Universal powerline bus: Difference between revisions
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'''Universal Powerline Bus''' ('''UPB''') is a [[proprietary software]] protocol developed by [http://www.pcslighting.com/ Powerline Control Systems]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pcslighting.com/pulseworx|title=PulseWorx - Powerline Lighting Systems - PCS}}</ref> for [[power-line communication]] between devices used for [[home automation]]. Household electrical wiring is used to send digital data between UPB devices via [[pulse-position modulation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.simply-automated.com/UPB_Technology.php|title=Simply Automated -- About UPB Technology|website=www.simply-automated.com|access-date=2016-03-08}}</ref> |
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{{Unreferenced |date=July 2011}} |
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{{Advert|date=September 2012}} |
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<!--This article is in US English--> |
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'''Universal powerline bus''' ('''UPB''') is a protocol for [[power line communication|communication]] between devices used for [[home automation]]. It uses [[electric power transmission|power line]] wiring for signaling and control. |
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Communication is [[Peer-to-peer|peer to peer]], with no central controller necessary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smarthomeusa.com/universal-powerline-bus/|title=About UPB (Universal Powerline Bus)|website=www.smarthomeusa.com|access-date=2016-03-08|archive-date=2018-11-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119214715/https://www.smarthomeusa.com/universal-powerline-bus/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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UPB was developed by PCS Powerline Systems of Northridge, California, and released in 1999. Based on the concept of the ubiquitous [[X10 (industry standard)|X10]] standard, UPB has an improved transmission rate and higher reliability. While X10 without specialty firewalls has a reported reliability of 70-80%, UPB reportedly has a reliability of more than 99%. |
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UPB addressing allows 250 devices per house and 250 houses per transformer, allowing over 62,500 total device addresses and can co-exist with other powerline carrier systems within the same home.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.simply-automated.com/UPB_Technology.php | title=Simply Automated — About UPB Technology | access-date=2018-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.homeauto.com/WhatWeCanDo/upbexplanation.asp|title=Why UPB?|website=www.homeauto.com|access-date=2016-03-08|archive-date=2018-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501200009/http://www.homeauto.com/WhatWeCanDo/upbexplanation.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==Power-line carrier control overview== |
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Household [[electric]]al wiring, such as Romex or BX cable, is used to send [[digital data]] between UPB devices. |
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{{As of|2018}}, UPB enjoys one of the broadest range of device types when compared to most protocols and has support from some major manufacturers in the home automation space. Most notably, [[Leviton]] and their [https://www.leviton.com/en/products/brands/omni-security-automation Omni] series of home automation products, as well as the UPB [https://www.leviton.com/en/products/residential/dimmers/hlc devices] they market. UPB is also supported by many major home automation software manufacturers. A few of which are listed below. |
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While in the X10 protocol the digital information is encoded onto a 120 [[Hertz|kHz]] carrier, transmitted as bursts during the relatively quiet [[zero crossing]]s of the 50 or 60 [[Hertz|Hz]] [[alternating current|AC]] [[sine wave]], the UPB protocol works differently. |
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== Reliability == |
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The UPB communication method consists of a series of precisely timed electrical pulses — called UPB Pulses — that are superimposed on the normal AC power sine wave. Receiving UPB devices can easily detect and analyze the UPB Pulses and extract the encoded digital information from them. |
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UPB is a highly reliable protocol <ref>http://www.simply-automated.com/UPB_Technology.php | title=Simply Automated — About UPB Technology</ref> for home automation. It is not susceptible to RF interference, signal blockage by walls or short distance broadcast issues like some wireless protocols. UPB transmits on the building's existing wiring and has extensive noise reduction circuitry. This allows it to traverse long distances without issues, even across multiple electrical panels, making it ideal for very large homes. Appliances that have traditionally plagued [[X10_(industry_standard) | X10]] devices, usually do not affect UPB. In fact, UPB signals can reliably be received by the target device even with significant amounts of electrical noise on the power lines. However, in the event that an appliance in home causes extreme interference when operating, an inexpensive wire-in noise filter can be applied at the circuit breaker panel to solve the issue. |
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== Interoperability == |
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UPB Pulses are generated by charging a capacitor to a high voltage and then discharging that capacitor into the power line at a precise time. This quick discharging of the capacitor creates a large “spike” (or pulse) on the power line that is easily detectable by receiving UPB devices wired large distances away on the same line. |
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{{As of|2020}}, control of UPB devices is supported by the [https://www.home-assistant.io/ Home Assistant] open source software (in version 0.110 and later).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/home-assistant/core/pull/34692|title = Add Universal Powerline Bus by GWWW · Pull Request #34692 · home-assistant/Core| website=[[GitHub]] }}</ref> |
