Adjustable-voltage power-over-ethernet (PoE) switch
An adjustable-voltage Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch provides data signals and output electrical powers to a multiple number of output PoE ports. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch has an output voltage-adjusting interface, allowing a user to select a specific power level or a specific output voltage for the particular output PoE port. The adjustable-voltage PoE can also include a conventional IEEE 802.3af-compliant power mode for further utilizing PoE in communicating and powering up external devices. A plurality of light indicators corresponding to the multiple number of output PoE ports provides further convenience by indicating a specific power level or a specific output voltage for a particular output PoE port using a particular color in each color-changing light indicator.
1. An adjustable-voltage Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch configured to provide data signals and/or output electrical powers to a plurality of output PoE ports, the adjustable-voltage PoE switch comprising:
a plurality of input Ethernet ports configured to carry the data signals and/or one or more input electrical powers as an Ethernet data transfer or a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) data transfer;
a MAC interface between the plurality of input Ethernet ports and a microprocessor for the adjustable-voltage PoE switch, wherein the MAC interface analyzes and fetches a remote TCP/IP-based voltage adjustment instruction for a voltage adjustment of a particular output PoE port, and wherein the microprocessor executes the remote TCP-IP-based voltage adjustment instruction using a power source equipment (PSE) controller and at least one of plurality of controlled voltage sources to achieve the voltage adjustment of the particular output PoE port;
the power source equipment (PSE) controller configured to control a delivery of a direct-current (DC) power as the output electrical powers to the plurality of controlled voltage sources, wherein the DC power is generated by a power supply unit;
the plurality of controlled voltage sources configured to regulate output voltages for the output electrical powers in the plurality of output PoE ports;
a plurality of transformers configured to combine or separate at least some portions of the output electrical powers from at least some portions of the data signals;
the plurality of output PoE ports, wherein one of the plurality of output PoE ports is configured to supply some portions of the output electrical powers and some portions of the data signals to a first external device;
an output voltage-adjusting interface configured to enable a user to select a specific output voltage for a specific output PoE port manually among the plurality of output PoE ports; and
the microprocessor further configured to take input from the output voltage-adjusting interface and configured to control the PSE controller, the power supply unit, and the plurality of controlled voltage sources.
2. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of light indicators corresponding to the plurality of output PoE ports, wherein a color of each light indicator represents an operating output voltage adjustable via the output voltage-adjusting interface.
3. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor further controls the plurality of light indicators.
4. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , wherein the PoE switch further provides an IEEE 802.3af-compliant mode for at least one output port from the plurality of output PoE ports.
5. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , further comprising a memory unit operatively connected to the microprocessor, wherein at least some portion of the memory unit is user-programmable.
6. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , further comprising an outdoor-use housing, wherein the outdoor-use housing provides weather-resistance and encapsulates at least some portions of the adjustable-voltage PoE switch.
7. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , further comprising water-tight connectors for Ethernet wires and/or power wires.
8. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of output PoE ports transmits the output electrical powers less than 100 watts and the power supply unit generates a 48-volt and 2.5-amp power.
9. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , further comprising an alternate-current (AC) source output port configured to supply an AC electrical power to a second external device.
10. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 1 , wherein the first external device can be a Voice-over-IP device, a network camera, a network access point, a router, a network bridge, or a communication device utilizing Power-over-Ethernet.
11. An adjustable-voltage Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch configured to provide data signals and/or output electrical powers to a plurality of output PoE ports, the adjustable-voltage PoE switch comprising:
a plurality of input Ethernet ports configured to carry the data signals and/or one or more input electrical powers as an Ethernet data transfer or a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) data transfer;
a MAC interface between the plurality of input Ethernet ports and a microprocessor for the POE switch, wherein the MAC interface analyzes and fetches a remote TCP/IP-based voltage adjustment instruction for a voltage adjustment of a particular output PoE port, and wherein the microprocessor executes the remote TCP-IP-based voltage adjustment instruction using a power source equipment (PSE) controller and at least one of plurality of controlled voltage sources to achieve the voltage adjustment of the particular output PoE port;
the power source equipment (PSE) controller configured to control a delivery of a direct-current (DC) power as the output electrical powers to the plurality of controlled voltage sources, wherein the DC power is generated by a power supply unit;
the plurality of controlled voltage sources configured to regulate output voltages for the output electrical powers in the plurality of output PoE ports;
a plurality of transformers configured to combine or separate at least some portions of the output electrical powers from at least some portions of the data signals;
a first output PoE port from the plurality of output PoE ports configured to supply some of the data signals and a 12-volt and 1-amp power, a 18-volt and 1.5-amp power, a 24-volt and 1.5-amp power, a 48-volt and 1-amp power, or an IEEE 802.3af-compliant power to a first external device;
an output voltage-adjusting interface configured to enable a user to select the 12-volt and 1-amp power, the 18-volt and 1.5-amp power, the 24-volt and 1.5-amp power, the 48-volt and 1-amp power, or the IEEE 802.3af-compliant power for the first output PoE port manually; and
the microprocessor further configured to take input from the output voltage-adjusting interface and configured to control the PSE controller, the power supply unit, and the plurality of controlled voltage sources.
12. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of light indicators corresponding to the plurality of output PoE ports, wherein a color of each light indicator represents an operating output voltage adjustable via the output voltage-adjusting interface.
13. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 12 , wherein the microprocessor further controls the plurality of light indicators.
14. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , wherein the adjustable-voltage PoE switch further provides an IEEE 802.3af-compliant mode for at least one output port from the plurality of output PoE ports.
15. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , further comprising a memory unit operatively connected to the microprocessor, wherein at least some portion of the memory unit is user-programmable.
16. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , further comprising an outdoor-use housing, wherein the outdoor-use housing provides weather-resistance and encapsulates at least some portions of the adjustable-voltage PoE switch.
17. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , further comprising water-tight connectors for Ethernet wires and/or power wires.
18. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of output PoE ports transmits the output electrical powers less than 100 watts and the power supply unit generates a 48-volt and 2.5-amp power.
19. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , further comprising an alternate-current (AC) source output port configured to supply an AC electrical power to a second external device.
20. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch of claim 11 , wherein the first external device can be a Voice-over-IP device, a network camera, a network access point, a router, a network bridge, or a communication device utilizing Power-over-Ethernet.