Each year I’ve been attending CES, I’ve watched the Connected Home TechZone grow in popularity. It started off as a small but interesting space to discuss this newfangled thing called an integrated wireless network to connect appliances and devices to an interface which tells you what on earth they’re doing; but it has grown to Continue reading →
HomePlug
Qualcomm Atheros is sampling a green version of its HomePlug PHY circuitry aimed at supporting applications such as plug-in electrical vehicles, smart energy, Smart Grid and remote monitoring applications. HomePlug Green PHY is interoperable with the IEEE 1901/HomePlug AV powerline networking protocol, but it swaps the greater-than-200-Mbps rate of the HomePlug AV protocol for low-energy, Continue reading →
Grid-Interop 2011 kicked off in Phoenix this week with this exhortation from Vint Cerf, founding father of the internet: “Nothing is as convincing as something that works.” In pursuit of that principle, we’re going to see just about every smart grid company there is at this week’s big smart grid interoperability fest, showing off how Continue reading →
Freescale Semiconductor and Qualcomm Atheros collaborate to demonstrate home energy management using the Smart Energy Profile 2.0 over Wi-Fi, ethernet and the homePlug Green PHY (HomePlug GP) standard. The Smart Energy 2.0 standard is currently under development in cooperation with a number of other standards development groups. It will offer an IP-based energy management solution Continue reading →
Freescale Semiconductor FSL -2.26% announced that it is collaborating with Qualcomm Atheros to demonstrate home energy management using the Smart Energy Profile 2.0 over Wi-Fi, Ethernet and HomePlug(R) Green PHY (HomePlug GP) standard. The technology was demonstrated at the Metering, Billing/CRM Europe event this week. via Freescale Collaborates with Qualcomm Atheros to Advance Home Energy Continue reading →
The HomePlug Alliance, Wi-Fi Alliance, HomeGrid Forum and ZigBee Alliance have agreed to create a Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability. The new consortium is intended to enable organizations whose technologies support communications over Internet Protocol (IP) to certify SEP 2 according to a consistent test plan. Recognizing that the vision of interoperable SEP 2 devices Continue reading →
The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources. Smart energy coupled with the advanced smart grid infrastructure enables communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. Individual Continue reading →
STMicroelectronics has completed its acquisition of the semiconductor assets and intellectual property of Arkados. With this acquisition, the company expects to enhance its powerline communication (PLC) capabilities. Since late 2008, STMicroelectronics (News – Alert) has been working closely with Arkados to develop HomePlug wideband PLC solutions. via Smarter Utility – STMicroelectronics Acquisition of Arkados to Accelerate Continue reading →
Several German automakers have reached an agreement towards the future standard for EV charging. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen all agreed on HomePlug’s Green PHY charging technology, which is able to send data over high voltage cables, simplifying the circuitry. via HomePlug’s EV Charging Standard Adopted by German Automakers | Electric Vehicles | The Continue reading →
The Wi-Fi Alliance and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance have set up liaison to promote use of their technologies in smart electric grids. Under the agreement the groups will collaborate in joint technical reviews of Wi-Fi and HomePlug specifications and standards to ensure interoperability in smart grid applications. Specifically, the two will work to enable Smart Energy Continue reading →
The Wi-Fi Alliance and HomePlug Powerline Alliance have joined forces to promote the adoption of powerline and Wi-Fi networking technologies in smart-grid applications, which could mean more streamlined connectivity for consumers. The Wi-Fi Alliance tests and certifies Wi-Fi products, including Wi-Fi Direct, to ensure their interoperability, and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance does the same thing Continue reading →
Not to be a vampire and suck the blood out of someone else’s discussion, but heck, it is Halloween this coming weekend. An overheard conversation is valuable if it articulates a subject better than a single writer can articulate it. A relative newcomer to the LinkedIn executive forum on smart grid posed a question a Continue reading →
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, the leading industry group promoting adoption of powerline home networking products, has enhanced the HomePlug AV certification program to include products based on the ratified IEEE 1901 powerline standard. Finalization of the global standard is a milestone for powerline networking and will help unify and stabilize the industry as did previous Continue reading →
The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, the driving force for global powerline network technology, today announced the approval and publication of the HomePlug Green PHY (HomePlug GP) specification for Smart Grid applications. HomePlug GP is a low power, highly reliable, cost-optimized powerline networking specification targeting Smart Grid connectivity for home energy management to devices such as HVAC, Continue reading →
Powerline smart grid proponents go head-to-head at the Connectivity Week shooting off competing announcements aimed at the emerging market for smart electric grids. Adversaries were quick to admit the market potential is huge, but the there is still no end in sight to years of fragmentation in their technical approaches. The HomePlug Powerline Alliance announced Continue reading →
In the home networking standards game, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance is sometimes overshadowed by Home Phoneline Networking Alliance and the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, but a closer relationship with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is raising its profile. This week, the IEEE P1901 Working Group passed an initial sponsor ballot that moves the Continue reading →
Worth noting that the IEEE P1901 Working Group – which is working on global standards for powerline networking – has given the thumbs-up to the current draft of the standard. A final version of the IEEE 1901 powerline networking standard should be available in the third quarter. via Getting things together on the smart grid Continue reading →
When the City of Manassas, Va., recently moved to shut down its broadband-over-power-line network, many broadband market observers were quick to write the obituary of a technology once positioned as an alternative to the cable-telco broadband duopoly. The Manassas network had been the first major urban BPL network to advance from trial to commercial offering, Continue reading →
The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance congratulates the IEEE P1901 Working Group on passage of the initial sponsor ballot, paving the way for a global standard for powerline (PLC) networking. The ballot passed with over 80 percent of affirmative votes, which demonstrates the overwhelming industry support behind 1901. Final ratification of the standard is expected in the Continue reading →
There are two sets of standards for powerline communications – one for household wiring, the other for powerline communications – and the advocates for each are finally going to try to cooperate, with the Smart Grid program as a catalyst and the IEEE as a mediator. The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) said it is facilitating Continue reading →
