AC164142 Microchip Technology, AC164142 Datasheet - Page 35

• Manufacturer Part Number: AC164142
• Description: Consumer-band BPSK 7.2kbps PLM PICtail Plus Daughter Board Other
• Manufacturer: Microchip Technology
• Series: PICtail™ Plusr

Specifications of AC164142

• Kit Application Type: Communication
• Silicon Family Name: DsPIC
• Kit Contents: 2x Power-Line Soft-Modem PICtail Plus Daughter Boards, 2x High Voltage Adapter Cables, Info Sheet
• Features: Operates On 5V And 9V
• Rohs Compliant: Yes
• Processor To Be Evaluated: dsPIC33F
• Processor Series: dsPIC33F
• Operating Supply Voltage: 5 V, 9 V
• Featured Product: AC164142 PICtail™ Plus Daughter Board
• Main Purpose: Interface, Power Line Transceiver
• Embedded: No
• Utilized Ic / Part: -
• Primary Attributes: AC Power Line Transceiver, BPSK 7.2 Kbps
• Secondary Attributes: Requires Explorer 16 Boards
• Lead Free Status / Rohs Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant

C.1
© 2011 Microchip Technology Inc.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Appendix C discusses common operational issues and methods to resolve them.
C.1.1
Possible reasons for the daughter boards to lose the communication link are:
C.1.1.1
Connecting daughter boards to power outlets on different phases may result in partial
or total loss of the communication link. If you observe that the daughter boards are not
able to communicate, try relocating the daughter boards to other power outlets or use
a signal coupler device to couple the communication signals across the phases, as
described in
C.1.1.2
Some of the configuration settings are hardware dependent and these settings should
match the hardware being used. Following configuration settings are hardware
dependent:
• Hi-Z signal polarity (PLM_OE, default: PLM_OE_ACTIVE_LOW_HIZ)
• Hi-Z signal pin (PLM_OE_LAT, default: LATF, #0)
• ADC input channel (PLM_ADC_CHNL, default: 8)
• Carrier frequency (PLM_FC, default: 129600)
C.1.1.3
The potentiometer (P1) is used to adjust the average output amplitude transmitted from
the daughter board. If the potentiometer is set too low the transmitted signal power may
not to be reliably detected by the other daughter board. It is preferable to set the
potentiometer value close to the "MAX" position (turn counter clockwise).
C.1.1.4
Daughter boards will not be able to communicate if they are programmed with
dissimilar settings for certain configuration options like carrier frequency, Forward Error
Correction (FEC), framing and baud rate.
C.1.1.5
Ensure that the jumpers at CS (JP2) and RX (JP3) are in place (default: JP2 - RF0, JP3
- AN8). Improper jumper settings can disable the transmitter or receiver sections of the
daughter board.
Appendix C. Troubleshooting Guide
The daughter boards are not able to communicate on the power
line. What can I do to fix the problem?
DAUGHTER BOARDS CONNECTED ON TWO DIFFERENT POWER
SUPPLY PHASES
SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION NOT COMPATIBLE WITH HARDWARE
DESIGN
POTENTIOMETER (P1) SET AT A LOW VALUE
DISSIMILAR CONFIGURATION SETTINGS
IMPROPER JUMPER CONFIGURATION
1.2 “Board
CONSUMER-BAND BPSK 7.2 kbps
PLM PICtail™ PLUS DAUGHTER
Setup”.
BOARD USER’S GUIDE
DS70656A-page 35