Reach Technology PoE4N/10G User manual

Reach PoE4N/10G Tester Manual 1.1 06/15/2020 Page 1
Reach PoE4N/10G Tester Manual 1.1
Model RT-PoE4N/10G
Software Version 1.0 and above
June 15, 2020
© 2016-2020 Reach Technology, part of Novanta
All Rights Reserved
Information contained in this user documentation is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Reach Technology. Reach Technology assumes no
responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the user
documentation.
Reach Technology
www.reachtech.com
Sales
408-754-4176
[e-mail]
Support
503-675-6464
[e-mail]

Reach PoE4N/10G Tester Manual 1.1 06/15/2020 Page 2
Table of Contents
1. REVISION HISTORY........................................................................................................... 4
1.1. RT-POE4N/10G -BASE MODEL ....................................................................................... 4
2. GENERAL.............................................................................................................................. 5
2.1. OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................... 5
2.2. FRONT PANEL.................................................................................................................... 5
2.3. FEATURES.......................................................................................................................... 6
2.4. DIMENSIONS...................................................................................................................... 6
2.5. ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS....................................................................................... 6
2.6. ENVIRONMENTAL.............................................................................................................. 6
2.7. WARRANTY....................................................................................................................... 6
2.8. OPERATING SOFTWARE..................................................................................................... 6
2.9. CALIBRATION.................................................................................................................... 6
3. CONFIGURATION GUIDE................................................................................................. 7
3.1. POWER............................................................................................................................... 7
3.2. SERIAL CONSOLE .............................................................................................................. 7
3.3. UUT CONNECTIONS.......................................................................................................... 8
4. CONNECTORS AND JUMPERS........................................................................................ 9
4.1. RJ-45 ETHERNET CONNECTORS........................................................................................ 9
4.2. REAR CONNECTORS .......................................................................................................... 9
4.3. ETHERNET POWER SELECTION........................................................................................ 10
5. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 11
5.1. DATA PATH...................................................................................................................... 11
5.2. POWER INPUT .................................................................................................................. 12
5.3. SIGNATURE,CLASS,AND LOAD....................................................................................... 13
5.4. FANS................................................................................................................................ 14
5.5. RJ45 LEDS...................................................................................................................... 14
6. ETHERNET CABLES......................................................................................................... 15
7. COMMAND REFERENCE................................................................................................ 16
HELP ......................................................................................................................................... 16
VERSION.................................................................................................................................. 16
ERROR CHECK........................................................................................................................ 17
HOSTNAME............................................................................................................................. 17
BAUD........................................................................................................................................ 17
BOOT ........................................................................................................................................ 17
ECHO ........................................................................................................................................ 18
PORT /GROUP PREFIX .......................................................................................................... 18
CAL ........................................................................................................................................... 18
CAP............................................................................................................................................ 18
CLASS....................................................................................................................................... 19
UPOE......................................................................................................................................... 19
CONNECT ................................................................................................................................ 19
DETECT.................................................................................................................................... 20
EXT............................................................................................................................................ 20

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MEASURE ................................................................................................................................ 20
MEASURE2 .............................................................................................................................. 21
RESET....................................................................................................................................... 21
SET............................................................................................................................................ 21
STATUS .................................................................................................................................... 22
TEMPERATURE ...................................................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX A - OPERATIONAL NOTES............................................................................... 23
A.1 POWER-ON....................................................................................................................... 23
A.2 ERROR MESSAGES ........................................................................................................... 24
APPENDIX B - TEST SETUPS................................................................................................. 25
B.1 OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................... 25
B.2 SIGNATURE DETECT........................................................................................................ 25
B.3 CLASS DETECT................................................................................................................ 25
B.4 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (IEEE 802.3AF) .......................................................... 26
B.5 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (IEEE 802.3AT).......................................................... 26
B.6 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (UPOE)....................................................................... 26
B.7 DATA TRANSMISSION UNDER POWER (IEEE 802.3AF).................................................... 26
APPENDIX C - SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................... 27
C.1 MEASUREMENT SPECIFICATIONS.................................................................................... 27

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1. Revision History
1.1. RT-PoE4N/10G - Base Model
The Model RT-PoE4N/10G is the initial version in production. It can be recognized by
the version string as follows (see VERSION command; also seen on power-on).
Reach PoE Tester Model RT-PoE4N/10G/24
PN 53-0004-11 Rev A 01 SW 1.03 11/01/2016
Copyright (C) 2005-2016 by Reach Technology Inc.

