Phase-Based Operation of Devices on a Polyphase Electric Distribution System

An apparatus, comprising:

• a power supply adapted to receive an alternating-current (AC) waveform of an electrical power source, the power source being part of a polyphase power source system;
• a network interface adapted to communicate in a computer network;
• a processor coupled to the network interface and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• monitor the AC waveform;
• determine a particular phase of the polyphase power source system at the power supply based on the AC waveform;
• and
• join a directed acyclic graph (DAG) specific to the particular phase via the network interface.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor on a device in a computer network operable to:

• monitor an alternating-current (AC) waveform of an electrical power source at the device, the power source being part of a polyphase power source system;
• determine a particular phase of the polyphase power source system at the device based on the AC waveform;
• and
• join the device to a directed acyclic graph (DAG) specific to the particular phase.

A method, comprising:

• monitoring an alternating-current (AC) waveform of an electrical power source at a device in a frequency-hopping computer network, the power source being part of a polyphase power source system;
• detecting a time of a zero crossing of the AC waveform;
• and
• determining a particular phase of the polyphase power source system at the device based on the time of the zero crossing relative to a corresponding location within a frequency hopping superframe of the computer network.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a power supply adapted to receive an alternating-current (AC) waveform of an electrical power source, the power source being part of a polyphase power source system;
• a network interface adapted to communicate in a frequency hopping computer network;
• a processor coupled to the network interface and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• monitor the AC waveform;
• detect a time of a zero crossing of the AC waveform;
• and
• determine a particular phase of the polyphase power source system at the power supply based on the time of the zero crossing relative to a corresponding location within a frequency hopping superframe of the computer network.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor on a device in a frequency hopping computer network operable to:

• monitor an alternating-current (AC) waveform of an electrical power source at a device in a computer network, the power source being part of a polyphase power source system;
• detect a time of a zero crossing of the AC waveform;
• and
• determine a particular phase of the polyphase power source system at the device based on the time of the zero crossing relative to a corresponding location within a frequency hopping superframe of the computer network.