Benefits of PoE include increased mobility for end devices,

added safety (no AC power involved), simplicity of

installation, reliability, security and cost savings.

POWER OVER ETHERNET (POE)

With the introduction of new Ethernet-enabled devices expanding
geometrically, the need to power these devices from standard AC
power outlets has become a limiting factor. IP telephones,
wireless access points, IP cameras and device servers are
examples of devices limited by the need to have an AC power
outlet nearby to plug in a DC power adapter. At best, power
supply installation and wiring adds labor and results in the mess
of extra wiring; worst case, the lack of nearby AC power means
devices cannot be installed where they are needed.
In response to this need, IEEE developed IEEE802.3af to
standardize a system of supplying low voltage power to
networked devices via the communications line. Released in mid2003, the standard was entitled, Data Terminal Equipment (DTE)
Power via Media Dependant Interface (MDI). It is more
commonly referred to as Power over Ethernet (POE). PoE
supplies power to network devices over the same standard
Category 5e (CAT-5) cabling that carries the data. Devices can be
installed whereever structured Ethernet wiring is located, without
the need for AC power outlets nearby.

Alternative A implements a simplex, or phantom feeding

method for delivering power to the end device. Power is carried
on the same conductors as data. CAT-5 cabling for standard
10BaseT and 100Base-TX Ethernet uses two data/signal pairs
connected to pins 1 and 2 and pins 3 and 6 on RJ-45 connectors.
Power sourcing equipment superimposes power onto these pins
via the center tap of internal signal coupling transformers. In the
powered device (PD) the power is derived from these lines using
the reverse technique.

Figure 1. Power over Ethernet Alternative A

Alternative B carries power over spare wire pairs in the cable.
The power sourcing equipment applies positive voltage to pins 4
and 5. Negative voltage is applied to pins 7 and 8.

The benefits of PoE include increased mobility for end devices,

added safety (no AC power involved), simplicity of installation,
reliability, security and cost savings. These advantages have led
to the development of a variety of new PoE-enabled products
(including B&B Electronics PES1A and PESV1A RS-232 to
Ethernet Converters).

How PoE Works

In the PoE scheme, two different types of devices are involved:
Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and Powered Devices (PD).
PDs are PoE-enabled network end devices equipped to accept
low voltage power transmitted over structured Ethernet CAT-5
cabling.

Figure 2. Power over Ethernet Alternative B

More on Powered Devices

PSEs provide the DC power to PDs. PSEs source up to 12 watts
at 48 volts to each PD. A PSE may be an endspan device or a
midspan device. An endspan device typically is a network
switch enabled to provide PoE power on each port. A midspan
device is connected in-line to each end device and adds power to
the line.
Power is carried over the cabling using two techniques:
Alternative A and Alternative B.

PDs are designed to accept PoE in either format (Alternative A or

B) so that they can receive power regardless of which Alternative
is implemented in the PSE. When operating in Alternative A
mode PDs automatically adjust for polarity of the power supply
voltage. This ensures that the device will operate even if a
crossover cable is being used. (This sometimes happens if a
Media Dependant Interface (MDI), such as a PC network card, is
connected to the PD, which also is wired as a MDI.)

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Benefits of PoE include increased mobility for end devices,

added safety (no AC power involved), simplicity of
installation, reliability, security and cost savings.

Class

PD Power

Note

(W)
0

0.44 to 12.95

Default

0.44 to 3.84

Optional

3.84 to 6.49

Optional

6.49 to 12.95

Optional

Future use

Future use

If a PD does not support classification it is assigned a default

classification of 0, indicating the PSE should supply the
maximum needed power. Classification of connected PDs allows
the PSE to optimize its power distribution.
Figure 3. A Powered Device
PDs operate from 48 VDC (approximately) supplied by the PSE,
which means they are classified as a Safety Extra Low Voltage
(SELV) device. The maximum current supplied by the PSE is
about 350 mA. With some loss in the CAT-5 cable, the PD is
limited to about 12 watts of power. Maximum allowable cable
resistance is 20 ohms.

More on Power Sourcing Equipment

The two types of PSE (endspan and midspan) are used in
different situations. Endspan PSEs typically are used in new
installations where a new switch or router is required. Midspan
devices more often are added to an existing network to add PoE
capabilities. Midspan devices are connected in-line, between the
existing switch and the PD. They can be obtained as a single or
multiple line units.
On initial power up Power Sourcing Equipment is designed to
detect, and only supply power to the network device if it is
identified as a PoE-enabled device. When first connected the PSE
initiates a detection process that involves low probing voltages to
sense the type of PD connected while avoiding damage to nonPoE network devices.
Some Power Sourcing Equipment may also detect the power
class of the PD. PDs are assigned to one of the following five
classes, depending on the amount of power they require.

