# Web-Based Toolkit for Performance Simulation and Analysis of Power Line Communication Networks
## 6 Discussion  
PLC technologies are very appropriate for Smart Grids in general and AMI in particular. One of their main advantages is that they use as a communication medium an infrastructure that is already deployed. However, this is also a source of problems, such as noise, impedance variability or the relationship of the communication performance with the grid topology itself, which may make, e.g., PRIME, which has been widely tested in Europe, present operational constraints affecting its performance in Brazil [32]. As a result, in recent years, more and more simulation and analysis tools have been developed to try to respond to the difficulties presented in this type of network and help DSO to deploy, manage, and operate them. In this paper, three tools focused on PRIME and BPL technologies have been shown, combining simulations with the remote evaluation of the network performance based on traffic traces available from concentrators. Regarding PRIME simulators, much research has been carried out. Reference [33] focuses on the performance of multi-hope PLC networks, but modeling only the MAC layer, without considering channel modeling and communication errors. Reference [34], on the other hand, focuses very much on the PHY layer and the probability of error, but without paying attention to other parameters, such as the latency or the TTR, which are more representative for DSOs. The authors of [35] approach the problem of considering different layers in a very similar way as SimPRIME, abstracting the PHY layer from the upper layers by means of PER vs. SNR curves, but such curves are computed for a fixed packet length. Reference [36] also applies this approach, but PER is computed for a fixed packet length that is always set to the maximum allowed value, thus penalizing the control traffic, which is based on small packets and is critical for network operation. Nevertheless, [36] addresses such an interesting application for DSOs as the remote and massive upgrade of firmware in PRIME networks. More recently, references [37; 38] stand out as two innovative approaches for simulating the PHY layer of NB-PLC technologies. The authors of [37] propose a new methodology for network scale simulation based on directly implementing an OFDM modulator in EMTP-ATP (electromagnetic transients programme-alternative transients programme). By configuring different OFDM parameters, both PRIME and G3-PLC are considered, observing that they are significantly affected in medium-voltage (MV) power line channels. Reference [38] presents an analysis that focuses on how the use of different error correction codes, mechanisms for suppressing noisy intercarriers, and adjusting the equalization curve affect the performance of PRIME and G3-PLC by using an innovative ad hoc virtual PLC lab, developed by the authors, which allows for replicable, fully automated, and cost-effective tests. SimPRIME addresses layers from the PHY layer up to the application layer, presenting a great trade-off between implementing such layers rigorously and providing metrics useful for DSOs. Thus, on the one hand, the BER depends on the selected coding scheme, the PER depends on the BER and on the length of the packet, and Data Link layer mechanisms, such as acknowledgements and ARQ (Automatic Repeat Requests) mechanisms, are accurately implemented. On the other hand, it provides metrics, such as the TTRAll or TTRi, which are meaningful for the deployment and planning of PRIME networks and have been widely used for assessing relevant applications for DSOs, such as performance evaluation [39] and replicability analysis [40] in AMI or DR [41]. In addition, to the best of the authors' knowledge, SimPRIME was the first PRIME simulator whose results were compared with measurements from a real operational PRIME network, obtaining acceptable accuracy [42], and is the first PRIME network simulator that can be run from a web application, which represents an important achievement in terms of usability and facilitates its use in industry.