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| EMagazine Volume 6 Issue 2 Apr/May 2001 |
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Toys Interview - April 2001 - [Home Page] |
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HomeToys Interview -
Horst G. Sandfort |
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 PowerPacket was selected
by the HomePlug Alliance as the
baseline technology for its forthcoming industry standard after an
extensive evaluation of all available powerline technologies. This
evaluation included theoretical analysis, laboratory testing and field
testing to determine which technology best met the rigid market
requirements defined by HomePlug. Included in the requirements was a
minimum throughput speed of 10 Mbps, scalability to higher speeds,
digital encryption security, compatibility with existing technologies
and ease of installation. |
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1. What networking issues are unique to powerline-based networks?
Powerline-based networks are not much different from other networking technologies, and with one exception, powerline networks face the same issues that phoneline, wireless and Ethernet networks face. That one exception is simply this - a home's electrical lines are one of the most unstable and unpredictable environments for data networking.
This exception has plagued powerline technology developers from the start and was a mitigating factor in the promising, yet commercially unsuccessful, efforts of earlier companies. A home's electrical wires are one of the harshest environments in which to deploy a networking solution. They are always in a state of flux and can, quite literally, change at the flip of a switch.
All things considered, overcoming and compensating for the dynamic nature of the powerline environment was one of our chief goals in developing PowerPacket™ - a goal that we have met.
2. What is PowerPacket, and why was it selected as the baseline technology for the HomePlug Powerline Alliance's forthcoming standard?
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PowerPacket was selected by the HomePlug Alliance as the baseline technology for its forthcoming industry standard after an extensive evaluation of all available powerline technologies. This evaluation included theoretical analysis, laboratory testing and field testing to determine which technology best met the rigid market requirements defined by HomePlug. Included in the requirements was a minimum throughput speed of 10 Mbps, scalability to higher speeds, digital encryption security, compatibility with existing technologies and ease of installation.
3. How has Intellon's PowerPacket networking technology overcome the problems and limitations associated with past powerline technologies?
One of the biggest obstacles early entrants into powerline networking encountered was throughput speeds - or more specifically, a lack thereof. Previous attempts were limited to speeds less than 1 Mbps, which can be directly attributed to the volatile environment found within a powerline.
We've countered that by employing a spectrum-efficient modulation technique that combines OFDM signal processing with forward error correction to enable data transmission at very high speeds - surpassing 100 Mbps in theory. Basically, the PowerPacket signal operates in a frequency band between 4 MHz and 21 MHz on the powerline, which instantly changes whenever line "noise" (interference) is encountered. This "rate adaptive" design fundamental allows PowerPacket to maintain an Ethernet-class connection without losing any data.
4. What is the speed of the current generation PowerPacket network? Will that increase soon?
The latest generation of PowerPacket technology is rated at 14 Mbps, which is faster than existing phoneline and wireless solutions. However, as Internet-based content (i.e.: streaming audio and video) and broadband access become more commonplace, those requirements will increase as well. We have anticipated the need for higher throughput and are working on speeds in excess of 100 Mbps.
5. How does the existing electrical installation quality effect the performance of PowerPacket? Are there special wiring requirements ... i.e. a neutral wire?
PowerPacket does not require any special wiring requirements, which makes it an ideal solution for those looking to add network capabilities to a turn-of-the-century home or a home of the future.
Naturally, there are differences in line quality from one house to the next. We have anticipated these discrepancies and designed PowerPacket to compensate for a lower-quality line in much the same way as regular line noise. The overall effect on throughput speeds should be undetectable by the consumer.
6. How do powerline-based networks compare to other technologies, like HomePNA and 802.11b? In terms of cost-effectiveness?
The chief difference of powerline-based networks is the ease-of-use and accessibility for both consumers in the United States and overseas. Intellon has conducted extensive field testing in homes throughout the United States, Europe and Japan and found that PowerPacket consistently delivers the anticipated data rate - regardless of how the home is wired, its age, its size or the powerline voltage level.
On an international level, this ubiquity gives powerline an edge over other technologies - particularly phoneline. Most homes in the U.S. average around 3 phone jacks, and adding additional phone jacks can be both time-consuming and expensive. In Europe and overseas, most homes are limited to just one phone jack. However, it is common to find at least two, if not more, power outlets per room, thereby making powerline-based networks one of the easiest and most convenient to install.
Powerline networks also do not require RF conversion hardware devices, unlike their wireless counterparts. This leads to a lower overall system implementation cost for the consumer.
Dollar for dollar, powerline networks have - due to their design - the lowest 'per-node' cost of any existing networking option available.
7. How will PowerPacket integrate with the other home networking and home automation technologies (i.e.: HomePNA, wireless, X-10)? Can other powerline technologies co-exist with PowerPacket?
PowerPacket is designed to seamlessly coexist with existing home networking technology, including HomePNA, 802.11b and HomeRF. It is also designed to work with older home automation powerline technologies like X-10 and CEBus.
PowerPacket may or may not work with non-HomePlug-compliant powerline devices, depending on the technology. Still, a non-HomePlug-compliant solution will not interfere with PowerPacket's operation. Instead, PowerPacket will treat the solution as noise and operate normally.
The built-in support of both today's networking technologies as well as existing home automation standards makes PowerPacket-based networks the ideal choice for serving as the backbone of the connected home. We are not anticipating PowerPacket to supplant existing networks within the home, but we do foresee consumers turning to PowerPacket-based solutions to tie together their wireless and phoneline-based devices.
8. What types of PowerPacket-enabled products will be appearing this year?
Among the first PowerPacket-enabled solutions are expected to be wall adapters from Phonex Broadband, PC adapters from SONICblue, and cable modems from Motorola. These will help facilitate broadband access sharing, file and peripheral sharing, and multiplayer gaming via the home's electrical wires.
9. How will consumers benefit from PowerPacket-enabled products?
Again, the ease-of-use is key: PowerPacket does not require any additional wiring. Consumers can create their own local networks within their homes by just plugging their devices into an electrical outlet. As powerline gains acceptance, consumers will begin to see devices and appliances with the PowerPacket chip already built-in.
10. What do you think will be the "Killer Application" for Home Powerline Networking?
The initial killer applications will focus on sharing broadband Internet access within the home, as well as facilitating streaming audio from room-to-room. As broadband content providers mature and the technology develops, we'll begin seeing new applications that will take advantage of the increased capabilities, including multimedia streaming (i.e.: video on-demand) and Internet telephony.
About Horst G. Sandfort
Horst G. Sandfort is president and CEO of Intellon Corporation. He has more than 30 years experience in applying new and innovative semiconductor technology to leading-edge consumer electronic products. Prior to Intellon, Sandfort held various management positions with Zycad Corporation, LSI Logic Corporation, Schlumberger, Fairchild, Litronix and Texas Instruments.
Intellon Corporation
5100 West Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala, FL 34482
Phone: 352-237-7416 Fax: 352-237-7616
www.intellon.com
