Playing The Home User Tune

A non-profit organization of industries was formed over a year ago, to

address the issues of using a powerline for networking applications. Aptly

called The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, it announced the completion of its

version 1.0 specification for powerline-based home networks in June 2001.

It also said that vendors will introduce products that meet the specified

14-Mbps data rate (which is comparable to 10Mbps Ethernet and 11Mbps 802.11b

wireless) by early 2002. The worldwide home networking products market is

expected to grow from under $18 million in 2001 to nearly $190 million in 2002.

By the end of 2006, the overall powerline home networking equipment market is

expected to reach $706 million, according to a Cahner’s report titled

"Power to the People: What HomePlug Means to Home Networking".

Powerline network: A reality?



Industry analysts say the HomePlug version 1.0 spec shows powerline networks

are moving closer to reality, even though volume shipments are not immediately

expected. "The next year or so will be a proof-of-concept year for

powerline-based home networking technologies like HomePlug," says Navin

Sabharwal, VP of residential and networking technologies at Allied Business

Intelligence Inc, a research firm in Oyster Bay, NY.

HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc is a non-profit corporation established to

provide a forum for the creation of open specification for home powerline

networking products and services. It also aims to create and accelerate demand

for these products and services through the sponsorship of market and

user-education programs.

The HomePlug Technology will deliver Internet and multimedia from every home

power outlet and enable the connected home through worldwide home powerline

networking standards.

The standards will ensure the availability of cost-effective, interoperable

home powerline networks and products.

HomePlug’s final networking technology specification will provide a strong,

simple-to-use, 14Mbps powerline networking that will support a range of products

for gaming, consumer electronics, voice telephony and PC markets.

Plugging the homes



Powerlines are currently the most pervasive home-networking medium, allowing the
use of multiple power outlets in every room at a lower cost per connection

point. The powerline network is also a power source. Additionally, the

convenience of connecting any device through a power outlet will allow complete

portability for networked products.

The concept of using powerlines for communication has been theorized since

1960s but it had to overcome many difficulties before becoming a reality today.

Past challenges of using residential powerlines as network media include a

lack of open industry specifications and multiple sources of electric noise. The

HomePlug technology will overcome these challenges by employing advanced,

optimized algorithms in semiconductor technologies.

The technology is now becoming very attractive because of exploding Internet

usage, increasing broadband penetration, and the development of new Internet

devices and smart appliances. This in turn is driving the standardization of

home networking and the growing number of multiple-PC homes and small

businesses.

It’s difficult and costly to install new wiring in millions of existing

homes. But every home has electrical wiring. Alberto Mantovani, President of

HomePlug Powerline Alliance, says it makes sense to turn the socket into a data

port. "You have to be connected," said Mantovani. "Why not get

access to the Internet and the home network through that connection?"

The technology for tomorrow



HomePlug technology specifications support file transfers at 14 Mbps
(10BaseT-like) data rates with either node-to-node file transfer or with

multiple nodes performing simultaneous file transfers. It also supports VoIP

with adequate Quality of Service while supporting multiple simultaneous VoIP

calls.

Interoperability with other networking technologies is also a

very important part of the specifications. The specs also contain strong privacy

features and support multiple logical networks on a single physical medium and

will be applicable to markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

HomePlug evaluated various powerline-networking technologies

through an industry-wide, open and fair evaluation process that incorporated

theoretical analysis, lab testing and field-testing. The criteria included

Ethernet-class speed, clear compatibility, robustness, and ease of

implementation and future scalability.

HomePlug also carried out tests in more than 500 North

American homes, and nearly 10,000 wiring paths throughout US and Canada.

The first products based on the HomePlug Technology with a

single plug for power and connectivity will be consumer electronic and Internet

appliance devices. The initial PC products will need add-on adapters.

A Future HomePlug Network will h ave a Residential Gateway

connected to access networks like DSL, T-1, ISDN, satellite or cable. Internally

the network will cover: PC networking, gaming, IP telephony, consumer

electronics, all connected to the powerline in the home or a small office.

HomePlug is pursuing a frequency division compatibility mode,

in which the HomePlug equipment does not use spectrum needed by access

equipment. The technology is committed to working closely with global standards

bodies to ensure that access and home networking technologies do not interfere

with each other.

The process has begun



Things are heating up in the powerline-network world.

Intellon’s PowerPacket powerline network chipset has been already certified as

HomePlug 1.0-compliant and Cogency Semiconductor announced Piranha, a HomePlug-compliant

chipset to compete against Intellon’s. A third silicon manufacturer, Conexant,

is licensing Intellon’s technology for its chipset.

Intellon, the company whose technology provided the powerline

standard in the first place, claimed that it has solved one of the system’s

most prevalent problems of electrical interference from other appliances.

The company said its "PowerPacket" product

integrates circuits and turns homes into 14 Mbps data networks, where two or

more users can simultaneously share an Internet account, play games or share

files and printers.

PowerPacket employs a spectrum-efficient modulation technique

that enables powerline transmission at very high data rates. The technology

paves the way for such products as Internet jukeboxes and interactive games and

entertainment programs shared through multiple connections to the Internet.

The HomePlug Technology is, however, intimidated by the

success of 802.11b wireless in the US home and business markets. In the Indian

markets, the HomePlug Technology may get a lead because of stringent government

regulations about the wireless technology. Of course, even the HomePlug

Technology is new to India and one does not know what kind of powerline emission

regulations may govern the use of this technology.

Ashok Dongre can be contacted via e-mail at dongre@usa.net