I discuss interesting products in this post that change fundamentally how you layout and design networks.  As you read or watch, you can use the links below to find those products.

Let’s start by discussing what is IEEE 802.3bt PoE in practical terms.  If you’d like, you can read the full standard with all of its details, however, spoiler alert, power and data get together in the end.  In all seriousness, when you’re considering IEEE 802.3bt, here’s what you really need to know:

• It was ratified in 2018 meaning it is a fairly new technology so not every manufacturer will have integrated this into their product line
• It also hasn’t figured out what to call itself yet.  You’ll find companies call it PoE++, UPOE, UPOE+, 4PairPoE, and more.  
• It also comes in two types:
• Type 3 means it was based on Pre-standard PoE, gives you 60 watts of power, and requires dual signature which means it will not necessarily work with Type 4 PoE devices
• Which is the new standard, Type 4, gives you 90 watts of power, and does a single signature
• Since we’re at BICSI, you’ll want to know about the cables.  Standards typically call for CAT 6 or a CAT 5e that has been designed for 4PairPoE. Check the cable specs on this.
• A quick note, though, there is some planned power loss on even the bigger cables meaning you should only plan on 72 watts at a device even if you get 90 watts at the PoE switch.

So, let’s answer the question of why you would choose to maximize your network with PoE.  Or in other words, why would you or your customers invest in upgrading to IEEE 802.3bt?  Simply put, it’s all about saving money.  PoE projects normally save 30% on any given project compared to conventional technology and give you a 36 month RoI.

How do you get that savings?  With IEEE 802.3bt what you get above the savings in manpower and wiring you already know about, you’re able to move processing to the edge using more powerful intelligent devices, which I’ll get into shortly.  It also allows you to integrate more modern technology with some very cool features.  Let’s look at what those kinds of things are.

First let’s add in some new tech important for this discussion. You’ve likely seen the new USB-C connector on phones or tablets.  However, you may not be as familiar with what it means from a functional perspective especially in buildings.  Did you know USB-C can charge and do data up to 100 watts with the right cables?  And it can role swap so a charging device can flip to be charged by something connected to it.

But if it’s so cool, why don’t we see it everywhere?  Frankly, it just costs too much to run over 3-5 ft and cannot run longer than 15 ft maximum with extremely expensive cables.  That’s where PoE comes in.

PoE Texas’ patent pending technology converges USB Type C and PoE onto one network.  You can use our new our PoE+ to USB-C converter to charge and send wired data to tablets and phones.  Designed to fit into US and EU wall boxes to allow you to use this for room schedulers, kiosks, digital signage, return to work and school solutions, and more.  With our selection of cables, we can provide power and data to most modern tablets including Microsoft, Apple, Google, Samsung, and more.

We’re also doing pilot testing of an IEEE 802.3bt USB-C dock for enterprise and educational applications.  You can find the cut sheet for it at our BICSI Booth. It has a USB-C charging and data port that will charge laptops that operate at less than 70 watts, which covers most laptops.  Right now schools are handing out laptops to all their students, but they don’t have plans on how to keep those laptops charged at student’s desks.  At best the student remembers their charger which has to plug into power strips and extension cords strewn around the classroom.  This device takes the data load off the wireless network while at the same time charging off inherently safe class 2 power. [I8]

Speaking of charging, our new enterprise grade inwall devices allow you to convert a simple network drop into useful building elements.  We recently launched our PoE+ to USB charging port.  It takes PoE+ in and outputs a dual orientation USB charger  and PoE output port.  Now, your network drop becomes a useful IoT device for your customers.

Or, you can use IEEE 802.3bt PoE to power our miniaturized PoE switch that basically gives you 4 PoE ports for the price of one cable.  In situations where you can’t run more cables and need more ports, you can use this device to get 4x PoE+ capable ports for the price of one cable.

Finally, let’s talk about how you use PoE with your edge processors.  Now you can use PoE++ and PoE to provide power and data to your favorite edge devices including the Intel NUC mini PC, Raspberry Pi, and any DC driven device like thin clients and more.

Whew!  We’ve covered a lot of technology and opportunities with PoE.  As you can see, the new, more powerful PoE and USB-C standards are offering some very new, exciting opportunities for your enterprise network at a device level.

If you’d like to learn more, you can find all of these devices above.  You can also reach out to us at success@poetexas.com to speak directly with a PoE expert.

Finally, I’ll wrap with a teaser for our other posts.  Are you ready to take your ICT and installation business to the next level?   Are you ready to differentiate yourself as a market leader?  Join us later as we talk to you about PoE based lighting and automation and see how to significantly expand what you can offer your customers.  Visit our other posts here in the learning center!