Gigle (Networks) Hires Ex-Intellon VP Andy Melder

The recently renamed Gigle Networks (still Gigle to her friends), has hired Andy Melder as VP of Business Development. Andy left Intellon just before Intellon's IPO in December 2007. Andy reports directly to Gigle's big-boss (and CEO) Juan Carlos Riviero (a Gigle founder and ex-CTO for DS2).


Andy "will be responsible for driving strategic growth initiatives as the company strengthens its leadership position in home entertainment networking while expanding its focus to include complete system solutions for a variety of "invisible" plug-and-play networks within the home, across all existing wired media plus wireless connections."


Good move by Gigle as Andy has tons of contacts in the powerline communication industry and isbe well-liked.

Homegrid hooks up with Z-Wave

"HomeGrid Forum, a global, non-profit trade group promoting the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union's (ITU-T) G.hn standardization efforts..., today announced new liaison agreements with the Demand Response Smart Grid (DRSG) Coalition and Z-Wave Alliance."

Liaisons generally mean more politically than practically. In this case, you can see that Homegrid, the HomePlug wanabee, has hooked up with Z-Wave, the Zigbee wanabee who is also HomePlug's partner in all things smartgrid. 


Notice that both HomePlug (IEEE 1901) and Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4) are both in the IEEE family. Homegrid is a United Nation standard and Z-Wave is 100% proprietary specification which makes it a bit surprising that they teamed up.

Smartgrid meets Broadband

"One trend I believe will pick up steam in 2010 is technologies and alliances that bring the current home broadband infrastructure and the emerging smart grid infrastructure closer together. After all, as more homes embrace high-speed Internet access (wired OR wireless), it makes sense that smart meters and other smart grid devices communicate via what is already in place."

It makes tremendous sense for smartgrid to use the already existing broadband connection instead of inventing a new network. 

IT Reviews: Belkin - Gigabit Powerline HD starter kit review

"Although equipped with Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, these 'go-faster' Powerline AV adapters are unable to match the speed of a cabled Gigabit Ethernet network. More than that, if located on different ring mains they have trouble keeping up with standard Powerline AV products. In the right situation they're quicker, but further development is needed for them to be a good buy."

Belkin is the first HomePlug AV manufacturer to use Gigle's chip and not one of Intellon's chips. The good news we have a second source for HomePlug AV chips. As Intellon has set the bar pretty high for performance it will take some time for Gigle's chip to mature. Expect a version two of the firmware for Gigle's chip before the end of the year.

Today's Links

Post Chronicle: Actiontec Networks Your House, Through Power Wires? by Jim Bray

The Globe and Mail: Linksys Powerline Network

US Post Today: Monster Digital PowerCenter MDP 900 with GreenPower and HomePlug AV

Articles on powerline communication in the popular press are fairly rare. All of these are on HomePlug AV based adapters which are less rare.

MoCA 2.0 'Enhanced' Mode Target: 800 Mbit/s

"Nothing's set in stone yet, but the 2.0 version of Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) under development is targeting two "performance" modes, a basic mode that can pump out 400 Mbit/s, and an enhanced version that supports throughputs up to 800 Mbit/s."

MoCA is making sure their next gen technology is really next gen.

5 Reasons Wi-Fi Will Take a Back Seat for the Smart Grid

This view by Katie Fehrenbacher on why WiFi is not useful for Smartgrid is spot-on, except for item 5 about outdated WiFi security concerns.

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