Low Frequency Narrowband PLC for Neighborhood Area Networks

1. Low Frequency Narrowband PLC for Neighborhood Area Networks Shakti Prasad Shenoy, Ph. D Architect, Smart Home and Energy NXP Semiconductors India, Bangalore

2. Presentation Outline • Communication and Networking Requirements for Automatic Metering Networks (AMN) • Narrowband Power Line Communications (NB-PLC) for AMN • NXPs PLC solution NPC1100

3. Communication Challenges Unique to AMN • Quality of Service (QoS) requirements and load patterns significantly different from typical mobile voice/data network • Network planning and optimization important. • Need for Self Organizing Network supporting communications route discovery, connection establishment and maintenance to provide the performance guarantees required by metering applications. • Protection of metered data against unauthorized access a key requirement for both consumers and utilities • Non-repudiation: Provides proof of the integrity and origin of data. An authentication that can be asserted as genuine with high degree of certainty • Comprehensive specification of AMI security requirements in “AMI System Security Requirements. Technical Report, AMI-SEC TF, OpenSG, December 2008”

4. Network Requirements for AMN • Related concept: Types of data • Various data-time combinations • Device need not send all data that it has logged. Utilities will require additional data only from time to time for forecasting and/or analysis • Data logged and its (large) size useful only for analysis. Outage, failure chain, event timings etc • Aperiodic, highly useful, bulk data transfer. Need to account this • Do you want ACKS for all your messages • Emerging security standards require security level that adds to data traffic on network • Standards like ZigBee have message traffic which is more than 75% security overhead • Network reuse • Reuse network for DR or Direct Load Control ?

5. Approach to set up AMN • Clear objectives. Decide on what do you want to achieve with the AMN • Set measurement metrics pre/post deployment • Use case driven analysis • Identify/Research use cases • Derive quantifiable technical requirements like network capacity, reliability and coverage • Account for future requirements • Objective evaluation of communication technologies • Phased rollout • Business reasons • You will never get it first time right. Live with it! • Interoperability is a time consuming/iterative process even when meticulously planned. Know it and account for it

6. Typical Smart Metering Use Cases • Multi-interval reading: Meter reading frequency configured by utility • Each interval data consists of sub-units of finer time readings • Downstream: Command approx 25 bytes • Upstream: Periodic reports approx 2.5k bytes • On demand reading: Meter expected to send reading in < 5 sec on command from utility • Downstream: Command approx 25 bytes • Upstream: Meter data approx 100 bytes • Firmware upgrade • More during initial network setup and then 1 or 2 updates a year • Downstream: Upgrade anywhere between 0.5K to 2M bytes • Upstream: ACK and associated data upto 100 bytes Data source: SG Network Requirement Specifications V5.1, Open SG

7. Requirements Based on Example Use Cases • Multi-interval reading • Measurement Interval: approx 5 per day • Message Latency: max 4hrs • Reliability: min 98% • On-demand reading • Measurement Interval: 25 per 1000 meters per day • Message Latency: max 5 sec • Reliability: min 98% • Real time pricing • Measurement Interval: 60 per 1000 meters per day each for Real-time pricing, Critical Peak Pricing and Time of Use • Message Latency: max 5 sec • Reliability: min 98% Data source: SG Network Requirement Specifications V5.1, Open SG

8. Derived Network Requirements • Assuming urban device density of 2000 meters/km2 and rural device density of 10 meters/km2 • Example data capacity requirement for metering around 7.2 Mb/hr per 1000 meters • The network should support message latency of 3 seconds for smart meter operations • Message delivery reliability as low as 98% should be supported • Security overheads and requirements extra

9. Power line communications (PLC) • Key drivers for PLC • Deploymentcosts comparable to wireless • High connectivity and extensive coverage • Scalability: Simply add another PLC transceiver • Reliability through redundant communication channel • Ultra-Narrow Band (UNB): 0.3-3 kHz • Very low data rate (about 100 bps) • Large operational range (150km or more) • Mature technology but usually proprietary • Narrow-Band (NB): 3-500kHz • Single carrier: Home and building automation (low data rate) • OFDM based: NAN and Home automation. Data rates close to 1 Mbps • Broadband (BB): 1.8-250MHz • Data rates of several Mbps Source: S. Galli, A. Scaglione, and Z. Wang, “For the grid and through the grid: The role of power line communications in the smart grid,” Proc. IEEE, vol. 99, no. 6, pp. 998–1027, 2011

10. Worldwide NB-PLC Bands • EU: CENELEC [3-148.5 kHz] over LV in Europe • A band: 3-95 kHz, reserved to power utilities. • B band: 95-125 kHz, any application. • C band: 125-140 kHz, in home networking systems • Regulated. Mandatory CSMA/CA protocol • D band: 140-148,5 kHz, alarm and security systems. • USA: FCC [10-490 kHz] for general supervision for an electric public utility • Japan: ARIB [10-450 kHz] • China: CEPRI [3-500 kHz] • India: [?] ISGF has a role to play

