Marcel ChabotWith about 20 machines needed network, power, and the ability to activate the dust collection, air filter or other support systems we need a simple way to wire that all across the large space. Power over Ethernet is a thing, but it is costly and doesn't have the system activation detect capabilities we want. So we have designed Maker Over Ethernet.
It is a simple breakout board that takes network, power, and activation detection and passes it over a standard CAT6 cable. Network only requires 4 of the 8 wires, leaving two pairs for power and activation detection.
We also used some RJ-45 connectors from SparkFun https://www.sparkfun.com/products/643
and some JST connectors: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9914
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So, the result of this thing??? I totally pulled an Edison. I tested everything on my desk, a meter in length, and transmitting DC Power over that short distance worked GREAT! I took the system to the Makerspace and attempted to send the power demanded by the PI over the 20 meters and it absolutely didn't work. How does PoE actually work? AC at 250khz.
Did I look that up before? No.
Did I bother to calculate the voltage losses over the wire? Nope.
I was looking for a low-cost solution to a problem. I thought that my use case was so simple that the out of the box PoE solution was just overkill. No problem is so simple that you shouldn't do the math. These kind of rookie mistakes are humbling, and great learning experiences.
Are you sure? yes | no