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HomePlug Powerline Alliance Announces Specification Effort for Low-cost Command and Control Technologies (20/3/2005)

The International Alliance Adds to Its Family of Interoperable Standards for All Applications of Powerline Communications

HomePlug(R) Powerline Alliance, Inc., today announced the completion of the first step in a new effort to develop a specification for an advanced command and control technology that will complement the alliance's portfolio of powerline communications technologies.

By using rigorous testing and selection processes, the same processes that bore out the best-in-class technologies which form the basis of the industry-standard HomePlug 1, HomePlug AV, and HomePlug BPL specifications, the alliance has set its sights on developing a specification for very low-cost command and control applications.

The alliance's command and control specification will offer whole-house control of lighting and appliances, allowing them to respond to simple commands such as "turn on" and "turn off" and to report their status to a controller. Recent advances in powerline signaling technology enable interference free connectivity throughout the home while greatly reducing the need for additional aids such as phase couplers and repeaters.

"The command and control market has existed for years," said Radio Shack's Pete Griffin, who is also chairman of HomePlug alliance, "But many solutions cannot achieve the whole-house coverage required by endusers. The HomePlug alliance leads the development of high-speed powerline technologies, so it is natural to apply those processes and knowledge to command and control applications."

The new specification will join the alliance's other industry-standard efforts that use power lines to shuttle HDTV, home theater, and Internet access throughout a home at very high speeds. The command and control specification will co-exist with the higher-speed technologies, but it will be focused on simple and reliable automation and remote control of home appliances. Additional applications of command and control technologies include security and safety monitoring (as well as remote access and control via the internet), device monitoring and status reporting to complement services and maintenance, and energy management and automatic meter reading.

The Market Requirements Document (MRD) is scheduled to be released later this month, with a proposed bakeoff to begin in early April. The alliance's open process allows companies with candidate technologies to submit proposals into a testing and selection process. Once a proponent technology is selected, the HomePlug alliance offers licensing and certification programs that allow multiple vendors to implement the technology, further driving down the cost of its implementation into a wide variety of household products.

Representatives from all parts of the connected home value chain have joined the HomePlug Powerline Alliance to work together and continue to lead the development of powerline communications products. The alliance, through its certification process, and harmonized approach to specification development, ensures that consumer products of all types work together to create a seamless connected environment for end users.

All interested parties are invited to join the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and contribute to the development of its specifications.

www.homeplug.org