PLC Channel Selection Schemes for OFDM-based NB-PLC Systems

Narrow-band (NB) power line communication (PLC) is a key technology for supporting different smart grid applications. It uses the existing power-grid infrastructure to provide cost-efficient data transmissions between the different nodes of an electrical grid. However, channel attenuation and high unpredictable noise levels may degrade the performance of the NB-PLC systems. The impact of these two impairments on PLC systems can be reduced by using an efficient and dynamic channel selection scheme. In this paper, we propose two PLC channel selection schemes: a single-channel based scheme (SCS), and a multi-channel based scheme (MCS). They are based on the up-link and the down-link signal-to-noise ratios, and the successful transmission probabilities (STP) between the different nodes in the considered network. The first scheme involves selecting the best single channel for the entire network that offers the maximum number of connected nodes. The second scheme works under the assumption that different channels can be used for each link. Field measurements-based simulations are used to evaluate the proposed schemes.