Working Group on Power Line Communications

PROJECT TYPE: I+D+i Projects Research Challenges

PROJECT REFERENCE: PID2019-109842RB-I00

AREA: Information and Communication Technologies

PROJECT TITLE: FASTer power LINE communications for last-meter access networks (FASTLINE) - Comunicaciones de alta velocidad por redes eléctricas para el tramo final de las redes de acceso

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:

• Francisco Javier Cañete Corripio

• José Antonio Cortés Arrabal

ORGANISATION: UNIVERSITY OF MÁLAGA

ESTABLISHMENT: TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING SCHOOL

• Luis Díez del Río: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• José Francisco París Ángel: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• Eduardo Martos Naya: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• José T. Entrambasaguas Muñoz: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• Jesús López Fernández: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• Unai Fernández Plazaola: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• M. Carmen Aguayo Torres: Profesora Universidad de Málaga

• Gerardo Gómez Paredes: Profesor Universidad de Málaga

• Celia García Corrales: Profesora Universidad de Málaga

• F. Javier López Martínez: Profesor Universidad de Granada

• Jorge Molina Cano: Técnico Universidad de Málaga

• Irene Povedano Herrera: Contratada proyecto Universidad de Málaga

• Javier Giménez de la Cuesta: Becario FPU Universidad de Málaga

• Lutz Lampe: Professor University of British Columbia

• David Morales Jiménez: Profesor Universidad de Granada

• Gautham Prasad: formerly post-doc University of British Columbia

1. Design of IBFD PLC systems for modems and repeaters

2. Design of upgrading MIMO PLC systems

3. Design of computationally efficient spectral confinement techniques for OFDM signals and spectral sensing strategies for IBFD PLC systems

4. Design of statistical models of PLC channels and apply communication theory analysis to PLC networks

5. Design of improve contention-based MAC schemes for IBFD PLC systems and design centralised strategies for access networks

1. Design of an electrical network channel simulator for IBFD MIMO PLC systems

2. Design of spectral shaping techniques for OFDM signals

3. Statistical analysis of PLC channel response and models development

4. Implementation of an ITU-T G.hn compliant physical layer PLC transmission simulator

5. PLC systems performance analysis

6. MIMO noise modelling

7. Design and evaluation of channel equalisation techniques for PLC systems

8. Realisation of a simulator of a MAC layer PLC communication system according to the ITU-T G.hn standard

The evolution of fixed and mobile communications networks has reactivated the issue of the cost of the last mile of the network. Examples include the deployment of small cells in 4G and 5G or the use of wired links to connect multiple WiFi access points to improve indoor coverage.

Broadband Power Line Communications (PLC) has reached a significant level of maturity. However, many of its techniques have been adopted from radio systems and do not take advantage of the channel's characteristics. This project has succeeded in improving the following aspects of these systems for their use as a last-mile technology:

1. IBFD (In-Band Full Duplex) PLC system design. A simulator of indoor and outdoor PLC network configurations using IBFD MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) systems has beenn developed and a statistical analysis of their performance was performed.

2. Spectral confinement techniques for OFDM signals. The following four contributions have been made that go beyond what was initially proposed: two spectral shaping techniques that adapt to dynamic changes in the emission mask with reduced computational cost; a modification of the OFDM signal that reduces by half the implementation cost of many existing techniques; a shaping technique that offers a significant improvement in performance at the cost of a slight increase in complexity.

3. Statistical PLC channel models. A statistical SISO (single-input single-output) channel model has been developed that represents the channel characteristics more faithfully than existing ones, and its extension to the MIMO case is being completed for publication. In addition, a contribution was made to the multiple echo model commonly used in PLCs.

4. Performance analysis in PLC networks. Two results have been obtained: a framework combining measurements and models has been developed to study PLC systems as a last-mile technology for small cells, and a statistical analysis has been performed to determine the scenarios in which PLCs are appropriate; and channel estimation techniques have been proposed with very similar performance to LMMSE, but with much lower computational cost.

5. Periodic impulsive noise analysis. An automatic impulsive noise component identification algorithm based on machine learning has been developed, the results of which can be used to predict and improve the performance of PLC systems.

6. Contention MAC techniques for PLC. A MAC layer simulator for PLCs has been developed according to the ITU-T G.hn standard.

Journals

[1] J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, M. Toril, E. Martos-Naya, J. Poncela, L. Díez and A. García, “Feasibility Study of Power Line Communications for Backhauling Outdoor Small Cells”, IEEE Access, Feb 2021. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3059418.

[2] J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, L. Díez, “Channel Estimation for OFDM-based Indoor Broadband Power Line Communication Systems”, Journal of Communications and Networks, March 2023, doi:10.23919/JCN.2022.000056.

