A Synthetic MIMO PLC Channel Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new synthetic MIMO power line communication channel model that accurately emulates real environments, aiding in the development and testing of PLC standards and devices.

Contribution

It presents a novel top-down MIMO PLC channel model that effectively replicates real-world broadband PLC channels through simulation and measurement comparison.

Findings

Model accurately emulates real PLC channels

Comparison shows good agreement with measurements

Useful for rapid evaluation of PLC standards

Abstract

The huge and increasing demand of data connectivity motivates the development of new and effective power line communication (PLC) channel models, which are able to faithfully describe a real communication scenario. This is of fundamental importance since a good model represents a quick evaluation tool for new standards or devices, allowing a considerable saving in time and costs. The aim of this paper is to discuss a novel top-down MIMO PLC synthetic channel model, able to numerically emulate a real PLC environment. First, the most common channel modeling strategies are briefly described, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. Afterwards, the basic model approach is described considering the SISO scenario. The implementation strategy is then extended to the MIMO case. The validity of the proposed model is proved making a comparison between the simulated channels and channels obtained with measurements in terms of both performance and statistical metrics. The focus is on the broadband frequency spectrum.