Patent ID: 8432940

Claim:
A power line communication system for receiving a power line communication signal being a frequency-division multiplexed signal, the system comprising: a crossover filter for distributing the received power line communication signal over a number (N) of frequency bands, where N>=2; and a low-noise amplifier configured to receive the N frequency bands as inputs and generate an output for each of the N frequency bands, the low-noise amplifier comprising: N attenuators, each attenuator configured with an output switch, wherein each attenuator of the N attenuators is configured to receive one predetermined frequency band of the N frequency bands as an input and generate an attenuated output of the one predetermined frequency band of the N frequency bands, wherein each output switch of the N attenuators is configured to receive and switch the attenuated output; a single amplifier, placed in parallel with the N attenuators, configured to generate an amplified output for an input frequency band, and at least N switches configured to switch the input frequency band to the single amplifier between the N frequency bands, wherein, in response to a given frequency band containing a strong interferer, the low-noise amplifier is configured to provide the attenuated output of an attenuator associated with the given frequency band via the output switch of the attenuator associated with the given frequency band, and wherein, in response to the given frequency band not containing a strong interferer, the low-noise amplifier is configured to provide the amplified output of the single amplifier for the given frequency band.