Powerline Communications

The HFCPN Conditioning Unit

The Conditioning Unit (CU) for the Digital PowerLine Network is placed near the electric meter at each customer’s home. The CU uses band pass filters to segregate the electricity and data signals, which facilitate the link between a customers premise and an electricity substation.

The CU contains three coupling ports. The device receives aggregate input from its Network Port (NP). This aggregate input passes through a high pass filter. Filtering allows data signals to pass to a Communications Distribution Port (CDP) and a low pass filter sends electric signals to the Electricity Distribution Port (EDP).

The 50 Hz signal flows from the low pass filter, out of the EDP and to the electricity meter. The low pass filter also serves to attenuate extraneous noise generated by electrical appliances at the customer premises. Left unconditioned, the aggregation of this extraneous noise from multiple homes would cause significant distortion in the network.

The high pass filter facilitates two way data traffic to and from the customer premise. Data signals flow through the CDP to the customer’s service unit via standard coaxial cable.