Controller and receiver for a power line communication system

Abstract

A power line communication system communicates dimming levels to a lighting circuit over AC power lines. A power line controller generates control signals which are inserted on the AC power signal to the lighting circuit. A first series resonant circuit is coupled across the AC lines to bypass high frequency components from the control signals. A power line receiver receives the AC power signal and extracts the control signal to generate dimming level signals corresponding with the desired dimming level. To extract the control signal out of the AC power signal, the power line receiver has a resonant circuit connected in parallel with the AC power line and tuned to transmit the ballast control signal and to filter out the AC power signal. A dimming level sensing circuit then senses the signal pattern on the control signal and generates a dimming level signal corresponding to the desired dimming level.