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{{As of|2017}}, control of UPB devices is supported by the [[OpenHAB]] open source software.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.openhab.org/addons/bindings/upb1/readme.html|title=UPB - Bindings - openHAB 2 - Empowering the Smart Home}}</ref> |
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==UPB protocol== |
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While transmitting, one UPB Pulse is generated each half-cycle of the 60 Hz AC electrical power cycle. The generation of each UPB Pulse is precisely timed to occur in one of four predefined positions in the half-cycle of the AC powerline. The position of each UPB Pulse determines its value as either 0, 1, 2, or 3. This method of encoding data as a relative position of a pulse is a well-known and used method in digital communications known as [[pulse-position modulation]] (PPM). Since each UPB Pulse can encode two bits of digital information and there are 120 AC half-cycles per second (at 60 Hz), UPB communication has a raw speed of 240 bits per second. Although this speed isn’t fast enough for high bandwidth applications, it is perfectly adequate for command and control communication. |
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[[HomeSeer]] is a well known commercial home automation software package that has support for UPB. |
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UPB Pulses are transmitted in a special region toward the end of the AC half-cycle known as the UPB Frame. This region was selected due to its relatively low noise characteristics and for other{{specify|date=September 2012}} attributes that make it an optimum position for power line communication. UPB Frames are synchronized to the low-to-high transition of the AC waveform (known as the AC zero-crossing point) such that one Frame starts T/Frame milliseconds after the zero crossing and the other Frame starts 8.333 milliseconds (one half-cycle at 60 Hz) after the first one. |
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Mobile App support (IOS and Android) is available by using the PulseWorx Gateway (PGW) plug-in module. |
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==Controllers== |
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UPB controllers range from extremely simple plug-in modules to very sophisticated whole-house home automation controllers. |
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Voice recognition products such as [[Amazon_Alexa | Alexa]], [https://www.automatedliving.com/ Automated Living's HAL] and Google's Assistant are supported either directly or indirectly through a device or automation controller. |
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The simplest controllers are plug-in controllers that are recommended for a moderate amount of switches and devices, as it becomes cumbersome to control a wide range of devices. |
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UPB can coexist with other powerline technologies. It can also interoperate with other automation devices that use RF (for example) through the use of a multi protocol automation controller (See Leviton Omni, HomeSeer devices). This allows for a mixed technology automation system to achieve best in class devices from many manufacturers. However, unlike most wireless protocols, UPB does not require an automation controller or hub to operate. |
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More sophisticated controllers can control more units and/or incorporate timers that perform pre-programmed functions at specific times each day. Units are also available that use passive [[infrared]] motion detectors or [[photocell]]s to turn lights on and off based on external conditions. |
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Since UPB is a peer to peer protocol, individual switches, scene controllers and various types of plug-in modules can be individually programmed to do multiple tasks without the need to purchase a hub or controller. Some examples of actions that can be achieved without a hub or controller would be: timed shutoff of a bathroom fan (timer plug-in module or a switch with timer feature built-in), lights turning on or off based on a photocell's sensing of sunlight (I/O plug-in module), turning on one set of lights with a single tap of the switch and turning on another set of lights or devices on a double tap of the switch (dimmer switch). Turning on/off a Hot Tub (load controller switch), multiple preset light dimming settings (scene controller switch), turn on/off a motorized device (relay switch). |
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Finally, whole house home automation controllers can be fully programmed. These systems can execute many different timed events, respond to external sensors, and execute, with the press of a single button, an entire ''scene'', turning lights on, establishing brightness levels, and so on. |
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Scene controllers with built in Infrared (IR) sensors are available. This allows for a single programmable remote control (universal remote) like those made by [[Logitech]] to control both lighting and television or other media devices. |
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{{Advert|date=September 2012}} |
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== |
== Hardware manufacturers == |
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The following is a list of UPB device manufacturers. This is not a comprehensive list: |
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UPB is a power line carrier technology that may be affected by devices on the line. However, with the advance of the technology to Generation II there are only a few items that can affect the UPB signal. The engineering team created specific devices to isolate these items. |
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* [http://www.alexaupbbridge.com/ Advanced Quonset Technologies] |
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From the description above, it is plainly evident that UPB employs a non-secure method of signaling. The signals can readily be detected outside the premises as long as one has access to the AC mains and UPB commands can be injected on the mains outside the premises that can be used to take control of devices without the system owner's knowledge or permission. |
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* [http://catalogs.leviton.com/app.php?RelId=6.11.3.1.36&BookCode=gti15flx&PageLabel=44&Sgt=11&lang=enu/ Leviton] HLC line |
