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| On April 8, Honda Electron Co., Ltd. (HQ:
Tokyo; President: Yoshikuni Tanaka) and NEC TOKIN Corporation (HQ:
Sendai, Miyagi Pref.; President: Yuichi Haneta) jointly developed
a transformer for power line communication modems. This transformer
has reception dynamic range tolerance of approximately 100 dB, the
world's highest level. (The two companies have filed a joint patent
application.) |
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| Background of the Joint Development |
Most transformers fall into one of two
categories: communications transformers, which transmit minute amplitudes
without distortion, and power transformers, which efficiently transmit
electric power. Honda Electron and NEC TOKIN have jointly developed
a transformer for power-line communication modems, transmitting at
450 kHz or less, which has the characteristics of both communications
transformers and power-line transformers.
Specifically, the transformer is able to efficiently inject a transmission
power signal in a low-impedance environment, while greatly suppressing
electromagnetic leakage. Meanwhile, the receiver is able to receive
signals with a minute amplitude (downwards of 1 microvolt/kHz), even
in an environment of high amplitude static, greatly suppressing the
common-mode noise generated by power lines.
The two companies have fused their technologies to reduce the size
and cost of power-line communication modems, and improve their performance,
all of which are issues that have impeded the wide application of
power-line communication modems. Through this fusion, the companies
are jointly developing technologies to speed the implementation of
power-line communication modems. Specifically, the companies have
integrated Honda Electron's modem technologies with NEC TOKIN's transformer
technologies, in order to implement a product surpassing anything
available anywhere in the world. |
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| Transformer Specification/Performance Targets
and Results |
| Table 1: Transformer Specification/Performance
Targets and Results |
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| Figure 1: THD(Total Harmonic Distortion)
Characteristics (Transmission) |
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| Future Directions |
Honda Electron has been shipping sample
power-line communication modems equipped with this new transformer
since end-March. This represents a major step toward implementing
a credit card-sized product. NEC TOKIN will also conduct broad sales
of stand-alone transformers as general-purpose products.
Note that although the present product is designed for the up-to-450
kHz frequency band, the fundamental technology would enable this to
be extended to the broadband range (1.7 MHz to 30 MHz). The two companies
will continue to develop technologies in order to resolve this issue
for electromagnetic leakage suppression.
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| Please
refer details |
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