Copied from customer email
Hello my team has purchased the SPEBlox have you or is there a simple way to use them with power over data lines? Is there a current configuration or do you have any documentation or experience using them with PODL?
Injecting power over the data lines on SPEBlox is currently not supported. We did run some tests on this but we found it reduced the range of the wires to around 1-2 meters (from 22 meters), which we deemed was not a valid comprimise.
There’s still a bit of development being done on PoDL in the industry, we don’t yet have a device that can achieve this.
I would be very interested if you could achieve better than 5 meters with PoDL on 1000BASE SPEBlox and at 57V.
Hi Robert, what kind of range would you want to achieve?
i Josh,
I’m an EE for Ocean Exploration Trust which operates several ROVs. We are in the process of migrating many of our interfaces over to Ethernet. We are using several of your SwitchBlox in our current system and I’m exploring options. Just got a pair of SPEBlox modules to experiment with and plan to test using SubConn Nano series connectors. I don’t need to get PoDL with those but am just seeing where things are going. We have been using 13pin SubConn Power Ethernet Circular Connectors but they are quite large and limit the number of Bulkhead Connections we can put in a pressure housing. In general the cable routes in the ROVs are less than 5 meters.
BTW, I have actually tested one of your SwitchBlox modules to 1500 meters deep in an oil filled junction box. I had to encapsulate the crystal in a stainless steel tube sealed with epoxy but it worked. Not sure if I could pull that off with the cube shaped crystal on the SPEBlox but it would be interesting to try. Could you give me the part number for the crystal so I can replace it when it gets smashed? We operate down to 6000 meters on a couple of our vehicles.
Also looking at your Ubiswitch. We are using a MaxBes 10G switch for our main switch and a lower cost option of similar size is appealing.
Another interesting note is that our port facility where I work is in San Pedro California and Blue Robotics is going to be relocating into the same facility.
Robert Waters | Facilities Manager / ROV Engineer
2456 Signal Street, Berth 58, San Pedro, CA 90731
c 909.553.2668
BTW, I have actually tested one of your SwitchBlox modules to 1500 meters deep in an oil filled junction box. I had to encapsulate the crystal in a stainless steel tube sealed with epoxy but it worked.
Heh, nice. SwitchBlox Industrial (BB-SWI-D-1) actually has a pressure tolerant design, and is tested up to 6000 PSI. Same thing with UbiSwitch (BB-UBS-B-1) and UbiSwitch BaseBoard (BB-UD1-B-1). Pretty sweet you got SwitchBlox working at 1500 meters, thanks for letting me know.
I am doing some PoDL tests on SPEBlox Long this week to try and improve the range, I’ll do some tests on SPEBlox too and let you know.
Could you give me the part number for the crystal so I can replace it when it gets smashed?
Another interesting note is that our port facility where I work is in San Pedro California and Blue Robotics is going to be relocating into the same facility.
Nice! Give my regards to Rusty! We’re releasing another collaboration product with them soon.
Any success with the SPEBlox PoDL? I have contacted Kyst about the pressure tolerant UbiSwitch. Exciting stuff.
PoDL on SPEBlox isn’t supported unfortunately. Yes UbiSwitch is full pressure tested, let us know if you get a response from Kyst