Method and apparatus for distributing power over communication cabling
View Patent ↗A PoE powered device and method of operation are provided. The device includes a first port unit configured to negotiate receipt of a level of PoE power from a power sourcing equipment. The power is received on a first pair of taps on a first communication port. A detection unit is configured to detect a presence of a first optional circuit load and to detect a presence of a second optional power load. A control circuit is configured to establish connectivity between a second pair of taps on the first communication port and a second powered device port unit in response to the detection unit detecting the first optional load, and further configured to establish connectivity between the second pair of taps and a third pair of taps on a pass-through communication port in response to the detection unit failing to detect the first load and detecting the second load.
1. A powered telecommunications device, comprising:
a first powered device port unit configured to negotiate receipt of a level of power from power sourcing equipment, the power received on a first pair of taps;
a detection unit configured to detect a presence of a first optional load and to detect a presence of a second optional load;
a control circuit configured to establish connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load circuit in response to the detection unit detecting the first optional load; and
the control circuit further configured to establish connectivity between the second pair of taps and a third pair of taps in response to the detection unit failing to detect the first optional load and detecting the second optional load.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power from the power sourcing equipment is Power over Ethernet power.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second and third pair of taps are Power over Ethernet taps.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the Power over Ethernet taps are associated with a powered device port.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load circuit includes establishing connectivity with a second powered device port unit coupled with the first optional load.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the third pair of taps are associated with a pass-through communication port.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first powered device port unit comprises:
a powered device powered pair unit configured to negotiate the level of power with power sourcing equipment;
an intermediate power module configured to convert the negotiated level of power to an intermediate voltage; and
a power conversion and distribution module configured to convert the predetermined intermediate voltage to a source voltage prior to distributing to a load.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powered device is configured as a distributed antenna system remote antenna unit.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first optional load is a remote antenna unit RF signal processing board.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second optional load is selected from a group consisting of a standard access point, a WiFi access point, a WiMax access point, a maintenance terminal, IP camera, and combinations thereof.
11. A powered telecommunications device, comprising:
a powered device port unit configured to negotiate a receipt of power from a power sourcing equipment:
a detection unit configured to detect a presence of an optional power load separate from the powered telecommunications device;
a control circuit configured to establish connectivity between a pair of taps and another pair of taps in response to the detection unit detecting the optional power load;
the control circuit configured, upon not detecting the optional power load, to establish connectivity between the pair of taps and a load of the powered telecommunications device.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the power from the power sourcing equipment is Power over Ethernet power.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one pair of taps are Power over Ethernet taps.
14. The device of claim 11 , the powered device port unit comprising:
a powered device powered pair unit configured to negotiate the level of power with power sourcing equipment;
an intermediate power module configured to convert the negotiated level of power to an intermediate voltage; and
a power conversion and distribution module configured to convert the intermediate voltage to a source voltage prior to distributing to a load.
15. The device of claim 11 wherein the another pair of taps are associated with a pass-through communication port.
16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the powered device is configured as a distributed antenna system remote antenna unit.
17. The device of claim 11 , wherein the optional power load is selected from a group consisting of: a standard access port, a WiFi access point, a WiMax access point, a maintenance terminal, IP camera, and combinations thereof.
18. A powered telecommunications device, comprising:
a powered device port unit configured to negotiate a receipt of power from power sourcing equipment over a first pair of taps on a first powered device port;
a tap circuit that establishes connectivity between a second pair of taps on the first powered device port and taps on a pass-through communication port;
a powered device powered pair unit configured to negotiate the level of power with the power sourcing equipment; and
a power conversion and distribution module that provides another level of power from the negotiated level of power prior to distributing to a load.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the power from the power sourcing equipment is Power over Ethernet power.
20. The device of claim 18 , wherein at least one pair of taps are Power over Ethernet taps.
21. The device of claim 18 , wherein the powered device port unit comprises:
an intermediate power module configured to convert the negotiated level of power to an intermediate voltage; and
wherein the power conversion and distribution module is configured to convert the intermediate voltage to a source voltage prior to distributing to a load.
22. The device of claim 18 , wherein the powered device is configured as a distributed antenna system remote antenna unit.
23. The device of claim 18 , wherein the powered device is selected from a group consisting of: a standard access point, a WiFi access point, a WiMax access point, a maintenance terminal, IP camera, and combinations thereof.
24. A method of distributing power in a telecommunications device, the method comprising:
negotiating receipt of a first power from power sourcing equipment, the first power received on a first pair of taps;
performing a detection process for detecting a presence of a first optional load;
performing a detection process for detecting a presence of a second optional load;
in response to detecting the first optional load, establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load; and
in response to failing to detect the first optional load and detecting the second optional load, establishing connectivity between the second pair of taps and a third pair of taps.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the power from the power sourcing equipment is Power over Ethernet power.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third pair of taps are Power over Ethernet taps.
27. The method of claim 24 wherein establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load includes negotiating receipt of a second power from power sourcing equipment, the second power received on a second pair of taps.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the device is a remote antenna unit in a distributed antenna system.
29. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:
configuring the device to communicate with and to provide power to an RF signal processing board as the first optional load.
30. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:
configuring the device to communicate with and to supply power to a second optional load selected from a group consisting of: a standard access point, a WiFi access point, a WiMax access point, a maintenance terminal, IP camera, and combinations thereof.
31. A method of distributing power in a telecommunications device, the method comprising:
negotiating receipt of a first power from power sourcing equipment, the first power received on a first pair of taps;
performing a detection process for detecting a presence of a first optional load;
performing a detection process for detecting a presence of a second optional load;
determining if the first optional load is a preferred load; and
determining if the second optional load is a preferred load;
in response to detecting the first optional load and determining that the first optional load is a preferred load, establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load; and
in response to failing to detect the first optional load and detecting the second optional load, establishing connectivity between the second pair of taps and a third pair of taps.
32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:
in response to detecting the second optional load and determining that the second optional load is a preferred load, establishing connectivity between the second pair of taps and a third pair of taps; and
in response to failing to detect the second optional load and detecting the first optional load, establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the power from the power sourcing equipment is Power over Ethernet power.
34. The method of claim 31 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third pair of taps are Power over Ethernet taps.
35. The method of claim 31 , wherein establishing connectivity between a second pair of taps and the first optional load includes negotiating receipt of a second power from power sourcing equipment, the second power received on a second pair of taps.
36. The method of claim 31 , wherein the device is a remote antenna unit in a distributed antenna system.
37. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:
configuring the device to communicate with and to provide power to an RF signal processing board as the first optional load.
38. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:
configuring the device to communicate with and to supply power to a second optional load selected from a group consisting of: a standard access point, a WiFi access point, a WiMax access point, a maintenance terminal, IP camera, and combinations thereof.