Investigation of equalization techniques for broadband power-line communication

Abstract

Recently it has been proposed that power-lines can be used to increase accessibility of broadband communication services in developing countries like Tanzania. However power-line network is affected by stochastic channel changes due to load connection and disconnection, branched line lengths, branches etc. This impairment affects the real implementation of Broadband Power-line Communication (BPLC) system. It has been proposed that adaptive equalization techniques are required to overcome such channel changes. The objective of this dissertation therefore is to investigate appropriate equalization techniques to overcome the effects of stochastic changes in power-line network. Consequently, in this dissertation work, available power-line channel models are studied and appropriate model is selected. By using the selected model, channel impulse responses are obtained. Different equalization techniques are studied, simulations and investigation are carried out for each equalizer and the appropriate equalization technique for BPLC is then selected. However in this dissertation three equalizers were tested and results compared to obtain best equalizer. The simulation was based on scatter diagrams and probability of error. Analysis has shown that ADFE performs best for BPLC compared to ALE and blind equalizers.