Power line Communication (PLC) solution for the first ST8500 system chip

     STMicroelectronics' ST8500 system chip is the first power line communication (PLC) solution on the market to integrate G3-PLC CENELEC B certification protocol stack, and the target application is not limited to smart meters. It is also suitable for industrial applications such as smart cities, street lighting, renewable energy management, intelligent railway tunnels and stations.

     In addition to covering the full G3-PLC standards and bands, the ST8500 modem provides customers with a library of certified protocols for all PRIME standards from PRIME 1.3.6 to CENELEC and FCC bands PRIME 1.4. Each protocol stack uses high-performance routing algorithms to ensure that network coverage is outstanding in all application areas.

     The ST8500 system chip integrates a fully programmable dedicated real-time engine and a highly energy efficient Arm Cortex-M4F processor core, the former is used to handle different PLC standards for modulation and demodulation schemes and coding algorithms, the latter is used to handle the top layer of the protocol and system management, allowing equipment manufacturers to explore multiple product markets and regional markets with a single hardware platform. Make sure it doesn't become obsolete in the future with remote update services. The system chip also integrates smart energy dedicated peripherals, including an AES encryption engine. The receiving mode of the ST8500 consumes less than 100mW, which meets the most stringent industrial technical specifications and minimizes the load that the new smart meters put on the grid.

     With a fully functional on-chip analog front end (AFE), the ST8500 connects directly to STMicroelectronics' STLD1 line drivers, allowing customers to purchase all the components needed to develop a complete solution for power line transceivers from ST in one stop. The STLD1 ensures reliable communication even on noisy cables, with excellent drive and linear performance over a wide output range of 18V in single-ended mode or 36V in differential mode. This dual-chip chipset provides smart grid and iot vendors with a best-in-class, ultra-low power, flexible, and economical communication connectivity solution.

     In addition, the ST8500 comes in a 7mm x 7mm x 1mm QFN56 package and the STLD1 comes in a 4mm x 4mm x 1mm QFN24 package