Paradox Engineering combines wireless and power-line communication in system for smart lighting and cities

April 22, 2014

Novazzano -- Paradox Engineering SA, the Swiss technology company specialized in advanced solutions for Smart Cities, urban and industrial wireless sensor networks and global virtual networks, announces to have successfully extended its IPv6/6loWPAN technology platform with Power Line Communication (PLC). As a result, the company is presenting PE.AMI PLC Node, the new hardware component for smart lighting and Smart City infrastructures seamlessly combining wireless and PLC in a single device leveraging same IPv6/6LoWPAN network.


Among the first companies in the world to introduce this innovative feature, Paradox Engineering allows clients to build effective bidirectional open standard based urban communication platforms, solving the dilemma between wireless and wired connectivity. Building urban networks for control and monitoring will not generate a dilemma between the two technologies anymore – exactly as it happens today with Internet, where wireless and wired connectivity coexist and do not depend on the availability of one solution.

PE.AMI is Paradox Engineering’s best in class solution for Smart Cities. It consists of hardware (nodes, repeaters and gateways) and software components to implement a wireless full mesh self-configuring and self-healing network allowing the bidirectional transmission of data from/to any kinds of new or existing data generation device (meters, sensors, cameras, street luminaires, EV charging stations, etc.), therefore enabling smart data collection and smart management of urban services.

The new PE.AMI PLC Node represents a further development of PE.AMI platform as it adds seamless PLC capabilities to the existing wireless network technologies. While still managing RF transmission, the hybrid node can also interface power lines and transfer data over the grid so to reach groups of end points where RF transmission might not represent the preferable way to reach the object to connect. Actually, the same 6LoWPAN protocol is leveraged both in wired and wireless communications. The PE.AMI PLC Node may successfully complement wireless communications in a variety of Smart City applications where PLC technologies are used, including smart lighting, electric metering, remote control and load management.

Key benefit for customers is the opportunity to trust a unified communication platform for all architectures where wireless connectivity may be less appropriate (ie. crossing buildings, underwater, metallic enclosures, etc.) or power-line communication may not be enough performing due to technical constraints (ie. imposing linear connections between nodes). Thus, clients and municipalities are no longer forced to choose between wired and wireless networks, but they may benefit of both technologies at the same time, in an integrated platform and a single component. The combination of the two data transmission technologies allows customers to develop a full mesh self-configuring and self-healing network, based on open standards and granting the highest levels of interoperability also over PLC.

PE.AMI PLC Node will be generally available from September 2014. Paradox Engineering will offer it to complement new or existing PE.AMI solutions for Smart Cities, since PE.AMI is a future-proof platform supporting applications and services that can be deployed at once or in the time, with no need for infrastructure upgrades or replacements, therefore protecting customer investments over time.

About Paradox Engineering SA

Paradox Engineering SA is a technology company that designs and markets solutions and services to unlock the value of data for industrial remote and condition monitoring, Smart Grid/Smart City, M2M, HUMS and HAN projects in the Internet of Things era. The unique competences in radio design, network design and management, low power consumption and energy harvesting, and data collection are at the heart of Paradox Engineering’s DNA. The Company conceives and provides open standard urban and industrial wireless sensor network solutions, global virtual networks and OEM versions of its core network technologies, to companies and developers.

Established in 2005 and headquartered in Switzerland, in 2013 the Company welcomed the Japanese corporation Minebea Co. Ltd. as shareholder and acquired the Italian electronic design center Syllogism System S.r.l. Paradox Engineering acts on a truly global scale, supported by branch offices in San Francisco (USA), Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Catania (Italy) with business and projects spanning over five continents and a consolidated network of global strategic partners. For more information, please visit www.pdxeng.ch and www.pe-stone.com

Contact:

Julia Arneri Borghese, VP Strategic Relationships & Communication - Paradox Engineering SA
+41-91-233-0100

E-mail:

[email protected]

Web site:

www.pdxeng.ch