Power over ethernet device tester and configuration system, apparatus, and method

Abstract

A system, topology, and methods for testing a POE signal downstream from a POE source and configuring a POE device remotely including wired and wireless system for providing signals from remote POE device while providing power to the POE device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Power over Ethernet (PoE) apparatus for configuring and verifying the operation of a physically separate PoE powered device that provides data on a data pair, including:
 a portable monolithic body including:
 an upstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair, the upstream Ethernet port for receiving PoE power from a physically separate PoE source via the data wire pair and the power wire pair, the PoE apparatus only receiving external power from the PoE source; 
 a downstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair; 
 a PoE source module coupled to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the PoE apparatus and the data wire pair, and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port; and 
 a plurality of signal transformers coupled the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port and further coupled to one of a data wire pair of a second Ethernet port to provide only the data received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port to the second Ethernet port and a wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit a signal representing the data only received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
   
     
     
         2 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the portable monolithic body includes only a single upstream Ethernet port and a single downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         3 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a voltage threshold module, the voltage threshold module coupled between the PoE source module and the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair, the voltage threshold module preventing the passage of PoE power signal to the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair until the voltage PoE power signal voltage reaches a predetermined voltage level. 
     
     
         4 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the PoE source module includes a diode bridge coupled to one of the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         5 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the portable monolithic body includes a wireless transmitter coupled to the plurality of signal transformers for wirelessly transmitting a signal representing the data only received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         6 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the downstream port includes two data wire pairs and two power wire pairs. 
     
     
         7 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the portable monolithic body further includes a second Ethernet port that includes a data wire pair coupled to the plurality of signal transformers to provide only the data received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port to the data wire pair of the second Ethernet port. 
     
     
         8 . A Power over Ethernet (PoE) apparatus for configuring and verifying the operation of a physically separate PoE powered device that provides data on a data pair, including:
 a portable monolithic body including:
 an upstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair, the upstream Ethernet port for receiving PoE power from a physically separate PoE source via the data wire pair and the power wire pair, the PoE apparatus only receiving external power from the PoE source; 
 a downstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair; 
 a PoE source module coupled to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the PoE apparatus and the data wire pair, and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port; and 
 a plurality of signal transformers coupled the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port and further coupled to a wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit a signal representing the data only received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
   
     
     
         9 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the portable monolithic body includes only a single upstream Ethernet port and a single downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         10 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a voltage threshold module, the voltage threshold module coupled between the PoE source module and the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair, the voltage threshold module preventing the passage of PoE power signal to the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair until the voltage PoE power signal voltage reaches a predetermined voltage level. 
     
     
         11 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the PoE source module includes a diode bridge coupled to one of the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         12 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the downstream port includes two data wire pairs and two power wire pairs. 
     
     
         13 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the portable monolithic body further includes a second Ethernet port that includes a data wire pair coupled to the plurality of signal transformers to provide only the data received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port to the data wire pair of the second Ethernet port. 
     
     
         14 . A Power over Ethernet (PoE) apparatus, including:
 a portable monolithic body including:
 an upstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair, the upstream Ethernet port for receiving PoE power from a physically separate PoE source via the data wire pair and the power wire pair, the PoE apparatus only receiving external power from the PoE source; 
 a downstream Ethernet port including a data wire pair and a power wire pair; 
 a PoE source module coupled to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the PoE apparatus and the data wire pair, and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port; and 
 a voltage threshold module, the voltage threshold module coupled between the PoE source module and the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair, the voltage threshold module preventing the passage of PoE power signal to the downstream Ethernet port power wire pair until the voltage PoE power signal voltage reaches a predetermined voltage level. 
   
     
     
         15 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the portable monolithic body includes only a single upstream Ethernet port and a single downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         16 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of signal transformers coupled the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port and further coupled to a wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit a signal representing the data only received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         17 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the PoE source module includes a diode bridge coupled to one of the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the upstream Ethernet port to provide power only to the data wire pair and the power wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port. 
     
     
         18 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the downstream port includes two data wire pairs and two power wire pairs. 
     
     
         19 . The PoE apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the portable monolithic body further includes a second Ethernet port that includes a data wire pair coupled to the plurality of signal transformers to provide only the data received on the data wire pair of the downstream Ethernet port to the data wire pair of the second Ethernet port.