11. Major Drivers for OFDM based NB-PLC • Optimized for Smart Grid and home automation • Addresses both access (LV/MV lines) and in-home applications • More robust to channel impairments and noise • No antennas required • Communication possible in extremely hostile environment where other access technologies may fail • Metal shielded cases • Underground installations • No requirement of GIS • Side steps the issue of health concerns that may be faced by wireless technologies

12. PLC Performance w.r.t Use Cases • Data rates supported • Tens to several 100 Kbps • Message delivery latency • < 1 s • Coverage • Order of kms • Data rate dependent on distance • Can be solved using relays/repeaters • Reliability • Depends on the power line on which it is installed

13. Standardization of OFDM Based NB-PLC • Initial drive by industry alliances • G3-PLC Aliances (ERDF, Maxim et. al) • PRIME (Iberdrola et. al) • International Standardization bodies step in • ITU-T G.hnem • IEEE P1901.2 • Active participation by G3-PLC and PRIME Alliance • Coexistence between ITU-T and IEEE standards a key factor • Efforts are on towards coexistence • Details yet to be worked out

14. Data Rates of Various NB-PLC Standards Source: Local Utility Powerline Communications in the 3-500 kHz Band: Channel Impairments, Noise, and Standards. Marcel Nassar et. al, IEEE Sig. Proc. Magazine (to appear)

15. Need for multi-standard solution • Different standards operate under different assumptions on channels • Different channel delay spread assumptions • Different assumptions on powerline noise • Different coding and modulation strategies • Different symbol/frame lengths • Utilities have their own requirements and constraints • Ground realities • Complexity • Cost • Features • Robustness • Different countries opting for different standards • Multi-standard solution retains the benefit of scale

16. NXP focus on Smart Home and Energy • NXP is a global leader in high performance mixed signal semiconductors with a very broad portfolio of product and solutions. • Smart Energy is one of the focus applications of NXP • NXP has a wide coverage of technologies used in smart grids and home/building energy management • NXP is combining technologies from different business units to create innovative solutions for the smart grid • By bringing various technologies to the same process node, NXP is enabling an integration roadmap to improve performance and lower system cost • NXP is a member of ITU-T , IEEE P1901.2, IEEE 802.15, G3 Alliance and PRIME and ZigBee Alliance NXP Bangalore is a major R&D center for its Smart Home and Energy Product Line

20. NXP Smart Energy Capability Billing Meters & Gateways Communication • OFDM Multi-standard PLC • 802.15.4 (ZigBee, 6LowPAN, JenNet) • Wireless M-bus • ARM7/9, Cortex M0/M3/M4 MCU’s • Analog Front-End • RTC’s • GreenChip SMPS solutions • Display Drivers • Standard IC’s Non-Billing Metering Smart Grid Security • Energy Metering IC’s • One Chip Wireless Zigbee Meter • Embedded power monitoring for appliance • End-to-end security & authentication Payment • Contact card readers • Contactless card readers • NFC Payment

21. NPC1100 (1/2) • Flexible solution for smart metering • Multi-standard OFDM • PRIME • G3-PLC • ITU-T G.hnem • IEEE P1901.2 • Security/Crypto primitives for Secure Services • Embedded application processor available for customer programming. • Cortex M3 at 128 MHz • M3 can run both the PLC stack as well as application program • External Flash for application program and firmware • IC will be delivered including PLC protocol stack

22. NPC1100 (2/2) • Flexible OFDM engine • Data rates up to 1 Mbps • Regulation compliant: CENELEC/FCC • Freely configurable bandplans • On-chip Analog Front End • 123 dB input dynamic range • 60-70 dB output dynamic range • Real Time Clock • Multiple standards via firmware

23. Functional Blocks of NPC1100 • 128 MHz Cortex M3 • ~50% for MAC layer • Interfacing • UART, I2C • External SDRAM • GPIO Designed for power efficiency • Security • AES • Key management

24. Meter Application L1 L2 L3 N Meter Chip EEPROM Metrology frontend LCD NPC1100 400V

25. Low-Cost SE1.x IPD Reference Design Available • Standard Plastics and LCD • Custom PCB design • Daughter boardfor antenna and switches • Shows • Display kW, Cost, Time,Temperature • kWh and CO2

26. Load Control Device – Smart Plug Available • The Load Control Device uses the following Clusters to implement an Smart Plug: - • Key Establishment - Client & Server • DR / Load Control - Client • Price - Client • Time - Client • The Load Control and Demand Response device supports following features: • Remote device turn-off to protect the grid from overload • On/Off based on pricing information from the utility • Load Control Opt-In / Opt-Out support • Energy consumption measurement

