Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Tialinx, Inc.

Afshin Niktash

Kaveh Razazian

Farrokh Mohamadi

Victor Loginov

Kenneth E Garey

Nathan Goldstick

A power line communication (PLC) device includes a physical layer module including a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data over a power line. A medium access control (MAC) module is configured to send data to and process data from the physical layer module. The MAC module includes a channel access module configured to initiate a channel access attempt. The channel access module successively is configured to increase a random backoff period for a subsequent channel access attempt based on a random backoff function in response to a determination by the physical layer module that a PLC channel is busy during a preceding one of the channel access attempts. The channel access module successively is configured to selectively reset a variable in the random backoff function based on an output of a modulo function of a number of backoff attempts and a predetermined number.

Power line communication device with channel load measurement and improved channel access

A power line communication (PLC) system includes a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes and a destination node. Each of the source node, the plurality of intermediate nodes and the destination node comprise a PLC interface including a medium access control (MAC) module and a physical layer (PHY) module. A transformer is located between the source node and the destination node. Routing modules of the source node, one or more of the intermediate nodes, and the destination node establish a route from the source node to the destination node via one or more selected ones of the plurality of intermediate nodes. The route is selected using a route cost that is calculated based on link costs of a plurality of hops in the route from the source node to the destination node. The link costs are based on forward link costs and reverse link costs.

Routing for power line communication systems

A method to detect a phase connection of a receiver of a power line communication system includes providing a first connection between a transmitter and one phase of a multi-phase power line. A zero crossing of a first signal provided by the first connection is detected. A first timestamp is generated before a packet is transmitted by the transmitter and added to a header of the packet. A second connection is provided between the receiver and one phase of the multi-phase power line. A zero crossing of a second signal provided by the second connection is detected. A second timestamp is generated when the packet is received by the receiver. The value of the first timestamp is compared to the value of the second timestamp to determine whether the one phase of the first connection is the same as the one phase of the second connection.

Transmitter and method for applying multi-tone OFDM based communications within a lower frequency range

In one embodiment, an RF disturbance detection system is provided that includes:

Signal power mapping for detection of buried objects and other changes to the RF environment

In one embodiment, an ultra wide band (UWB) radar includes: a substrate; a plurality of antennas adjacent the substrate, the plurality of antennas being arranged into a plurality of sub-arrays; an RF feed network adjacent the substrate, the RF feed network coupling to a distributed plurality of amplifiers integrated with the substrate, wherein the RF feed network and the distributed plurality of amplifiers are configured to form a resonant network such that if a timing signal is injected into an input port of the RF feed network, the resonant network oscillates to provide a globally-synchronized RF signal across the network; a plurality of pulse-shaping circuits corresponding to the plurality of sub-arrays, each pulse-shaping circuit being configured to receive the globally-synchronized RF signal from the network and process the globally-synchronized RF signal into pulses for transmission through the corresponding sub-array of antennas; and an actuator for mechanically scanning the UWB radar so that the pulses transmitted by the antennas scan across a desired area.

Scanning ultra wideband impulse radar

In one embodiment, a radar is provided that is configured to construct an image of a target within or adjacent to a substrate according to scan points associated with a surface of the substrate while the radar is scanned in a first direction. The radar includes a transceiver that transmits radar pulses and receives reflected radar pulses using an antenna directed at the surface; and an image processor configured to use a plurality of processed received radar pulses to generate an image portion according to each scan point; and at least one laser range finder being configured to illuminate a first surface portion within a surface portion illuminated by the antenna and to illuminate a second surface portion displaced in the first direction from the first surface portion, the laser range finder determining a first range between the laser range finder and the first surface portion and determining a second range between the laser range finder and the second surface portion, wherein the radar is configured to process the first and second ranges to determine a range translation of the radar during the scan in the first direction, and wherein the image processor is further configured to compensate the image portions according to the determined range translation so at construct an image of the target.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Afshin Niktash