Atheros Homeplug Greeen PHY

 April 19, 2011 – San Jose, CA – Atheros had an opportunity for an update on their HomePlug program and their associated HPGP (HomePlug – GreenPHY) programs. These programs are part of the greater “internet of things” direction which, with the support of IPV6, will have many devices ubiquitously connected to a common information plane. To help support the creation of these connected devices, they have released a development kit for their PowerLink products. The GreenPHYan extension of the IEEE 1901 powerline standard,

These devices are sensors, monitors and control systems for smart grid, smart energy, health and wellness, and environmental conditions. The devices feature two way communication, though multiple protocols to establish a connection to the internet. These connections are being controlled and supported, typically by smart phones or other mobile devices as a controller. The connectivity also supports the reporting of service and diagnostic information about the device/sensor or environment being monitored. These mobile controllers feature easy to use and graphic based Uis which simplifies the monitor and control functions.

The IP that is available is based on a common interface for WiFi, Wired connections, Power Line, and both high and low bandwidth connections. The power profile for these devices is currently governed by Energy Star guidelines. The HomePlug GreenPHY program focuses on the use of an Energy Management Net that supports low data rate monitoring. For this space, both wired and wireless connectivity is needed for all homes. As earlier mentioned, NIST is requiring the enablement of these devices with IPV6 protocol, independent of the MAC and PHY being used.

The Atheros PL-14 HPGP development kit is a hardware set centered around their existing HomePlug AV silicon. The kit has been adapted to be the first development system to support serial peripheral interface (SPI) ports which allow for connection to a large number of low power microcontrollers (MCUs), including emulation firmware, software drivers with application programming interfaces (APIs). HomePlug GreenPHY is a subset of the more widely supported HomePlug AV powerline standard. The Green PHY specification enables a low-power, low-energy connectivity solutions and capabilities for the range of GreenPHY technology at signaling rates of 4, 5 and 10 Mbps. for fully scalable IP connectivity.

Part of this transition includes bringing the TV remote to the forefront of the controller environment. As the primary large screen control, the TV remote is shifting to the smartphone for the main multi-device control. The smartphone is the primary forward looking UI and the development kit supports both the creation of the control function and the IP for the connectivity of the connected devices. The new GreenPHY ecosystem is not based around a particular OS or microcontroller, allowing for the largest possible diversity in product development.

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