In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting pulse power on two wire pairs, the pulse power comprising a plurality of high voltage pulses with the high voltage pulses on the wire pairs offset between the wire pairs to provide continuous power, performing low voltage fault detection on each of the wire pairs between the high voltage pulses, and transmitting data on at least one of the wire pairs during transmittal of the high voltage pulses. Data transmittal is suspended during the low voltage fault detection.

An electrical meter (M) installed at a facility (F) supplied electrical power by a utility's (U) electrical distribution system (EDS) utilizes a two-way automatic communications system (TWACS) for receiving messages from the utility sent over the electrical distribution system using the TWACS. An improvement to the meter comprises reconfiguring existing components installed in the meter to function as an analog-to-digital (ADC) converter so to facilitate processing of powerline waveforms (WF) propagated through the electrical distribution system by application of a signal based detection algorithm. This improves detection of signal elements comprising a message sent via the TWACS and by other means and incorporated in the electrical waveforms thereby reducing occurrence of a false synchronization with the message elements so a content of a message is readily ascertained by the meter.

Systems, methods, and processor readable media for distributing digital data and electrical power to a plurality of devices over high-impedance cables are disclosed. Certain embodiments include a gateway device connected to a power source, a first device connected to the gateway device by a cable, the cable being a high-impedance cable having at least two conductive paths, and wherein the first device receives electrical power and digital data from the gateway device via the cable over the same conductive path of the cable, a second device connected to the gateway device by the cable wherein the second device receives power and digital data from the gateway device via the cable over the same conductive path, and wherein the power source provides power to the first and second devices via the cable, and wherein the second device is connected to the gateway device through the first device via a daisy-chain topology.

Techniques for duplex communication and power transfer across an isolator are provided. In an example, a first transceiver coupled to a first side of an isolator can include a transmit modulator configured to receive first data and timing signals, to provide control signals to oscillate an output of the transceiver to transmit power and to order each half-cycle of an oscillation cycle of the output to transmit the first data. A second transceiver coupled to a second side of the isolator can include a receive detection circuit configured to compare a received oscillation cycle with a plurality of thresholds and to provide a plurality of comparator outputs indicative of reception of the positive half-cycle and the negative half-cycle, and a receive decoder configured to identify the order of half-cycles and to provide an output indicative of logic level of the first data.

Systems, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data between two devices within an electronic apparatus. A data transfer method includes receiving from a three-wire interface, a first packet of data encoded in a first sequence of symbols representing transitions in signaling state of the three wires, and transmitting on the three-wire interface, a second packet of data encoded in a second sequence of symbols representing transitions in signaling state of the three wires. The first sequence of symbols may include up to five types of symbol. The second sequence of symbols may include two or three types of symbol.

A system includes a track having conductive rails, a signal generating circuit coupled to the conductive rails, and an electrical power source coupled to the conductive rails via the signal generating circuit. The signal generating circuit includes a power supply for generating trigger signals. The electrical power source provides an electrical signal to the conductive rails via the signal generating circuit. The signal generating circuit generates a first trigger signal within the electrical signal at a first time interval and generates a second trigger signal within the electrical signal at a second time interval. The first trigger signal corresponds to a beginning of a communication signal and the second trigger signal corresponds to an end of the communication signal. The communication signal is transmitted over a predetermined number of cycles of the electrical signal provided by the electrical power source. The predetermined number of cycles correspond to a coded communication.

A method for transmitting data by using a power line. The method includes: setting i=1 and j=1; receiving an i-th zero crossing signal at a time point ti, and determining, based on the i-th zero crossing signal, a start time when synchronization signals of a j-th data packet are transmitted, the start time when the synchronization signals of the j-th data packet are transmitted being ti+t; transmitting the synchronization signals of the j-th data packet at the start time when the synchronization signals of the j-th data packet are transmitted; transmitting data signals of the j-th data packet in sequence; and determining whether j is equal to M; when j is not equal to M, continuing a data transmission; and when j is equal to M, ending the data transmission, M being a number of data packets into which data to be transmitted is divided.

The present invention concerns a synchronization method for synchronizing at least two systems for rendering multimedia streams, the method comprising: the detection of a pulse of a same signal of fixed frequency by each rendering system and by a main clock system, the generation of a main clock signal and a dependent clock signal, the estimating of a main local date of reception of the subsequent pulse and a dependent local date of reception of the subsequent pulse, the calculation of the difference between the main local date and the dependent local date, the iteration of the preceding steps until a first condition concerning the calculated differences is met, the receiving of a multimedia stream, by each of the rendering systems, the sending of a rendering date, and the calculation of an effective date for the rendering of the multimedia stream.

Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide communication between networked nodes while minimizing interference from neighbor network communication. Medium Access Control (MAC) cycles at the nodes may be aligned to MAC cycles of neighbor nodes and/or networks based on decoded timing information detected by the nodes.

Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide communication between networked nodes while minimizing interference from neighbor network communication. Medium Access Control (MAC) cycles at the nodes may be aligned to MAC cycles of neighbor nodes and/or networks based on decoded timing information detected by the nodes.