Performance estimation and analysis of power line communication using single-ended loop testing

Using the electricity infrastructure for broadband data transmission is known as power line communication (PLC). The quality of broadband connectivity over a power line is a strong function of the line topology. Two-step hybrid single-ended loop testing (SELT) to estimate the open port loop topology of power lines is discussed in this paper. Correlation time domain reflectometry (CTDR) at different sockets is used to construct the initial topology. Optimization-based frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) is employed to ascertain more accurate power line topology. The discussed method has the advantage of reusing the existing DSL modem for the measurement and no prior knowledge is needed for the topology estimation. This method is validated for a wide range of line topologies with different numbers of bridge taps. The performance of the estimated topology is calculated using two-port network theory and the influence of the bridge taps on the performance of the line is analyzed.