An enhanced lighting control system is provided that utilizes updated communications technology to provide a cost and resource efficient lighting control system that allows for a retrofit installation into existing lighting systems. The lighting control system utilizes single pair ethernet connection protocols, as well as a pulsed power source, to enable the efficiencies.

A photovoltaic, PV, module level monitoring, MLM, system (1) comprising a base station, BS, (2) connected by means of power cables (3) to module level devices, MLD, (4) which are provided to monitor and/or to control associated photovoltaic modules, PVMs, (5), wherein the base station, BS, (2) comprises a base station transmitter (2A) adapted to transmit Rapid Shut Down, RSD, control signals, CS, in predefined time slots, TS.sub.CS, in a downlink channel, DL-CH, through said power cables (3) to said module level devices, MLDs, (4) and a base station receiver (2B) adapted to receive monitoring signals, MS, generated by said module level devices, MLDs, (4) through said power cables (3) within time slots, TS.sub.MS, via an uplink channel, UL-CH, assigned to the module level devices, MLDs, (4).

The technology provides for a power line communication system capable of providing data from a first device to a second device over a power line. The first device may include a set of contacts and a second device may include a second set of contacts. The second set of contacts may be adapted to electronically engage with the first set of contacts of the first device to form at least a power and ground lines connection. Circuitry within the first device and the second device may include circuitry for providing data over the power line connection between the first device and the second device. The circuitry may comprise a power line, a ground line, a transmitter line carrying data signals, a capacitor coupling the transmitter line to the power line at a connection point, and a receiver comprising two field effect transistors.

Disclosed herein are two-wire communication systems and applications thereof. In some embodiments, a slave node transceiver for low latency communication may include upstream transceiver circuitry to receive a first signal transmitted over a two-wire bus from an upstream device and to provide a second signal over the two-wire bus to the upstream device; downstream transceiver circuitry to provide a third signal downstream over the two-wire bus toward a downstream device and to receive a fourth signal over the two-wire bus from the downstream device; and clock circuitry to generate a clock signal at the slave node transceiver based on a preamble of a synchronization control frame in the first signal, wherein timing of the receipt and provision of signals over the two-wire bus by the node transceiver is based on the clock signal.

A communications network for communication between at least one power electronics element and at least one control unit is disclosed. According to one or more embodiments, the communications network can be described as a communications network having parts or portions thereof employing multi-hop and/or hybrid communication.

Methods and devices for wired charging and communication with a wearable device are described. In one embodiment, a symmetrical contact interface comprises a first contact pad and a second contact pad, and particular wired circuitry is coupled to the first and second contact pad to enable charging as well as receive and transmit communications via the contact pads as part of various device states.

A charging control device of an electric vehicle and a method thereof may include requesting a charging required current from a charger in a state in which power line communication (PLC) with the charger is established, detecting a round trip time required to receive a response to the request, and adjusting a switching period of a multi-inverter based on the round trip time such that the PLC with the charger is prevented from being interrupted in a process of charging a battery of the electric vehicle.

An apparatus comprising a signal transformer coupled to a power line and a signal transmission, reception, or detection circuit. A sensor is configured to be responsive to the power line current or magnetic flux generated in a ferrite core of the signal transformer. When the sensor indicates that the flux generated by the power line current mat cause an attenuation of the signal strength, a second circuit generates a current through a flux cancelling winding that cancels at least some of the flux generated by the power line current.

A network unit may be operatively attached to power lines of an interconnected power system and/or a device such as a power module that may further include a communication interface. The network unit may be operable to superimpose a first signal representative of a sensed parameter of the power system onto the power lines, thereby to transmit the first signal to other power modules in the interconnected power system or to a power device in interconnected power system. The network unit may receive a second signal of the parameter superimposed onto the power lines from another network unit.

Systems for low power distribution in a power distribution network (PDN) contemplate using multiple low-power conductors to convey power from a power source to a remote sub-unit. The multiple conductors are isolated from one another to help prevent overcurrent conditions in a fault condition. In a first exemplary aspect, the isolation is provided by galvanic isolation. In a second exemplary aspect, the isolation is provided by diodes at the remote sub-units. Further, current sensors may be used at the power source to detect if any of the multiple low-power conductors are carrying current above a defined threshold current. By providing one or more of these safety features, a multiplexer may not be needed at the remote sub-unit, thus providing cost savings while preserving the desired safety features.