Multimedia faceplates having ethernet conversion circuitry
A multimedia faceplate includes a frame having a front face and a rear face and at least one connector mounting aperture therein, a non-Ethernet connector mounted in the connector mounting aperture, an Ethernet conversion unit that is electrically connected to the non-Ethernet connector and a plurality of wire connection contacts that are electrically connected to the Ethernet conversion unit. The Ethernet conversion unit is configured to draw an electrical power signal from either an AC to DC power conversion unit or from a Power-over-Ethernet power signal received from an Ethernet cable that is connected to the wire connection contacts.
1. A multimedia system comprising:
a frame having a front face and a rear face;
a plurality of non-Ethernet connectors mounted to the frame;
at least one Ethernet connector mounted to the frame;
an Ethernet conversion unit in communication with at least one of the plurality of non-Ethernet connectors and the Ethernet connector;
a plurality of wire connection terminals that are electrically connected to the Ethernet conversion unit; and
an twisted-pair cable connected to the plurality of wire connection terminals, wherein the twisted-pair cable is configured to transmit signals received at the at least one of the plurality of non-Ethernet connectors,
wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is configured to draw an electrical power signal from a Power-over-Ethernet power signal received from a twisted-pair cable that is connected to the Ethernet connector.
2. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is electrically connected to the non-Ethernet connector.
3. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the twisted-pair cable that is connected to the plurality of wire connection terminals is routed to a network switch.
4. The multimedia system of claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is mounted on the printed circuit board.
5. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is configured to convert a video signal or an audio/video signal into a signal having a packet-based video-over-Ethernet protocol.
6. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is configured to convert an audio signal into a signal having a packet-based audio-over-Ethernet protocol.
7. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is further configured to convert a packet-based video-over-Ethernet protocol into a video signal or an audio/video signal.
8. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit is configured to convert a packet-based video-over-Ethernet protocol that is received from the twisted-pair cable into signals associated with the non-Ethernet connectors.
9. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet conversion unit includes a connector termination and an integrated circuit chip, and wherein the connector termination is mounted on a first side of a printed circuit board and wire connection contacts are mounted on an opposite side of the printed circuit board, wherein the wire connection contacts are in electrical communication with the Ethernet connector.
10. The multimedia system of claim 1 , wherein the twist-pair cable is an Ethernet cable including at least four twisted-pairs.