[3] J. Gimenez, J.A. Cortés, L. Díez, “Low-Complexity Spectral Shaping Method for Cognitive OFDM Systems”, IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 71, pp. 2351-2363, Apr 2023. doi: 10.1109/TCOMM.2023.3244937

[4] F.J. Cañete, G. Prasad, L. Lampe, “In-Band Full-Duplex MIMO PLC Systems for Relaying Networks”, Digital Communications and Networks, Elsevier, May 2023, doi:10.1016/j.dcan.2023.05.005.

[5] J. Giménez, J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, E. Martos-Naya, L. Díez, “A slight modification of the OFDM signal that halves the complexity of spectral shaping techniques”, en preparación para su envío a IEEE Communications Letters, March 2024.

[6] J. Giménez, J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, E. Martos-Naya, L. Díez, “Memory-based Spectral Shaping Method for OFDM Signals”, en preparación para su envío a IEEE Communications Letters, March 2024.

[7] J. Giménez, J.A. Cortés and L. Díez, “A computationally simple OFDM spectral shaping technique for cognitive scenarios”, en preparación para su envío al Sensors Journal, April, 2024.

[8] I. Povedano, A. Pittolo, J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, A. Tonello, “Statistical Analysis of the Multipath Propagation Model for PLC”, en preparación para su envío a IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, March 2024.

[9] I. Povedano, J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, L. Díez “A Statistical Model for MIMO Power Line Communications Channels”, en preparación para su envío a IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, 2024.

[10] C. Torres-Montijano, J.A. Cortés, E. Martos-Naya, J.F. Paris, L. Díez “A Machine Learning algorithm for periodical source separation with application to impulsive PLC noise”, en preparación para su envío al Sensors Journal, 2024.

Other journals with applications of project results

[11] F. J. Martín-Vega, F. R. Ghadi, F. J. López-Martínez and G. Gómez, “A Physical Layer Multicast Precoding and Grouping Scheme for Bandwidth Minimization”, in IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 149137-149152, 2021, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3124871.

[12] L.M. Torres, F.J. Cañete and L. Díez, “Matched Filtering for MIMO Coherent Optical Communications with Mode-Dependent Loss Channels”, Sensors 2022, 22, 798, doi:10.3390/s220307982022.

[13] L.M. Torres, F.J. Cañete and L. Díez, “BER Analysis of an Optimum MIMO Linear Receiver in Optical SDM Systems with Mode-Dependent Loss”, Optics Express, Sep 2023, doi:10.1364/OE.487066.

[14] L.M. Torres, F.J. Cañete and L. Díez, “Post-FEC Performance Evaluation of Optical SDM Systems with Mode-dependent Loss”, Optics Letters, Nov 2023, doi: 10.1364/OL.502544.

International Conferences

[A] F. J. Cañete, G. Prasad and L. Lampe, “PLC Networks with In-Band Full-Duplex Relays, ”IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC)", 2020, doi: 10.1109/ISPLC48789.2020.9115410.

[B] J. Giménez, J. A. Cortés, A. Sanz and L. Díez, “Sampling Frequency Error Estimators for PRIME v1.4 systems, ”IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC)", 2020, doi: 10.1109/ISPLC48789.2020.9115395.

[C] J. Gimenez, J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete, E. Martos-Naya, L. Díez, “Low-Complexity Spectral Shaping Method for OFDM Signals with Dynamic Transmission Band Location”, IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2021.

[D] F. J. Cañete, G. Prasad and L. Lampe, “MIMO In-Band Full-Duplex indoor PLC Systems for Relaying Networks”, IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2021.

[E] J. Gimenez, J.A. Cortés, L. Díez, “A Low-Complexity Spectral Shaping Method for OFDM Signals with Dynamically Defined Emission Mask: Optimization Procedure”, Workshop on Power Line Communications and its Applications (WSPLC), 2023.

[F] I. Povedano, F. Crespo, F. J. Cañete, J.A. Cortés, Luis Díez, “A Statistical Model for Indoor SISO PLC Channels”, IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2023, doi: 10.1109/ISPLC57122.2023.10104183

[G] J.A. Cortés, “Twenty-five years of PLC channel modelling”, IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2023

[H] I. Povedano, J.A. Cortés, L. Díez, “On the relation between the phase and amplitude response of indoor PLC channels”, en preparación para su envío al IEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids (SmartGridComm), 2024.

Doctoral theses directly related to the project

[I] J. Giménez, “Spectral Shaping Method for OFDM Signals”, in Universidad de Málaga (in progress), directed by J.A. Cortés, L. Díez.

[II] I. Povedano, “Modelos estadísticos de canal para Power Line Communications”, in Universidad de Málaga (in progress), directed by J.A. Cortés, F.J. Cañete.

[III] L. M. Torres Cantón, “MIMO Linear Receivers for SDM Optical Communications through Channels with Mode-Dependant Losses”, in Universidad de Málaga (already accepted, to be considered in March 2024), directed by F.J. Cañete, L. Díez.

[IV] J. Corchado, “MIMO Channels for PLC”, in Universidad de Málaga (already accepted, to be considered in March 2024), directed by J.A. Cortés, L. Díez.