A controlling system and a controlling method, the controlling system includes: a front end device, configured to generate a first data signal; an adaptor, configured to modulate a power signal according to the first data signal, and output a modulated signal, the power signal being received from the front end device and supplied to the adaptor; and, a back end device, configured to demodulate the modulated signal to obtain the power signal and generate a controlling signal in accordance with the first data signal, the power signal obtain by the back end device being supplied to the back end device, the front end device and the back end device being connected via the adaptor. Therefore, additional power supply is not needed to power up the back end device, the cost of the adaptor is lower.

A communication harness is used for mutual data transmission by differential transmission between at least two electronic devices. The communication harness includes a cable, a first signal line, a second signal line, and a first ground line. The first signal line is surrounded by the cable and transmits a first signal for differential transmission. The second signal line is surrounded by the cable and transmits a second signal for differential transmission. The first ground line is surrounded by the cable. A supply voltage is superposed on the first signal line.

A method for testing a detection sensor positioned facing a target fixed to a drive shaft that is intended to be installed in a motor vehicle. The method includes generating a pulsed voltage test signal, amplifying the high states of the generated test signal, filtering the amplified test signal so as to obtain a voltage test signal having high states the voltage of which is higher than a predetermined high-state detection threshold and low states the voltage of which is lower than a predetermined low-state detection threshold, and detecting the high states and the low states of the filtered test signal in order to test the sensor.

A communication apparatus is connected to another communication apparatus via a power source line, a signal line, and a shared line. The communication apparatus includes a detector and a communicator. The detector detects the phase of an alternating-current voltage applied between a first terminal for connecting to the power source line and a second terminal for connecting to the shared line. The communicator communicates with the other communication apparatus by executing at least one of transmission or reception of an electric current signal generated by opening and closing a circuit including the signal line and the shared line except when the phase detected by the detector is within a specific range. The specific range is defined as a range in which an induced electric current flowing through the signal line due to the alternating-current voltage is greater than a reference value.

A sender communication apparatus of a power line communication system that includes: a communication apparatus that is located at a route node of a tree structure of logical connection and broadcasts a received signal; the sender communication apparatus that is located at a node other than the route node of the tree structure; and a recipient communication apparatus that is located at a node other than the route node of the tree structure, wherein the sender communication apparatus comprises a communicator that communicates with the communication apparatus and the recipient communication apparatus via a power line, and the communicator transmits transmission signals to be transmitted to the recipient communication apparatus, to the communication apparatus in a unicast manner.

A rechargeable battery is coupled to a power delivery unit or an external load unit. In a charging mode, the power delivery unit converts an input power to a converted voltage and/or current. A charging circuit converts the converted voltage and/or current to a charging voltage and/or current for charging the rechargeable battery. Power data is communicated between the power delivery unit and the rechargeable battery by: 1) the power delivery unit adjusting the converted voltage, wherein the power data is expressed by plural voltage levels of the converted voltage; and/or 2) the rechargeable battery adjusting a battery input current, wherein the power data is expressed by plural current levels of the battery input current. At least one of the converted voltage, the converted current, the charging voltage, or the charging current is adjusted according to the power data.

Systems and methods for efficiently allocating beacon slot among multiple nodes on multiple levels within a power line communication network are described. In various implementations, these systems and methods may be applicable to Power Line Communications (PLC). For example, a method may include performing, by a communications device, assigning beacon transmission times to nodes within the communication device's network. The assigned beacon transmission times comprise a beacon slot and frame pattern. The beacon slot and frame pattern ensure that each node does not transmit a beacon in a beacon slot that is adjacent to a beacon slot assigned to a parent or child node. A beacon transmission slot is reserved for a base node in every frame. The frames may be organized into thirty-two-frame superframes, wherein each frame comprises a base node beacon slot and four switch node beacon slots.

Embodiments of methods and systems for supporting coexistence of multiple technologies in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network are disclosed. A long coexistence preamble sequence may be transmitted by a device that has been forced to back off the PLC channel multiple times. The long coexistence sequence provides a way for the device to request channel access from devices on the channel using other technology. The device may transmit a data packet after transmitting the long coexistence preamble sequence. A network duty cycle time may also be defined as a maximum allowed duration for nodes of the same network to access the channel. When the network duty cycle time occurs, all nodes will back off the channel for a duty cycle extended inter frame space before transmitting again. The long coexistence preamble sequence and the network duty cycle time may be used together.

A system 1 for controlling a plurality of irrigation valves 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2 . . . 2.sub.n is shown. The system receives 110 or 240 volts, mains voltage, electricity from the mains. This is applied to a 28 volt square wave generator 3, whose output is modulated in a modulator 4 under control of a control circuit 5. The modulated output is applied to a live line 6, receiving modulated positive and negative pulses of 28 volts with respect to a neutral line 7.

At each valve 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2 . . . 2.sub.n, a respective decoder 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2 . . . 8.sub.n is provided. Live and neutral lines 10,11 pass from the decoders to the valves. Each decoder 8.sub.n has an input connector 21 for the live and neutral pair 6,7 powering it and an output connector 22 for the further live and neutral pair 10,11 to the respective valve 2.sub.n.

A fuel cell power generation plant is disclosed. The plant includes fuel cell systems, each of which includes a fuel cell stack, sensors, actuators, a DC-DC converter and a microcontroller. The stack is coupled to a DC bus via the converter. The microcontroller communicates with the sensors, the actuators and the converter, and is configured to acquire sensor data from the sensors and obtain control signals for the actuators and the converter. The plant further includes an inverter coupled with the converter of each system via the DC bus and coupled to a power load, a first power line communication (PLC) modem coupled with the microcontroller of each system, a second PLC modem coupled with the first PLC modem via the DC bus; and a plant controller coupled with the second PLC modem and communicating with the inverter. A method of communication for use in a fuel cell power generation plant is also disclosed.