5.2 Running Hybrid Wireless M-BUS/PLC Test

Figure 19 shows a 3-node test set-up. The PLC-only node runs with the zero-configuration GUI tool. The hybrid wireless M-Bus/PLC node and wireless M-Bus echo-back node run in standalone mode.

For the hybrid wireless M-Bus/PLC test, the PLC-only node is configured as G3-PLC mini-DC node. The wireless M-Bus echo-back node may run as an echo-back mode to send back the received wireless M-Bus packet to the hybrid node.

Once the power is on, the hybrid wireless M-Bus/PLC node starts to join to the PLC mini-DC (PLC only node) as the G3-PLC service node. The wireless M-Bus stacks in the hybrid node does not require a joining process. Once joined to the PLC network, the PLC-only node (running as mini-DC) may initiate echo-back data transfer.

NOTE

To bridge echo-back data received from W-MBus node to the PLC mini-DC on the hybrid W-MBus/PLC node, the RF_PLC_REPEATER macro needs to be enabled on the hybrid node and then recompile the software example.

Figure 20 shows the details of the data flow.

1. The PLC node sends UDP/IPv6 data through the power line.
2. The hybrid wireless M-Bus/PLC node receives the data, and passes the data to the wireless M-Bus echo-back node through the RF path.
3. The wireless M-Bus echo-back node takes the UDP/IPv6 header from the received data and then sends it back to the Hybrid wireless M-Bus/PLC node through the RF path
4. The hybrid node adds a UDP/IPv6 header on the received data because the G3-PLC only accepts IPv6 packets.
5. The hybrid node sends the data to the PLC node through the power line.