Analysis of Video Transmission Capabilities in a Simulated OFDM-Based Supplementary BPL-PLC System

Abstract

The design and maintenance of a reliable communication system, especially in harsh working conditions for the oil and mining industry, brings many challenges. With the use of a video transmission system, one can monitor the crew and their working environment. Broadband over power line–power line communication (BPL-PLC) seems an ideal medium for such a service, since it enables the use of the existing wired infrastructure for supplementary applications. In this paper, we perform a set of simulations for a dedicated wired medium as well as analyses of a visual data transmission system, designed to deliver video content with quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). We investigate a set of video sequences at 480 × 270 resolution under varying network conditions, including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bit error rate (BER). We perform a subjective evaluation study of video content transmitted over our simulated communication link. The results of this study may aid parties involved in designing additional services for portable devices and user terminals, including reliable means of contact, surveillance and monitoring. The obtained results may be of particular interest to researchers and professionals related to the Industry 4.0 and Internet of things (IoT) concepts.