Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting delivers DC power and control data to LED fixtures over standard Cat5/Cat6 Ethernet cabling under IEEE 802.3af/at/bt standards. Each fixture becomes an IP-addressable network node. IEEE 802.3bt supplies up to 90 watts at the switch — about 71 watts at the fixture — over runs up to 100 meters.
PoE lighting uses network switches as power sourcing equipment (PSE) and treats each LED fixture as a powered device (PD) on the data network. Power and control travel on the same Ethernet cable, so fixtures gain addressability, per-fixture data, and software zoning.
It is one of two distinct low-voltage architectures — the other is 48V connected lighting over two-conductor cable — and the two are not interchangeable.
We advise before we quote. Tell us what you are working on and we will tell you whether this applies to your project.
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