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* [http://www.simply-automated.com/ Simply Automated] |
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* [http://www.webmtn.com/ Web Mountain] |
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* [http://www.wgldesigns.com/rain8upb.html WGL Designs] |
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== |
==References== |
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<references/> |
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* [[INSTEON]] — dual-band (radio-frequency and power line) [[Mesh_network|mesh]] home automation protocol |
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* [[X10 (industry standard)|X10]] — older power line home automation protocol |
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* [[ZigBee]] — radio-frequency mesh home automation protocol |
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* [[Z-Wave]] — radio-frequency mesh home automation protocol |
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* [[IEC 61334]] — standard for wide-area power line communication |
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== External links == |
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* [http://pcslighting.com/resources/PulseWorx/Installation/Documentation/UPBDescriptionv1.4.pdf UPB Description Document] |
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{{Home automation}} |
{{Home automation}} |
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Latest revision as of 18:36, 19 October 2024
Universal Powerline Bus (UPB) is a proprietary software protocol developed by Powerline Control Systems[1] for power-line communication between devices used for home automation. Household electrical wiring is used to send digital data between UPB devices via pulse-position modulation.[2]
Communication is peer to peer, with no central controller necessary.[3]
UPB addressing allows 250 devices per house and 250 houses per transformer, allowing over 62,500 total device addresses and can co-exist with other powerline carrier systems within the same home.[4][5]
As of 2018[update], UPB enjoys one of the broadest range of device types when compared to most protocols and has support from some major manufacturers in the home automation space. Most notably, Leviton and their Omni series of home automation products, as well as the UPB devices they market. UPB is also supported by many major home automation software manufacturers. A few of which are listed below.
Reliability
[edit]UPB is a highly reliable protocol [6] for home automation. It is not susceptible to RF interference, signal blockage by walls or short distance broadcast issues like some wireless protocols. UPB transmits on the building's existing wiring and has extensive noise reduction circuitry. This allows it to traverse long distances without issues, even across multiple electrical panels, making it ideal for very large homes. Appliances that have traditionally plagued X10 devices, usually do not affect UPB. In fact, UPB signals can reliably be received by the target device even with significant amounts of electrical noise on the power lines. However, in the event that an appliance in home causes extreme interference when operating, an inexpensive wire-in noise filter can be applied at the circuit breaker panel to solve the issue.
Interoperability
[edit]As of 2020[update], control of UPB devices is supported by the Home Assistant open source software (in version 0.110 and later).[7]
As of 2017[update], control of UPB devices is supported by the OpenHAB open source software.[8]
HomeSeer is a well known commercial home automation software package that has support for UPB.
Mobile App support (IOS and Android) is available by using the PulseWorx Gateway (PGW) plug-in module.
Voice recognition products such as Alexa, Automated Living's HAL and Google's Assistant are supported either directly or indirectly through a device or automation controller.
UPB can coexist with other powerline technologies. It can also interoperate with other automation devices that use RF (for example) through the use of a multi protocol automation controller (See Leviton Omni, HomeSeer devices). This allows for a mixed technology automation system to achieve best in class devices from many manufacturers. However, unlike most wireless protocols, UPB does not require an automation controller or hub to operate.
Since UPB is a peer to peer protocol, individual switches, scene controllers and various types of plug-in modules can be individually programmed to do multiple tasks without the need to purchase a hub or controller. Some examples of actions that can be achieved without a hub or controller would be: timed shutoff of a bathroom fan (timer plug-in module or a switch with timer feature built-in), lights turning on or off based on a photocell's sensing of sunlight (I/O plug-in module), turning on one set of lights with a single tap of the switch and turning on another set of lights or devices on a double tap of the switch (dimmer switch). Turning on/off a Hot Tub (load controller switch), multiple preset light dimming settings (scene controller switch), turn on/off a motorized device (relay switch).
Scene controllers with built in Infrared (IR) sensors are available. This allows for a single programmable remote control (universal remote) like those made by Logitech to control both lighting and television or other media devices.
Hardware manufacturers
[edit]The following is a list of UPB device manufacturers. This is not a comprehensive list:
- Advanced Quonset Technologies
- Leviton HLC line
- Powerline Control Systems PulseWorx line
- Simply Automated
- Web Mountain
- WGL Designs
References
[edit]- ^ "PulseWorx - Powerline Lighting Systems - PCS".
- ^ "Simply Automated -- About UPB Technology". www.simply-automated.com. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ "About UPB (Universal Powerline Bus)". www.smarthomeusa.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ "Simply Automated — About UPB Technology". Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ "Why UPB?". www.homeauto.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ http://www.simply-automated.com/UPB_Technology.php | title=Simply Automated — About UPB Technology
- ^ "Add Universal Powerline Bus by GWWW · Pull Request #34692 · home-assistant/Core". GitHub.
- ^ "UPB - Bindings - openHAB 2 - Empowering the Smart Home".
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