Narrowband PLC for LV smart grid services, beyond Smart Metering

This paper studies the possibilities of existing PRIME subnetworks to support new smart grid services, such as telecontrol. Typical telecontrol applications are based on either master-slave or master-master telecom protocols. In both cases, at any given instant, the master of the SCADA system exchanges short messages with a slave (generally the RTU's - Remote Terminal Units). The main requirement focuses on availability, and delays of less than 1 second are acceptable. Two options are assessed for telecontrol applications. In the first option, telecontrol traffic will use PRIME subnetwork as any other device that exists in the subnetwork (such as the smart meters). In the second option, a time slot is reserved for telecontrol traffic.