Tower Switch Mini

[lligetfa]

I like the concept of the Tower switch with the hybrid fibre/power cable but IMHO, there should be a little sister available as well. Since the WISP Switch can provide high PoE output to power an AF, it stands to reason it could also PoE power a Tower Switch Mini using standard CAT6.

[sirhc]

I like the concept of the Tower switch with the hybrid fibre/power cable but IMHO, there should be a little sister available as well. Since the WISP Switch can provide high PoE output to power an AF, it stands to reason it could also PoE power a Tower Switch Mini using standard CAT6.

Actually we are working on something like this. I have been discussing it with Matt Hoppes off and on and it is on our short list!

[mhoppes]

Yes... at first I was skeptical... but as Chris and I talked about it more I could think of many applications for this, especially if it was hardend

[lligetfa]

I would like to use the WISP Switch to power one or more Tower Switch Minis for 3 or 4 cameras on a pole fed by a single CAT5/6 cable. We can shallow trench LV cable with a vibratory plow but 120V cable needs to be 3 feet deep with caution tape above it.

[wtm]

With the Tough Switch going EOL (basically),
there is a huge need to have a small POE switch for those remote sites.
Need something DC input, with POE output, from either 5 to 8 port (8 port would be the best)

If you make it so that the unit has an internal regulator for itself, and just let the user decide what voltage input they need, to give the POE volts out, that would work!

If we have a site that runs only 24 volts, we have the battery banks setup for only 24 volts.

If we need 48 volts, we have the proper DC there for that.

BUT, we do not have enough room to house and run inverters to go to AC, to run something that then goes back to DC for POE stuff.

If you wanted to do just a 48 volt one, we would setup the site for 48 volts, and that unit could then do both 48/24 POE outputs for all the devices in the site)

Usually only need to switch (1-2 backhauls)(4 sectors) (8 ports would be good)

As long as the switch is tested so as to prevent the 1 gig to 100 Mbps problem!

[sirhc]

Well you should read out our 8 port switched being released this month.

We will also soon offer a DC switch that will accept 9-60V DC and it will convert it to the needed voltage.

You can always take an AC switch apart voiding the warranty and feed it directly 48V.

[lligetfa]

Chris already has plans for a DC powered 8 port in a small form factor. This mini is not that. This mini I proposed would be powered via 48VH PoE and would provide lesser PoE (24/48V, not VH).

[wtm]

That brings up a question, can I take an existing 12 port switch, and feed it with 24 volts?
Or will you soon have one out with DC feed?

[sirhc]

That brings up a question, can I take an existing 12 port switch, and feed it with 24 volts?
Or will you soon have one out with DC feed?

Since we down convert 48V DC to 24V DC you really need to feed at least 26-27V DC into it to get anything out of the 24V POE option.

You can send 12-50V DC to the switch and the switch will power up and function as a normal switch and the UI works and everything. But if you feed less than 26V the 24V POE option will not or at least I do not think it would, never tried it.

Now since we just pass through the 48V as the 48V output you could feed it 24V then in the UI select 48V and it would just pass the input voltage to the POE port.

[JustJoe]

You know, I was thinking in this direction too. At out smaller remote sites, where we would most likely use a 5-8 port switch, everything is based on 24V radios that have at least a 12-24V spec. And Ethernet runs are less than 150'. Ti's were never in the mix (luckily for us). Also, AFs are overkill for now. Even the newer AC stuff sounds like 24V.

I know "down-converting" regulators need Vin to be at least 3-7 volts above Vout. But they are the most efficient. Up-converting first from ~24V to 48V and then back down to 24V will be less efficient, and at a solar+battery site, (where the battery voltage can go between ~22.5V - 30V) every milli-watt counts.

So I was wondering whether if I am willing to void the warranty anyway, do you suppose I could reprogram the 24V regulator (like with a resister change) to maybe run at Vout=18V ? Will the switch chipset run that way? ... Does what I am saying make sense?