Power over ethernet management devices and connection between ethernet devices

• US 8,705,341 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accedian Networks Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Accedian Networks Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robitaille, Claude, Ostiguy, Patrick, Cote, Nicolas, Rochon, Steve, Bastien, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Application Number:
  US12/962,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 370/225, 370/226, 370/227, 370/228, 370/221, 370/217, 370/218, 370/241, 370/242, 370250-252, 370/400, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/352, 370/356, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/50 Circuit switching systems, i.e. systems in which the path is physically permanent during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54

Abstract

In one embodiment, a connection is maintained between a pair of ethernet ports that have circuitry connected in series with the ports and receiving power-over-ethernet (PoE) from one of the ports, by providing a controllable bypass circuit coupled to the pair of ethernet ports in parallel with the circuitry receiving power-over-ethernet, sensing a preselected condition, and opening and closing the bypass circuit in response to the presence or absence of the preselected condition. Power sourcing equipment (PSE) may supply the one of the ports with power over ethernet, and the circuitry may transports data between the pair of ethernet ports. The circuitry may also supply the switch with a control signal in response to the detection of the preselected condition.

Claims

1. A method for determining compatibility between a first Ethernet link and a second Ethernet link respectively coupled through a first port and second port of an Ethernet device having a selectable MDI/MDIX crossover mode, said Ethernet device selectively providing an electrical bypass mode between said first and second ports, comprising

determining whether the port pinout of the first Ethernet link is MDI or MDIX;

determining whether the port pinout of the second Ethernet link is MDI or MDIX;

determining whether at least one of the Ethernet links has automatic MDI/MDIX crossover functionality,

determining whether the first and second Ethernet links are compatible, and

when the first and second Ethernet links are not compatible, selecting said MDI/MDIX crossover mode of said Ethernet device when said Ethernet device is in said bypass mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reporting said compatibility to an external agent.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing said compatibility to be queried by an external agent.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling a crossover path or a straight path between said first and second ports, based on said compatibility.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring one or more mechanical switches to enable a crossover path or a straight path between said first and second ports, based on said compatibility.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring one or more jumpers to enable a crossover path or a straight path between said first and second ports, based on said compatibility.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling a crossover path or a straight path between said first and second ports, based on said compatibility, using two or more relays.