Test Power over Ethernet
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 5/1/2004
Ixia's Power over Ethernet (PoE) load module lets you test PoE power sources by simulating up to four powered devices (PDs). The module, which complies with the IEEE 802.3af standard for PoE, installs in an Ixia 1600T or 400T chassis. It supports Alternative A (power over spare pairs) or Alternative B (power over data pairs) of category 5 or higher cables. You can test a power supply's ability to detect Ethernet devices with PoE capability and measure the current and voltage they draw (steady state and during a transition to powering a device).
The module contains four RJ-45 connectors that connect to the power supply under test and four RJ-45s that connect to an Ixia Ethernet module, which supplies data for 10/100/1000-Mbps Ethernet testing. Two SMA connectors let you monitor voltage and current with a meter. You can operate the module with Ixia's graphical software or you can write scripts in Tcl to produce automated tests.
Price: $2000 per port. Ixia, Calabasas, CA. 818-871-1800; www.ixiacom.com.
