Data Collection Via Aircraft Powerlines

Advances in physical layer interface technologies have led to the ability to establish a virtual IP network over powerlines. Raw data packet transport speeds of over 10 Mbits/s have been achieved. The powerline is a dynamically changing electromagnetic environment completely unlike the stable, steady state environment of coaxial cables or twisted wire pairs. A special interface technique called adaptive Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is used to overcome the rapid and dynamic changes in transfer function and noise floor of the powerline. This paper describes the technique being used to implement a fast data collection network over aircraft powerlines that is being developed by the 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base under the CENTS Program.