GarrettCom says PoE switch enables applications

GarrettCom Inc . reports that it’s bringing the flexibility and cost savings of Power over Ethernet (PoE) IEEE 802.3af to industrial applications by introducing its four-port Magnum PS14P PoE power source-convenient switch. This hardened PS14P switch reportedly is the first industrially specified switch to offer an IEEE 802.3af-compliant way to power and connect small devices such as IP phones, surveillance cameras, wireless access points, and industrial sensors at the remote edges of an industrial network. PS14P is rated for temperature-uncontrolled environments, and has a temperature rating of–40 to 75 °C. It also resists dirt, moisture, and other threats in industrial environments.

Originally developed to provide an inexpensive power source for VoIP phones being deployed in enterprises, PoE allows power-sourcing equipment (PSE) to provide power over standard twisted-pair Ethernet cabling to a compliant powered device (PD). PDs use PoE-standard protocols to request and use power transmitted over the data link. In effect, PoE provides a standards-based way to provide power to a wide variety of PDs in areas where it is physically or financially prohibitive to offer normal power.

Many Enterprise Ethernet applications are using a device called a “Midspan Power Source” to inject power into an existing network. This box sits between an existing Ethernet switch and the target PDs. By integrating Ethernet switching, PoE power sourcing, and hardened components and packaging into one unit, Magnum PS14P switch reportedly saves money and space, and increases reliability in many applications. As more industrial PoE devices appear on the market, Magnum PS14P is expected to enable new applications, extending Ethernet LANs further into high-availability industrial systems.

Magnum PS14P switch has four PoE-enabled RJ-45 ports that can drive 802.3af-compliant PDs, and deliver 10/100 Mbps data transmission over the same twisted-pair cable. PS14P switches also have an auto-sensing algorithm that cuts power when 802.3af-compliant devices are not attached. Proprietary PoE and non-PoE equipment aren’t recognized, which protects them from possible damage. PS14P switch supports the Power-over-Ethernet PSE standard for over-current protection, under-current detection, and fault protection.

—Jim Montague, news editor, Control Engineering, jmontague@reedbusiness.com

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