Single frequency network technology for fast ad hoc communication networks over power lines

The growing use of alternative energies (solar, wind) requires new concepts for energy management. Smart grids with communication capabilities are necessary to integrate the consumer and other parts into the regulation to ensure the required balance between generation and consumption. The energy distribution network is a communication medium heavily impacted by interferences and dynamic changes. Therefore not all communication nodes can communicate among each other on a direct way, which makes necessary the deployment of repeaters with dynamic routing or even ad hoc network functionality. The single frequency network (SFN) based flooding approach allows a very simple and promising repeater concept, with a very fast ad hoc networking possibility in combination with a high routing efficiency. This book analyses the physical layer of a high speed narrow band communication system on the requirements of single frequency networks. A structure for the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer is motivated and a centrally organized master / slave system with flooding approach is investigated more intensive and compared with a routing based system. Thereby, for both systems performance bounds as well as an implemented solution are considered.