High-Speed Powerline Communications for Home Networking Demonstrated as a Component of the CEA's Versatile Home Networking Demonstration

7 Jan 2001

Las Vegas, NV - January 7, 2001 - Adaptive Networks in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today demonstrated its multi-megabit, QoS-supported, powerline communications technology for home networking as part of the Consumer Electronics Association's Versatile Home Networking (VHN) demonstration.

Adaptive Networks, along with Sony, Philips, Leviton, Lexmark, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Samsung, Telcordia, Zayante, Echelon, QP-C, and MetroLink demonstrated for the first time, a true, protocol independent, multiple application home network. For its part, Adaptive Networks contributed the high-speed powerline communications component of the demonstration. Adaptive supported multiple simultaneous streams of audio and video over standard electric powerlines.

Michael Propp, President of Adaptive Networks, said, “We are excited to be able to contribute to and participate in the very first public demonstration that transforms the vision of the networked digital home into a functional, viable system.”

Adaptive's technology provides the speed, home-wide connectivity, and support for QoS required by the digital home network. Multi-megabit speed is required to handle the distribution of broadband around the home to all devices plugged into the powerline and thus into the home network. Home-wide connectivity is essential. Any networked device, wherever in the home that it is “plugged into the network”, must be able to hear and be heard. Support for QoS is mandatory for the home network, as applications such as streaming audio and video, and telephony must have priority over applications such as printer sharing and lighting controls, whose requirements for the network are far less demanding.

Versatile Home Networking (VHN) is a standard for seamlessly connecting all network-capable devices in a home. In the absence of the VHN, the “home network” is actually not a true network in which all resources are shared and share data, but is really a group of unrelated clusters of networked devices. One such cluster is comprised of two PCs sharing a printer. Another cluster is comprised of a DVD player connected to a TV and stereo system. VHN enables these clusters to communicate with each other and thus exist as single, true home network. The demonstration, based on the VHN initiative, is the first of its kind to show a multitude of heretofore unrelated devices not only coexist, but also cooperate with each other in a home network. VHN was initiated by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) and is now managed under the auspices of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Using innovative adaptive wideband signal processing technology and networking protocols, Adaptive's PowerStream™ high-speed powerline networking chip set can reliably transform any electrical outlet in the home into a network interface for consumer electronics, multimedia appliances, and PCs. Adaptive's lower-speed commercial/industrial powerline communications technology, on which the highspeed version is based, was selected by the International Standards Organization as the standard for powerline communications aboard refrigerated container ships for the monitoring of perishable cargo. It has also been selected by the IEC for its standards for automated meter reading. Adaptive's technology is recognized for meeting the strict criteria for reliability and speed of response required by such applications as factory automation and credit card transactions.

Filed: Jan 2001, Demos, Powerline Networking, Press, VOIP, Co: Adaptive, Tech: None