IEEE 802.3af powers NetCom Serial Device Servers
VSCOM announces Serial Device Servers, powered over the Ethernet connection. Three models will be available on end of February 2012. The NetCom 111 PoE, 113 PoE and 211 PoE are upgraded variants of the well known Serial Device Servers
NetCom 111,
NetCom 113 and
NetCom 211.
As those they provide the exact same functions and handling as the long existing products. But they add the feature of getting powered over the Ethernet connection. If this option is used the need for an extra DC power adapter is removed. In such an installation an Ethernet switching Hub with PoE option inserts the supply currents onto the network cable, the NetCom Servers use this to operate. If the external power adapter is installed in parallel, this operates as an auxiliary power supply.
The source of electric power is completely transparent to any software, application or configuration tool. The new models maybe used as drop-in replacements of existing devices in already running installations.
Using a supply via the LAN cable eliminates the need to create an extra AC or DC power line to the location of the device. Of course in all installations there is some kind of supply at the location, at least to run the connected serial equipment. But this may be a low power supply, run from battery, or also the distance to the Serial Device Server may be significant when using RS422. Further the serial device might draw power from the serial port (RS232 or RS422), this also is an ideal occasion to use Power over Ethernet.