CIE Components in Electronics
Microcontroller (MCU) and touch technology company, Atmel, has become the newest member of the G3-PLC Alliance, an international organisation set up to promote the G3-PLC Communications standard that ensures interoperability across new smart grid ecosystems. Members are selected and approved by the G3-PLC committee.
“Atmel adds to our rapidly growing membership of prominent semiconductor companies that are advocating for the most intelligent approach to building out the smart grid,” said Jean Vigneron, general secretary, G3-PLC Alliance. “The G3-PLC technology is an instrumental specification for utility companies deploying smart meters worldwide.”
The G3-PLC specification, recently approved by the ITU and compliant with the IEEE 1901.2 standard, is a new low-frequency, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based narrowband powerline communications (NB-PLC) standard. It is the first NB-PLC standard that supports the IPv6 internet protocol that allows Internet-based energy management systems used by utilities and grid operators to better manage their assets on the grid. Utility companies can now plan their deployments utilizing G3-PLC technology to achieve cost-effective smart grid systems that will meet customers’ needs today and in the future.
Commenting Kourosh Boutorabi, sr. director of smart energy, Atmel Corporation said “As a member of this alliance, smart grid and utility companies can have the confidence that our next-generation solutions will support the G3 specification, enabling better interoperability between the smart meter and smart grid infrastructure.”
