Virtual Power-Line Communications Laboratory for Technology Development and Research

Power-Line Communication (PLC) consists in transmitting communications signals through the power line. The electricity network is a complex communication medium with properties that depend on the topology of the grid and on the usage pattern of the connected devices. Not only the variable disturbances of the communication channel, but also the market requirements for continuous evolution, enforce extensive laboratory testing for technology improvement. A typical laboratory setup for PLC technology testing involves several analogue elements, and requires long and expensive testing tasks. This article demonstrates how these procedures can greatly benefit from the virtualization concept to increase the testing speed and repeatability, and to reduce the operation and maintenance costs.