Some embodiments describe a DC meter system that can be placed in-line between a power source and an electrical load. In some embodiments, the DC meter system includes a DC meter that has multiple inputs for receiving electricity from multiple power sources. In some embodiments, the DC meter has one or more outputs, each capable of delivering electricity to a different electrical load. In some embodiments, the DC meter can combine electricity from two or more of the multiple inputs into one of the outputs. In some embodiments, the DC meter has a controller that can enable a user to deliver electricity from a particular input to a particular output. In some embodiments, the DC meter is configured to enable transition of electricity between an input and an output in a bi-directional manner. In some embodiments, the DC meter can record an amount of electricity transmitted in either direction.

Disclosed are a distribution transformer terminal and a method for monitoring a state of a distribution transformer court device. The distribution transformer terminal includes an ARM core processor, a carrier communication module connected to a court device, a sub-G wireless communication module connected to the court device and a GPS module connected to the court device. The ARM core processor is connected to the carrier communication module, the sub-G wireless communication module and the GPS module. The ARM core processor is configured to identify a phase of the court device and a court to which the court device belongs, acquire an operating state and fault information of the court device through the sub-G wireless communication module, and acquire geographical location information of the court device through the GPS module.

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 include methods of powerline communications using a preamble with band extension is provided. A method may include receiving a packet data unit PDU. Bit-level repetition is applied to at least a portion of the PDU to create a repeated portion. Interleaving is performed per a subchannel. Pilot tones are inserted in the interleaved portion. Each data tone is modulated with respect to a nearest one of the inserted pilot tones. The PDU is transmitted over a power line.

An embodiment method implemented by an agent device comprises receiving, by the agent device, from a device, a bootstrap request message over a first communication channel; transmitting, by the agent device, to a coordinating device, a request message comprising the bootstrap request message and a first channel type indicator indicating a channel type of the first communication channel; receiving, by the agent device, from the coordinating device, a response message comprising a bootstrap response message and a second channel type indicator indicating the channel type of the first communication channel; and transmitting, by the agent device, to a device, the bootstrap response message over a second communication channel in accordance with the second channel type indicator.

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.

Embodiments include methods of powerline communications using a preamble with band extension is provided. A method may include receiving a packet data unit PDU. Bit-level repetition is applied to at least a portion of the PDU to create a repeated portion. Interleaving is performed per a subchannel. Pilot tones are inserted in the interleaved portion. Each data tone is modulated with respect to a nearest one of the inserted pilot tones. The PDU is transmitted over a power line.

The invention relates in particular to a method executed by a control device, for a mesh communication network, allowing selection of an optimum frequency band, the method comprising the steps of determining network quality information, if the quality information is below a first threshold, then: sending, to each device in the network, a message comprising an instruction to perform a frequency band quality test, collecting, at the end of the quality test, for each device, quality data for each frequency band, determining, for each frequency band, a quality indicator, and selecting a so-called optimum frequency band as being the frequency band associated with the best indicator, when the so-called optimum frequency band is different from the frequency band used, then sending, to each device, an instruction to use the so-called optimum frequency band.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a network device that accesses internet protocol addresses associated with a group of end point devices where the network device is a closest network device to the group of end point devices, and transmitting data to another network device responsive to a determination that an internet protocol address associated with the data from an end point device is one of the internet protocol addresses associated with the group of end point devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A receiving device for receiving PLC signals, including a filtering stage linked to an input of the receiving device and configurable in at least two modes including a default mode, wherein the filtering stage passes at least first PLC signals included in a first frequency band and second PLC signals included in a second frequency band separate from the first frequency band, and a first selection mode, in which the filtering stage passes the first PLC signals and stops the second PLC signals; and a processing circuit linked to the filtering stage and arranged to receive frames of PLC signals, and, for each received frame, to analyse a preamble of the frame, and to dynamically configure the filtering stage in the first selection mode if the frame is a frame of first PLC signals.