HomePlug AV2: Next-Generation Broadband over Power Line

International audienceIn January 2012, the HomePlug Alliance published the HomePlug AV2 specification. HomePlug AV2 enables gigabit-class connection speeds by leveraging the existing power line wires while remaining fully interoperable with other technologies for in-home connectivity, such as HomePlug AV, HomePlug Green PHY and IEEE 1901. In this chapter, we highlight the key differentiating HomePlug AV2 features as compared with the HomePlug AV technology. At the PHY layer, HomePlug AV2 includes the following: multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) signalling with beamforming ; extended frequency band up to 86 MHz ; efficient notching and power back-off to meet EMC regulations ; and EMC-friendly power boost to optimize the transmit power. At the MAC layer, HomePlug AV2 includes the following: power save mode to improve energy efficiency ; short delimiter and delayed acknowledgements to increase the overall transmission efficiency ; and immediate repeating to expand the coverage. All these features improve the quality of service of HomePlug AV2 power line modems by improving coverage and robustness of communication links. The chapter sections provide technical details for all the previously mentioned features. The chapter begins with a brief overview of HomePlug AV technology and a presentation of the overall HomePlug AV2 system architecture. Next sections detail the new PHY and MAC layers. Finally, the performance gain of HomePlug AV2 over HomePlug AV is summarized