Inductive coupler for power line communications

1. A method for configuring components for power line communications, comprising:

installing an inductive coupler that employs a power line conductor as a primary winding;

connecting a communications device to a secondary winding of said inductive coupler; and

connecting an rf signal transformer between said secondary winding and said communications device, wherein said rf signal transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a primary inductance via the inductive coupler of between about 1.5 pH to about 2.5 μH.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein path loss for said inductive coupler is less than about 10 dB.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing distortion in the power line communications by introducing gaps in a magnetic core of said inductive coupler.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said rf signal transformer comprises cores made of nano-crystalline magnetic material.

6. An arrangement of components for coupling data between a power line and a communications device, comprising: an inductive coupler that employs a power line conductor as a primary winding; and an rf signal transformer for connecting a communications device to a secondary winding of said inductive coupler, wherein said rf signal transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 , wherein said inductive coupler has a primary inductance of about 1.5 μH to about 2.5 μH.

8. The arrangement of claim 6 , wherein path loss for the arrangement of components are less than about 10 dB.

9. The arrangement of claim 6 , wherein said inductive coupler has a magnetic core with an aperture formed therethrough, said aperture permitting said primary and secondary windings to pass therethrough, and wherein said aperture has a diameter of about 1.5 inches.

10. The arrangement of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic core has a radial thickness, and wherein said radial thickness is less than said diameter of said aperture.

11. The arrangement of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic core has a pair of gaps formed on opposing sides of said magnetic core, and wherein said gaps have a thickness of about 30 mils.

12. The arrangement of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic core weighs less than about 10 pounds.

13. The arrangement of claim 6 , wherein said rf signal transformer comprises magnetic cores made of nano-crystalline magnetic material.

14. An inductive coupler for coupling a data signal between a communications device and a power line, comprising: a magnetic core having an aperture formed by a first section and a second section, the first and second sections forming a gap therebetween, wherein said aperture permits the power line to pass therethrough as a primary winding; and a secondary circuit having a winding passing through said aperture as a secondary winding connected to said communications device, wherein said magnetic core has a radial thickness, wherein said aperture has a diameter, wherein said radial thickness is less than said diameter and wherein the inductive coupler has a path loss that is less than about 10 dB.

15. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein said aperture has a diameter of about 1.5 inches.

16. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein said magnetic core is made of nano-crystalline magnetic material.

17. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein the inductive coupler has a primary inductance of about 1.5 μH to about 2.5 μH.

18. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein said magnetic core has a pair of gaps formed on opposing sides of said magnetic core, and wherein said gaps have a thickness of about 30 mils.

19. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein said magnetic core weighs less than about 10 pounds.

20. The inductive coupler of claim 14 , wherein said secondary circuit has an rf signal transformer connected between said communications device and said secondary winding, and wherein said rf signal transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1.

21. An inductive coupler for coupling a data signal between a communications device and a power line, comprising: a split magnetic core having an aperture formed by a first section and a second section, said first and second sections forming a pair of gaps formed on opposing sides of said magnetic core, said aperture permitting the power line to pass therethrough as a primary winding; and a secondary circuit having a winding passing through said aperture as a secondary winding connected to said communications device, wherein said split magnetic core weighs less than about 10 pounds.

22. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein each of said pair of gaps has a thickness of about 30 mils.

23. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein said split magnetic core is made of nano-crystalline magnetic material.

24. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein said aperture has a diameter of about 1.5 inches.

25. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , further comprising a primary inductance of about 1.5 μH to about 2.5 μH.

26. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein said split magnetic core has a radial thickness, wherein said aperture has a diameter, and wherein said radial thickness is less than said diameter.

27. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein path loss for the inductive coupler is less than about 10 dB.

28. The inductive coupler of claim 21 , wherein said secondary circuit has an rf signal transformer connected between said communications device and said secondary winding, and wherein said rf signal transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1.

29. An inductive coupler for coupling a data signal between a communications device and a power line, comprising: a core having an aperture through which the power line is routed to serve as a primary winding, and a secondary circuit having a secondary winding connected to the communications device, wherein the inductive coupler has a path loss of less than about 10 dB.

30. The inductive coupler of claim 29 , wherein said core comprises a magnetic core having said aperture formed by a first section and a second section, wherein the secondary circuit passes through said aperture, and wherein the inductive coupler has a primary inductance of about 1.5 μH to about 2.5 μH.

31. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said aperture has a diameter of about 1.5 inches.

32. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said magnetic core has a radial thickness, wherein said aperture has a diameter, and wherein said radial thickness is less than said diameter.

33. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said magnetic core has a pair of gaps formed on opposing sides of said magnetic core, and wherein said gaps have a thickness of about 30 mils.

34. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said magnetic core weighs less than about 10 pounds.

35. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said secondary circuit has an rf signal transformer connected between said communications device and said secondary winding, and wherein said rf signal transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1.

36. The inductive coupler of claim 30 , wherein said magnetic core is made of nano-crystalline magnetic material.