- Ultra-low-power PLC modem achieves up to 3x space savings, reducing new product development costs and time

- Expanded communication frequency band compatibility through G3-PLC Alliance certification for power communication international standards

June 15, 2015, Seoul, South Korea – Maxim Integrated (www.maximintegrated.com), a leader in analog mixed-signal semiconductor markets, has announced a solution applicable to all power line communication industry standards on a single chip. ZENO/MAX79356 is a power line communication (PLC) modem system-on-chip (SoC) that enables power utility meter designers to flexibly support G3-PLC, Prime, and P1901.2 standards across CENELEC A, ARIB, or FCC frequency bands using just one chip.

Key advantages of ZENO:

· Multi-functional: Software flexibility not only supports current PLC standards but is also capable of modification according to future standard changes. Certification has been obtained from the G3-PLC Alliance for PAN devices and PAN coordinators across major frequency bands (CENELEC A, ARIB, FCC).

Low-power: Achieves 80% reduction in power consumption during PLC communication standby (55mW vs. 300mW). Power consumption during dynamic transmission is 70mW.

Space efficiency: Up to 3x smaller size compared to competing PLC modems.

Power line communication standards and frequency bands vary by region and country, and to date no PLC modem has supported all of them. Consequently, meter manufacturers have either developed multiple modems to ensure standard compliance or forgone market entry due to insufficient time or resources required for new modem development.

Maxim Integrated's solution ZENO/MAX79356 resolves all these issues. The PLC modem SoC can accommodate all global standards through software configuration alone. Now manufacturers and operators can apply the same components to meters and data concentrators, enabling them to use power line communication in their desired regions.

This enables meter designers to bring products to market more rapidly and prepare for future standard changes. Furthermore, by integrating the analog front-end (AFE) and baseband into a single chip, it delivers reduced component count and cost benefits.

Kris Ardis, Executive Vice President of the Energy Solutions Business Unit at Maxim Integrated, stated, "Maxim has strengthened its G3-PLC leadership to set the standard for all global standards, and by reflecting customer feedback, we have addressed both current and long-term challenges in PLC through ZENO."

Jacob Rodrigues Pereira, Senior Analyst for Smart Utility Facilities at IHS, added, "In several years, narrowband PLC is expected to gain prominence as a rapidly growing communication technology. Solutions like the MAX79356 enable meter manufacturers to easily target diverse markets without increasing development costs."