PLC development kit jumpstarts smart grid development

Texas Instruments Inc. releases the TMDSPLCKIT-V2 power line communications (PLC) development kit.
Based on the company's PLC modem solution capable of supporting multiple modulation and protocol standards on a single hardware platform, the kit provides everything developers need to network systems and implement monitoring capabilities and other new services. This it is expected to cut device maintenance cost while increasing system reliability to create greener, more efficient products. It will let developers evaluate the suitability of using PLC-based communications, and then jumpstart the development of smart grid applications ranging from smart electrical meters to intelligently controlled industrial applications. These include lighting, solar, home automation, building control, plug-in electrical vehicle and energy-managed appliances.
TI's PLC modem is a modular, fully programmable solution comprised of separate MCU and analog front end (AFE) modules and a complete software framework designed for flexibility and adaptation to various application and regional requirements. The MCU module is based on TI's C2000 architecture and offers excellent performance while interfacing seamlessly with the AFE and application processors to which the PLC modem communicates.
The AFE module is self-contained and fully isolated, reducing design cycle time, lowering power consumption and reducing system cost.
TI also offers its comprehensive plcSUITE, a modular software framework separating modulation, protocol and application development to extend the maximum flexibility to developers in testing and designing with PLC modems.
Key features and benefits of the TMDSPLCKIT-V2 are two narrowband PLC modems for communications over low-voltage/medium-voltage power lines with scalable data rate up to 128Kbit/s (single phase); flexible architecture and software framework supports all major PLC standards, including S-FSK (IEC61334), PRIME, and G3; integrated AFE supports all low frequency narrowband modulation standards while offering multiple operating modes for power optimization, excellent thermal performance, and lower system component count and cost; turnkey evaluation and production software through the royalty-free plcSUITE modular software framework that simplifies development and enables developers to easily adapt products to specific protocol, application, and regional requirements; a fully programmable OFDM-based system allowing environmental tuning for robustness and reliability of communication performance; and a GUI-based control for quick visualization of key PLC modem parameters.
The TMDSPLCKIT-V2 PLC development kit is priced at $599.