Transition adds power

Transition Networks at this week’s NetWorld+Interop trade show unveiled a set of media converters that deliver power over Ethernet.

The Fast Ethernet devices transfer signals from fiber-optic lines to copper connections that also deliver electrical power. Power over Ethernet is targeted at applications where the power and the data need to travel over the same wire – such as IP phones, wireless access points and remote networked cameras.

Transition’s AC-powered PoE media converters conform to the IEEE 802.3af standard for delivering power over Ethernet connections using unshielded twisted pair wiring. Data comes in and goes out over a fiber-optic link, and the converter sends the signal, along with 48 volts of DC power, to end devices.

Transition says the converters offer over-current protection, under-current detection and fault protection input.

In addition to working as an IEEE 802.3af-compatible device, the converters can operate in “legacy mode.” Transition says that this mode allows for reverse polarity and 12, 24 or 48 volts of DC power. It can also work with non-802.3af-compatible devices.

The company’s new Power Splitter adds power-over-Ethernet capabilities to Transition media converters that don’t already have them, so that the converters can be powered by an IEEE 802.3af-compatible power source.

The media converters are shipping today. The 10M bit/sec versions start at $350, while the 100M bit/sec versions start at $700.