Newly Emerging Levels of High Powered PoE

Newly Emerging Levels of High Powered PoE

Security Today estimates more than 31 billion connected IoT devices to be connected by the end of 2020, experts are expecting this number to grow to 75 billion by 2025.

These days, end-users and the devices they use are asking more from networks. Where once existed simple A to B network configurations, we find mesh systems developing through the devices themselves that serve as relays to other nodes.

Wireless access points connected with Ethernet over Cat6 and Cat6A cables are providing high-performance wireless experiences. Sensors in light fixtures capture usage and occupancy data and make the workplace and the home more efficient.

More data and more power are being delivered to the device and providing increasingly sophisticated capabilities. High-Power PoE technology is the infrastructure supporting the last-mile IoT demands of 2020.

Network administrators have a big job in front of them. To be future-ready, networks need to address increasing capacity needs of both speed and power.

New Technologies Fueled By High Powered PoE

While the idea of IoT has been in existence for a long time, a collection of recent advances in several different technologies has made it practical.

What is the Internet of Things, Oracle

  • Sensors are cost-efficient and reliable and are the “sensing” point for automated and artificial intelligence platforms.
  • Devices communicate using network protocols that allow them to connect to the Cloud and scale as required, making building management cost-efficient.
  • Machine learning and AI allow the implementation of technology to become smarter and more custom over time.
  • Low-powered devices are at the core of these advancements, making them affordable and desirable tools.

Places Where High-Powered PoE Is Showing Up

Having the access and visibility provided by smart devices and platforms not only helps systems operate efficiently, they also help reduce the need staff-hours on routine tasks and allow management to prioritize and dedicate staff to more people-centric responsibilities.

IoT technologies, for example, help facilities managers prevent downtime through the collection of sensor data.

Smart BuildingsSmart Buildings

Lighting platforms and sensor systems implement algorithms to turn lights off/on depending on occupancy, order parts, provide maintenance schedules, and replacement alerts for bulbs before they fail. The same sensors are also embedded to help automated systems adjust temperatures and switch to the low-power mode when buildings are unoccupied. They can also provide reports and analytics and send alerts in real-time.

Smart CitiesSmart Cities

Digital signage can send automated and real-time alerts and wayfinding responses to traffic congestion to help keep traffic flow smooth for commuters.

Healthcare

Smart Healthcare

Healthcare practitioners use wearable technology attached to monitoring equipment to monitor heart rates, glucose levels, blood pressure and other life-saving technologies to track patient conditions in real-time. Wearables can also ensure that patients are identified and not subject to medical mistakes.

Healthcare facilities use definition pan-tilt-zoom security cameras to help security departments keep vulnerable patients safe and monitor secure areas.

A Look Under The Hood At High-Powered PoE

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is an access layer technology. It combines data and electrical power, delivering them over a single Ethernet cable. The simplicity of installation allows the end-user the freedom to remotely install without the need for an electrician.

The latest PoE standard was ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and is 802.3bt. Also known as Type 4, 802.3bt has reached power delivery levels of up to 90W of PoE per port.

Type 1, IEEE 802.3af, delivers up to 15.4W of DC power, running over 10BASE-T and 100BASE-T. Power can be delivered over two of the four twisted pairs on Cat5e cabling or higher.

Type 2, IEEE 802.3at, also known as the “PoE+” standard, delivers up to 30W. It supports 1000BASE-T over CAT 5 or 6. It also uses two of the four cable pairs.

Both Type 3 and Type 4 PoE are designated by the IEEE 802.3bt standard. Both defined PoE standards deliver power over four pairs. They support 10GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T, and 2.5GBASE-T over CAT5e or higher. The primary difference is that Type 3 supports up to 60W per port, while Type 4 is up to the full 90W power level per port.

4 Types of PoE Power

PSE Support For Type 4 Devices

To keep pace with the end-user technologies under development, manufacturers of IT networking equipment are developing more sophisticated, flexible switch options, featuring very high power budgets. A power budget refers to the amount of the available power available for allocation between ports to deliver to the end devices on a switch.

VX-GPU-2626 PoE Switch

The VX-GPU2626, for example, is a (V2) L2+ 24-Port Managed GbE UPOE Switch with 2000W of available power. This easy-to-use, manage, and install switch was designed to support PoE for enterprise smart-building implementations.

  • IP phones – Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) phones or IP phones use voice over IP technologies to place telephone calls over an IP network instead of traditional telecommunications phone services.
  • IP cameras – Internet Protocol cameras are digital video devices that receive control data and send image data via an IP network. They are commonly used for surveillance but do not use analog closed-circuit television cameras, only a local area network (LAN).
  • High-powered wireless access points – These high-performance devices can transmit massive amounts of data for streaming and other bandwidth-intensive technologies.
  • Intelligent LED lighting systems for the enterprise include sensors, power monitoring, and networked communications. They are dimmable, can boost well being of occupants, and reduce energy consumption.

poe switchFor situations where a high-powered device needs to connect to a legacy (pre-Ethernet) switch, the VX-1000GPP Industrial Hardened Gigabit Single-Port 90W PoE Injector can supply power to the PD, while the PSE transmits data.

Final Thoughts On High Powered PoE

The introduction of the Ethernet IEEE 802.3bt (Type 4) standard has opened up a world of flexible implementations that at one time required the services of an electrician. This cost savings is also making it easier for the consumer to buy. Faster, easier deployments due to PoE have unlocked the potential for more of these high-powered devices to change to the intelligent landscape.

For more information about 90W or help with choosing a PoE switch, please reach out to one of the Versa Technology analysts.