PLCs) are described. In some embodiments, a PLC device has the device class defined by a PHY layer and may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory may be configured to store program instructions, which may be executable by the processor to cause the PLC device to communicate with a higher-level PLC apparatus over a power line using a frequency band. The frequency band may be selected based upon an application profile and/or a device class associated with the PLC device. In some implementations, the higher-level PLC apparatus may include a PLC gateway or a data concentrator, and the PLC device may include a PLC modem or the like. Examples of application profiles include access communications, in-premises connectivity, AC charging, and/or DC charging. Device classes may represent a minimum communication data rate and/or an operating frequency band restriction of the PLC device.

Audio Frequency Load Control (AFLC) signal processing electronics added to a power factor correction (PFC) unit allowing the AFLC system to operate without the need of large and heavy passive bypass or blocking filters at the PFC installations. The AFLC signal processing electronics a first group of additional electronics tuned to the AFLC frequency for detecting the AFLC carrier signal; and a second group of additional electronics for driving an AFLC impedance switch that is connected in parallel with an AFLC impedance. The AFLC impedance is connected in series with the PFC capacitors, and is sufficiently large to offer significant impedance in series with the PFC capacitors that allows the AFLC signal to bypass the PFC unit.

A power/data electrical coupler, designed to send over a two-wire bus or to receive therefrom data signals and to deliver to said two-wire bus or receive therefrom a power-supply potential. Such a coupler includes a transformer, a first winding of which and a second and third winding of which are connected in series with each other with a common terminal connected to a power supply line and the other two terminals to a two-wire bus. It also includes a second isolation transformer connected between said first transformer and said two-wire bus. According to the invention, said terminal common to said second and third windings is connected to said power supply line by means of a band-rejection filter rejecting one or more of the frequency bands including the resonant frequency or frequencies resulting from the association of the isolation transformer and the transformer.

An electrical coupler includes: a sending transformer having a winding for receiving data signals and two windings connected in series with a common point and two terminals to be connected to a first wires pair of a bus to deliver the data signals at the first winding terminals to said wire pair; a receiving transformer having two windings connected in series with a common point and two terminals to be connected to a second pair of wires of said bus to receive data signals on the pair of wires and a winding for delivering said data signals; and a galvanic isolation transformer with a first winding, the terminals of which are connected to the coupler's power supply pins, and second and third windings connected in series with a common point connected to a mechanical ground and the respective free terminals connected to the common terminals of sending and receiving transformers.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for reducing outbound interference in a broadband powerline communication system. Data is modulated on first and second carrier frequencies and is transmitted via respective first and second lines of the powerline system. A characteristic of at least one of the carrier signals (e.g., phase or amplitude) is adjusted in order to improve the electrical balance of the lines of the transmission system. This improvement in electrical balance reduces the radiated interference of the powerline system. Also disclosed is the use of a line balancing element on or more lines of the powerline system for altering the characteristics of at least one of the power lines in order to compensate for a known imbalance of the transmission system.

Either one of a communication device (100) and a communication device (200) comprises a direct current power supply (110) configured to generate a direct current for serial communication from alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply (600) through a power line (510) and a common line (530) and pass the generated direct current through a current loop. Either the communication device (100) or the communication device (200) comprises an adjuster (160) configured to adjust the impedance between a signal line (520) and the common line (530) based on the voltage between the signal line (520) and the common line (530).

Embodiments of the invention provide multiple cyclic prefix lengths for either both the data-payload and frame control header or only the data payload. Frame control header (FCH) and data symbols have an associated cyclic prefix. A table is transmitted in the FCH symbols, which includes a cyclic prefix field to identify the cyclic prefix length used in the data payload. A receiver may know the cyclic prefix length used in the FCH symbols in one embodiment. In other embodiments, the receiver does not know the FCH cyclic prefix length and, therefore, attempts to decode the FCH symbols using different possible cyclic prefix lengths until the FCH symbols are successfully decoded.