Network system for configurable delivery of combined power and data signals over twisted pair wiring
View Patent ↗A telecommunications panel and associated system are disclosed. In one example, the panel includes a panel housing having a first side and a second side, one or more data connectors on the first side, and a power input signal connector on the first side. The panel includes one or more combined power output and data signal connectors on the second side, each of the combined power output and data signal connectors configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable and including a plurality of twisted pairs each having first and second wire contacts. The one or more twisted pairs are configured to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage difference between the first and second wire contacts, and the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs are configured to carry differential data signals. The telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow pairs of the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs to cooperate to carry a power signal.
1. A telecommunications panel comprising:
a panel housing having a first side and a second side;
one or more data connectors on the first side;
a power input signal connector on the first side;
one or more combined power output and data signal connectors on the second side, each of the combined power output and data signal connectors configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable, each of the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors including a plurality of twisted pairs each having first and second wire contacts;
wherein one or more of the twisted pairs is configured to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage difference between the first and second wire contacts;
wherein the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs are configured to carry differential data signals; and
wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow pairs of the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs to cooperate to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage differential in combination with the differential data signals concurrently with the one or more of the twisted pairs carrying the power signal.
2. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data connectors on the first side are electrically connected to the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors on the second side.
3. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the power input signal on the first side is electrically connected to the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors on the second side.
4. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data connectors includes an optical data connector.
5. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data connectors includes a twisted pair electrical data connector.
6. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors is an MRJ21 connector.
7. The telecommunications panel of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications panel has first and second communication modes, the first mode providing a first communication frequency and applying a power signal across a plurality of the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs, and the second mode providing a second communication frequency higher than the first communication frequency and lacking the power signal across the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs.
8. A telecommunications panel comprising:
a panel housing having a first side and a second side;
a combined power input and data signal connector on the first side;
a plurality of combined power output and data signal connectors on the second side, each of the plurality of combined power output and data signal connectors electrically connected to power and data signals from the combined power input and data signal connector and configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable and including electrical contact springs positioned for connection to at least first, second, third, and fourth twisted pairs each having first and second wire contacts;
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth twisted pairs are each configured to carry a differential data signal;
wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow the second and third twisted pairs to cooperate to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage differential in combination with the differential data signal; and
wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow the first and fourth twisted pairs to cooperate to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage differential in combination with the differential data signal; and
wherein at least one of the combined power output and data signal connectors is configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable and includes electrical contact springs positioned for connection to a fifth twisted pair, wherein the fifth twisted pair is configured to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage difference between the first and second wire contacts concurrently with either (1) the second and third twisted pairs carrying the power signal or (2) the first and fourth twisted pairs carrying the power signal.
9. The telecommunications panel of claim 8 , wherein the combined power input and data signal connector is an MRJ21 connector.
10. The telecommunications panel of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of the combined power output and data signal connectors is an RJ-50 connector.
11. The telecommunications panel of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications panel has first and second communication modes, the first mode providing a first communication frequency and applying a power signal across a plurality of the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs, and the second mode providing a second communication frequency higher than the first communication frequency and lacking the power signal across at least some of the remaining twisted pair connectors from the plurality of twisted pair connectors.
12. A telecommunications system including:
a first telecommunications panel comprising:
one or more data connectors;
a power input signal connector; and
one or more combined power output and data signal connectors, each configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable, each of the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors including a plurality of twisted pairs each having first and second wire contacts, wherein one or more of the twisted pairs configured to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage difference between the first and second wire contacts and the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs are configured to carry differential data signals concurrently with the one or more of the twisted pairs carrying the power signal;
wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow pairs of the remaining twisted pairs from the plurality of twisted pairs to cooperate to carry a power signal in combination with the differential data signals; and
a second telecommunications panel including:
a combined power input and data signal connector communicatively connected to a cable leading from one of the one or more combined power output and data signal connectors of the first telecommunications panel; and
a plurality of combined power output and data signal connections, each of the plurality of combined power output and data signal connectors configured to electrically connect to a twisted pair cable and including electrical contact springs positioned for connection to at least first, second, third, and fourth, twisted pairs each having first and second wire contacts.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a first twisted pair is configured to carry a power signal as a direct current voltage difference between the first and second wire contacts.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow the third and fourth twisted pair to cooperate to carry a power signal.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the telecommunications panel is configured to selectably allow the second twisted pair to cooperate with a fifth twisted pair also connected to electrical contact springs of the combined power output and data signal connector to carry a power signal.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second, third, and fourth twisted pairs are each configured to carry a differential data signal.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second telecommunications device is configured to transmit on the single channel combined power and data twisted pair connectors one data channel of the plurality of data channels in the one or more first twisted pair cables.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the single channel combined power and data twisted pair connector is an RJ-45 connector.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the single channel combined power and data twisted pair connector is an RJ-50 connector.
20. A networked system comprising:
a first telecommunications device configured to receive power signals and data signals and transmit combined power and data signals over one or more twisted pair cables, each of the twisted pair cables including a plurality of data channels, each of the data channels comprising a plurality of pairs of differential signaling wires;
a second telecommunications device remote from the first telecommunications device, the second telecommunications device configured to electrically connect to one or more of the first twisted pair cables, the second telecommunications device including a plurality of single channel combined power and data twisted pair connectors;
wherein the plurality of pairs of differential signaling wires of the plurality of data channels includes a first pair configured to carry a direct current voltage signal as a voltage differential across the pair and a plurality of remaining pairs each configured to carry differential data signals, the plurality of remaining pairs cooperating to carry a second direct current voltage signal as a voltage differential concurrently with the first pair carrying the direct current voltage signal.
21. A method of delivering power and data in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:
receiving a power signal at a power connector of a first telecommunications panel;
receiving a data signal at a data connector of the first telecommunications panel;
transmitting a combined power output and data signal from a multichannel twisted pair connector of the first telecommunications panel, the combined power output and data signal based on the received power signal and data signal;
receiving the combined power output and data signal at a multichannel twisted pair connector of a second telecommunications panel;
distributing the combined power output and data signal to a plurality of single channel twisted pair connectors, each of the plurality of single channel twisted pair connectors including a first pair configured to carry a direct current voltage signal as a voltage differential across the pair and a plurality of remaining pairs each configured to carry differential data signals, the plurality of remaining pairs cooperating to carry a second direct current voltage signal as a voltage differential concurrently with the first pair carrying the direct current voltage signal;
receiving at a telecommunications device, the combined power output and data signal, thereby powering the device and communicating data to the telecommunications device.