Power line communication: A review on couplers and channel characterization

Powerline communication is gaining momentum with the rise of the smart grid, the Internet of Things as part of the 4th industrial revolution and associated applications such as transportation and energy efficiency. Coupling and channel characterization are essential parts of a power-line communication system. Therefore, understanding these components allows performance evaluation and prediction of the system. This paper presents an entire review of couplers and channel characterization modeling techniques used in narrow and broadband power-line communication systems. Types and applications of different couplers are presented; a review of different power-line communication channel modeling techniques and the fundamentals allows a clear understanding of factors influencing or affecting the signal propagation through the channel. The purpose of this review is to guide researchers and system designers looking for literature resources on couplers and channel characterization for power-line communication applications.