PSEs are able to detect several undesirable load conditions,

including shorted communications cables, disconnected PDs and
the connection of non-PoE devices. When a fault is detected the
PSE will disconnect power from the communications line before
damage can occur.

Power over Ethernet Glossary

PoE Power Over Ethernet: A relatively new technology that
allows PoE-enabled Ethernet networked devices to receive power
(as well as data) over existing CAT-5 Ethernet cable without the
need to make modifications to it.
PD - Powered Device: A Ethernet device that receives power
over Ethernet. It could be a PoE-enabled IP phone, a wireless
access point, a serial device server or any other IP device that
requires power.
PSE Power Sourcing Equipment: The network PoE element
that inserts power onto an Ethernet cable. It may be an endspan
device, such as a PoE-enabled switch, or a midspan device
located between the switch and the PD.
Midspan A midspan device is a PSE that inserts power onto
the Ethernet cable. It is situated between the LAN switch and the
PD. Typically, midspan devices are added to existing networks to
allow the use of PoE-enabled PDs.
Endspan An endspan device is typically a switch that
incorporates PoE capabilities. Endspan devices often are
implemented when a new network is created, to avoid adding
midspan devices as well as the switch.

Benefits of PoE include increased mobility for end devices,

added safety (no AC power involved), simplicity of
installation, reliability, security and cost savings.

IEEE 802.3af An IEEE standard (ratified in June 2003) that

defines the transmission of power over Ethernet infrastructure.
Also called Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) Power via Media
Dependent Interface.
Ethernet - Ethernet, an IEEE 802.3 standard, is the most
commonly installed computer local area network technology.
Ethernet uses a bus or star topology and relies on the form of
access known as Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Detection (CSMA/DC) to regulate communication line traffic.
CAT-5 Category 5 cable is the standard type of UTP cable used
for horizontal Ethernet wiring. CAT-5 cable contains eight
conductors, of which four are used for data communication in
10BaseT and 100BaseTX Ethernet.
Access Point A wireless LAN device that interfaces with a
wired Ethernet LAN.
RJ-45 Registered Jack Standard 45. The RJ-45 is a single-line
jack for digital transmission over ordinary phone wire, either
untwisted or twisted. It is the interface of Ethernet standards
10BaseT and 100BaseT. The connector has eight connector
points and can accommodate up to eight wires.
UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair. The cable used for most
telephone wire, and is also used for some computer-to-computer
communications. It contains pairs of unshielded wires twisted
together and is an inexpensive and relatively low-noise way to
transmit signals. CAT-5 cable is UTP.
STP Shielded Twisted Pair: A cable type sometimes used in
networking. Each pair has a metal sheath around it for protection
against interference.
SELV Safety Extra Low Voltage: A circuit which is so
designed and protected that, under normal and single fault
conditions, its voltages do not exceed a safe value (60 VDC).
MDI / MDI-X Media Dependent Interface: In Ethernet cable
wiring, the concept of transmit and receive are from the
perspective of the end device (PC network card, IP phone, device
server, wireless access point, etc). The end device is wired as an
MDIdata is transmitted on pins 1 and 2, received on pin 3 and
6. The hub, switch or router used on the network is wired as an
MDI-X in which the perspective is reversed, and pins 1 and 2 are
the receive pins, pins 3 and 6 are the transmit pins. To connect
two end devices (e.g. two computers with network interfaces) a
crossover cable is required.

DTE Data Terminal Equipment: A communications element

that is a source of data, as opposed to Data Communications
Equipment (DCE), which accepts data from the DTE and
transfers it to another DCE. PCs are a typically DTE.
Galvanic Isolation Electrically isolating two parts of a circuit
so that no current can flow between them. This is accomplished
using a transformer or optocoupler and is often done to maintain
safety for the equipment and personnel using it.
DC/DC converter An electronic device that converts DC
power at one voltage to DC power at another voltage (may be
higher or lower voltage). The input and output sides of the
converter typically are galvanically isolated from each other.
Switch A networking device that connects multiple computers
on a LAN so they can communicate with one another, the rest of
the network and the internet. Unlike a hub, users connected to a
switch do not share the available bandwidth. Each switch port
runs at the full bandwidth of the switch port. A switch keeps track
of MAC addresses attached to each of its ports and switches data
to the intended recipient.
Hub A connection device for networks that allows multiple
segments or computers to connect and share packets of
information. Hubs merely reproduce and re-send data pulses and
do not switch the data based on its address or content.
LAN Local Area Network. A communications network
connecting a group of computer, printers, and other devices
located within a relatively limited area (such as a home, office or
small building). A LAN allows any connected device to interact
with any other on the network. A LAN in turn often connects to
other LANs, and to the Internet or other WAN.
Phantom Feeding A technique for supplying power to a
circuit in which the DC voltage is applied equally to two signal
conductors, usually by simplexing the DC power using the
center tap of signal coupling transformers. The DC power is
removed from the signal at the receiving using another set of
coupling transformers.
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