Very confused about powerline communication - Let's discuss

[2Wires]

Hello,
I have been searching the internet for several days to collect data about Powerline Communication.
I was inspired by an article in a magazine which described a power mode using the ST7537.
I wanted to build some small devices to control power plugs or other things. I also thought about transmitting some pc signals like audio or usb.
But my first target is to control sth over powerline.

Now I found hardware like PLM-24, Intellon, Maxim 2988 and so on. But most of them I couldn't find to buy.
Then I read on and found out about the different protocols. LON, SNAP, X10 and more.

Now I wanna find a conclusion which would be the best hardware and which the best protocol.
As I found out, I can drive X10, SNAP and LON on the same system based on ST7537 or ST7538 or ST7537HS1 (PLM-24).

I am not too much experienced with electronics or assembler programming. So I want to use a system which has just a few wires to solder and a protocol which already has a good, open source implementation.
The microcontroller for controlling my applications should be programmable in C of course with Freeware tools and easy to operate. Like incircuit debugger and so on

So please help me bringing light into to the dark

 

[klystron]

Re: Very confused about powerline communication - Let's disc

Take a look at www.nsine.com

 

[2Wires]

Re: Very confused about powerline communication - Let's disc

Hi,
thanks for your reply.
But I cannot find the nsine chip to buy. Also the Maxim 2988 I couldn't find to purchase.

 

[nachus001]

Re: Very confused about powerline communication - Let's disc

Hi 2wires:

The question is whath kind of things you wannadoo. If you want to control and monitor appliances, the ST7537 is the best choice cuzz it´s is a proven good and stable chi for pwrline comms, relatively cheap and useful over noisy lines.
Now, if you want to transmit something as voice or multimedia there are two possibilities.

a) use an add on circuit only for voice and gather the audio from powerline upon a command sent by host to st7537 system. You will end with a two carrier system, one for the ST and other for audio (one audio conection at once or a "broadcast mode" (all sistems blabbing something at once) for audio you can use the inexpensive LM567 or LMC567 better

This sistem is only usable for AUDIO only

b) If you want multimedia (audio video full duplex) you´ll have to switch to a kind of ADSL technologies such as drivers and modems, but this means a significant effort economical as well as technical.
To begin with I recomend to read a bit on this here:

**broken link removed**

very interesting use of adsl driver chips

Well, I hope you find this usefull
Cheers
Nachus