Trouple Powering Cam via passive PoE

[mrnoname 0]

I have a cheap china cam. No excuses, I'm just cheap.

 

It powers with a 5v wall wart power supply. Does not use PoE.

 

I am using a set of PoE injectors to connect the power supply by the switch, inject the 5v into the network cable (stealing 2 pairs) and then using a PoE extractor (I guess is the name) to pull the power back out of the network cable and back to a typical DC barrel connector. I am using plenum rated cat6 wire with keystones for about a 20 ft. run. The power supply shows 5.2v when tested at the source and 5.2v when tested at the long end of the cable.

 

However, the camera will power up, but when it tries to draw more power (presumably) to do the auto-check and re-center the PTZ, it stops functioning and appears to be in a low voltage condition.

 

When I power the cam directly from the power supply, no cable rig up, it works fine. If I power it up with a shorter cable rig up (say 6 feet +/-) it works fine.

 

I have troubleshot everything I could think of.

 

Cam - functioning as expected. Tried another cam with same results.

Power Supply - functioning... tried another supply with same results. Tested as 5.2v rated at 1000mA

Cables - tested with network tester, all pairs are registering. (a cheap LED tester that check pair sequence and polarity, nothing fancy).

PoE injector/extractor - functioning as expected. Pairs are not reversed. Steals two pairs for power, leaves two for network. Work fine on the shortened run. Tried another set of injector/extractor with same results.

 

What could I be missing? It seems it could be a current draw issue. The PS is rated for 1000 mA. Should I try a 5v supply rated at a higher mA? I'm afraid to go to a higher volt rated PS, as I doubt the cams have adequate voltage regulators and I fear frying them with a 6 or 9 volt PS. Or, is there just not enough copper in a cat6 line to carry the current 20ft, so I need to get a higher rated cable?

 

Ideas and thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

[jazzar 0]

you need to measure the voltage at the camera while its doing its testing etc to see if the voltage drops below 5v.

if its low you could buy a small 5v regulator component which you can input 6 to 12v to it and it gives out a steady 5v, then you could use a 12v power unit and if you drop a couple of volts across the cable at the far end you still have 10v available to the input of the regulator which would still be enough for it to output a steady 5v. just google 5v regulator component usualy has 3 legs, midlle leg is common 0v for in and out, then 1 leg =in volts and 1 leg = out 5v.

[mrnoname 0]

you need to measure the voltage at the camera while its doing its testing etc to see if the voltage drops below 5v.

if its low you could buy a small 5v regulator component which you can input 6 to 12v to it and it gives out a steady 5v, then you could use a 12v power unit and if you drop a couple of volts across the cable at the far end you still have 10v available to the input of the regulator which would still be enough for it to output a steady 5v. just google 5v regulator component usualy has 3 legs, midlle leg is common 0v for in and out, then 1 leg =in volts and 1 leg = out 5v.

 

Thanks. I'll order some parts and give it a try.

[mrnoname 0]

you need to measure the voltage at the camera while its doing its testing etc to see if the voltage drops below 5v.

if its low you could buy a small 5v regulator component which you can input 6 to 12v to it and it gives out a steady 5v, then you could use a 12v power unit and if you drop a couple of volts across the cable at the far end you still have 10v available to the input of the regulator which would still be enough for it to output a steady 5v. just google 5v regulator component usualy has 3 legs, midlle leg is common 0v for in and out, then 1 leg =in volts and 1 leg = out 5v.

 

Regulator seems to have done the trick. I still had problems pushing 9v through the line and regulating it to 5v at the camera. But, pushing 12v seems to have done it. Thanks.

[jazzar 0]

nice one.