27. ZigBee SE 1.x Load Control and Non-billing Metering Available • ZigBee Smart Plug Application Note: • EM773 Metrology S/W and H/W integrated to JN5148 • JN5148 Module replaced with JN5148 chip with 20dBm output • USB transceiver with LPC1343 and JN5148 ZigBee SE1.x USB Adapter ZigBee SE1.xCommunication Single ChipIntegration! JN5148

28. Contact NXP For more information, please feel free to contact Janakiram Annam (janakiram.anna@nxp.com) Director of Engineering Product Line Smart Home & Energy Stefan De Troch (stefan.de.troch@nxp.com) Director, International Product  Marketing Manager Smart Energy Product Line Smart Home & Energy

29. Questions?

30. Backup slides

31. Network Requirements for AMN • Network topologies and architecture • What aligns best with grid topology and requirements? Star, Tree, Hybrid, Mesh? • Scalability • Network entry and provisioning. (Has security implications as well) • Does device replacement lead to reconfiguration? Time required, effect on AMN • Communication functionalities of device types. • Meters/Leaf nodes, Routers, Concentrators, Aggregators • Data latencies revisited. Questions to ask • What is the end-to-end data latency requirement from WAN to AMN? • How asymmetric are data latencies for downstream/upstream traffic? • Once you have data, then what? Act! Latency on these actions impacted by traffic level on communications network. • Need to give operators timely data and time for them to act on it. Analyze who needs what, when, and how much time to act/decide

32. Security/Crypto unit • AES 128/192/256 bits encoding/decoding • Key management system • OTP: 256 bits • MAC address • Unique keys (availability TBD)

33. Software architecture NPC1100 Application Layer Typical software architecture Communication stack MAC Layer PHY Layer

34. Software architecture NPC1100 Application Layer Cortex M3 core: library MAC Layer PHY Layer Closed DSP core: firmware

35. Software architecture NPC1100 Customer writes software on ARM cortex M3 using proven ARM development environment Application Layer Cortex M3 core: library MAC Layer PHY Layer Closed DSP core: firmware Library and firmware are paired per PLC standard

36. Software deliveries • SDK • Microkernel: nuttX: 5.19 • Delivered tools/libraries with reference kit: • Libraries for the PLC stack on the Arm Cortex M3 • Firmware for download onto the NPC1100 hardware • Diagnostics application on top of the PLC stack • Example application to build a small PLC network in a lab • Other: • Documentation about API • Application notes, white paper, system guidelines

37. Reference kit • Dedicated application board with NPC1100 • Functionality: • Example application to setup communication in a small electricity network • Single or three phase electricity connection • Two kind of nodes: • Network management node (limited functionality) • Network leaf node (functionality with full PLC protocol) • Communication to application board • UART • Ethernet

38. NXP’s Supported ZigBee Profiles Overview • ZigBee Smart Energy • Devices are directly connected to a Smart Grid • Networks are utility managed, but may be customer property • Ideal suitable for Smart metering solutions, Data Concentrators & any metering measurements • ZigBee Home Automation • Broad range of devices for consumer homes defined • Commissioning a bit complex for non-technical consumers • Ideal for Smart Homes controlling door locks, Security, HVAC, etc.. • ZigBee Light Link • Profile defined to support lighting only – ease of use and installation has been the focus • It is not designed for professional installation throughout a building • Ideal for residential & industrial wireless lighting infrastructure solutions • ZigBee RF4CE • RF for Consumer Electronics • Small stack size and focussed on AV industry – it is all about low cost • Ideal for Setup-Box, RF based Universal remote controls & Virtual Remotes through iOS / Andriod apps

39. NXP’s ZigBee Solutions LPC17xx JN5161 Host JN5168 JN6168

40. Home Energy Application Note JN-AN-1135 Available • Smart Energy Profile In Premise display application note. The Evaluation kit sensor board is the SE Metering Device, and the Controller Board is the IPD The Application note uses the following Clusters to implement the Home Energy Monitor Key Establishment Simple Metering Price Time

41. Energy Monitoring Screen Available Time Cluster to synchronise time with meter Battery Level Indicator using JN5148 on-chip battery monitor Power bar shows instant energy consumption Instant energy consumption and current tariff Signal Strength Indication Mode button allows user to toggle Between KwH, Price and CO2 Configuration Info Consumption History Pricing Information

42. Price & History Screens Available • Price Screen • Price is unit price in the selected currency (Set Up Menu) • Start Time and Duration • H, M and L is the Pricing Tier High Medium and Low • History Screen • Displays daily historical data • Details energy consumed per pricing tier