Jan 27 2014
At Distributech, Greenvity Communications is showcasing a smart meter range extender that demonstrates Greenvity’s patented powerline communication (PLC) and wireless bridging technology using an industry leading smart meter for multi-dwelling units (MDU).
The PLC and wireless bridging technology is based on HomePlug Green PHY and ZigBee standards. It uses Greenvity’s Home Gateway Controller (GV-Controller) and GV7011 system-on-chip (SoC) to bridge ZigBee data and commands from a smart meter to existing power lines as the backbone link to all suites inside a building.
“Smart meters for many existing MDUs such as apartment buildings, condos, commercial and industrial buildings are placed in the basement, metal closet or outside of a building making it difficult to impossible for ZigBee signals to reach suites or apartments at higher floors,” said Greenvity’s CEO Hung Nguyen. “As consumers adopt Internet of Things devices for use inside MDUs, a reliable bridging technology such as the Greenvity hybrid solution will be critical to enable communication with the smart meter via power lines and to leverage the demand response and energy saving programs offered by utilities.”
The PLC and wireless bridging demonstration uses Greenvity’s Hybrii® GV7011 SoC with a smart meter to extend its range by bridging the meter data from ZigBee to PLC in order to pass through obstacles (such as walls and concrete). Greenvity’s GV-Controller module (home gateway), also powered by the GV7011 SoC, is placed in each suite and it can bridge smart meter data from PLC to either ZigBee or WiFi enabling two-way communications between the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and the smart meter. Greenvity’s smart meter extender solution supports Smart Energy Profiles such as SEP 1.x and SEP 2.0.
Greenvity will be demonstrating the smart meter range extender in Greenvity’s booth #801 at Distributech, held Jan. 28-30 in San Antonio, Texas. Greenvity will also demonstrate its recently announced GV-Controller, GV-LED and GV-Sensor IoT solutions.
Greenvity IoT solutions
Greenvity’s total turn-key IoT solutions include SoCs, modules, software and mobile apps that enable any home device or IoT device to be smart and controllable for energy-saving and home and building automation purposes. OEMs and ODMs can get to market quickly and have the flexibility to customize and scale up or down the modules and the baseline software to fit specific applications.
Greenvity’s first IoT solutions include the GV-Controller (Home Gateway & Lighting Controller Module), GV-LED (Smart LED Driver Module) and GV-Sensor (All-in-one Sensor Module), powered by Greenvity’s Hybrii® SoCs, GV7011 and GV7013 chips. Each GV-LED module and GV-Sensor module can communicate with and be controlled by the GV-Controller via either PLC or wireless to form an IoT network that mobile devices can access and control wirelessly and remotely. Greenvity Smart Lighting Software suite and mobile apps (supporting iOS and Android) are provided with the modules without a licensing fee. API is provided so that OEM/ODM customers can add their own application software to differentiate and enhance their products.
For more information, visit: www.greenvity.com/products.