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2. General
2.1. Overview
Manufacturers of Ethernet Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) such as Ethernet Switches
need to test PoE power functionality during manufacturing. Once a unit is in
manufacturing, it can be assumed that it has already been tested for full Compliance with
the applicable IEEE 802.3 PoE standard. It is not cost-effective, nor necessary, to
perform full compliance testing at the manufacturing stage. What is needed is a
functional test that verifies the software’s ability to detect and control power, and the
basic connectors’and magnetics’ability to provide power and pass data.
The Reach RT-PoE tester family has been designed for cost-effective functional
production test. It assumes that the PSE can be operated in a “diagnostic” mode whereby
the power control and detection functions of the PSE can be individually tested. The
LLDP protocol specified by the 802.3at standard is not supported so as to keep the cost of
the tester low. Most switches provide a way of bypassing LLDP to provide full power to
a particular port. LLDP is implemented in firmware: if the unit can pass data under power
it can pass LLDP packets, and so testing LLDP functionality is not necessary for a
production test.
The Reach Power-over-Ethernet Tester Model RT-PoE4N/10G provides diagnostic
functional testing of 24 PSE ports compatible with IEEE Standards 802.3af and 802.3at,
plus it will support data path speeds up to 10GBASE-T. In addition, it can test high
power ports such as UPoE that use all four pairs to provide power. It can draw up to
660mA per power pair while passing 10Gb traffic. It provides high density with 24
Powered Device (PD) loads in a 1U high chassis.
Each RT-PoE4N/10G section has a “UUT” port (Unit Under Test). The UUT port is
connected to the PSE and acts as a PD load to that port. The UUT data path is connected
via power-isolating magnetics to the adjacent UUT port (1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, etc.). In this
way, an external data bit error tester or PSE test functionality can be used to test data
integrity while power load is enabled.
2.2. Front panel
Picture 1: Front of RT-PoE4N/10G

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2.3. Features
IEEE signature options: nominal, high, and over-spec capacitive.
Classification 0 through 4 (all nominal).
Passes 10GbE traffic from each test port to the neighboring port isolated from PD load
(1-2, 3-4, etc.).
Relay data path for compatibility with Phy-based cable diagnostics.
Low cost compared to compliance-level PD emulators.
Universal voltage (110/220) power supply.
Serial RS232 console control.
2.4. Dimensions
The unit fits in a standard 19" rack using screw-on ears.
Case outside dimensions are:
16.665" deep
17.30" wide (fits 19” rack; mounting ears provided)
1.74" high
2.5. Electrical Characteristics
The RT-PoE4N/10G is powered via a locking power DIN 4 pin connector and requires
12V DC at a maximum of 8.5 Amps.
The unit is supplied with a worldwide universal AC input power supply brick. Its
characteristics are:
85-264VAC input, 87.5% efficient, 0 to 40C operation, IEC320/C14 input
2.6. Environmental
Operating temperature range is 0C to 40C. Storage is -30C to 70C.
Humidity is 85% maximum, non-condensing
2.7. Warranty
The RT-PoE4N/10G is warranted by Reach Technology against manufacturing defects
for one year.
2.8. Operating Software
No Software license is required.
2.9. Calibration
The unit performs self-calibration on power-on, or on command.

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3. Configuration Guide
3.1. Power
The power input is located on the rear of the unit. The power supply provided is a
"desktop" type brick with a three prong IEC input connector. An AC power cord
compatible with U.S. power outlets is optional. There is no power switch; it is on when
the power is applied.
3.2. Serial Console
The serial console port is located at the rear of the unit. It is an RJ-45 with a three-wire
RS-232 level interface. The interface has the same pinout as found on Cisco routers and
switches. The baud rate factory default is 9600, 1 stop, no parity, 8 bits. The baud rate
can be changed by software command –see the BAUD command in the Command
Reference section. Characters are echoed as they are typed (full duplex).
RJ-45 Connector:
Pin
Signal (DTE name)
1
**
2
**
3
RS232 data output (TxD)
4
Ground
5
Ground
6
RS232 data input (RxD)
7
**
8
**
** these signals are connected to each other

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3.3. UUT Connections
The RT-PoE4N/10G has 24 test ports, configured as 12 pairs (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, etc.). Each
port has the ability to act as a PD load to the UUT. In addition, each port pair can be
configured to pass data from one port to the other via internal straight through
connections, allowing the loads to be applied while passing traffic. All data path
connections are made via signal relays and 100 ohm differential pairs for data integrity.
Connect the port of the PoE supplying device under test to the UUT connector via a
standard straight through Ethernet connector (see the Ethernet Cables section for more
information regarding cables). There is an 802.3at class transformer isolating the UUT
ports in each port pair so that power can be tapped from the UUT (see the Data Path
section for more details).
Note that the devices connected to any given port pair cannot "see" the power from the
other port. In other words, the UUT ports in a port pair are connected from a data
perspective, and each UUT port connects to the RT-PoE4N/10G active load from a power
(PoE) perspective.
NOTE: with high power loads, the DC balance of the patch cables used is important to
avoid DC saturation of the Ethernet transformers. DC Balance (DC resistance per side
of the power carrying pair) should be within 3%. The standard patch cable
specifications of Cat 5, 5e, and 6 do not specify DC balance.

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4. Connectors and Jumpers
4.1. RJ-45 Ethernet Connectors
Picture 2: Far left side of RT-PoE4N/10G front panel
There are 24 numbered UUT ports. The RJ connector should be cabled to the
corresponding PSE port using a standard Ethernet 1-1 jumper cable. When enabled via
software command, the data component of the port N (N=1,3,5,…) will be connected to
the data of port N+1 via Ethernet transformers and relays. This is a straight-through
connection, not a crossover.
4.2. Rear Connectors
Picture 3: Far left side of RT-PoE4N/10G rear panel
The rear of the unit, left side is shown above. The power jack is a power DIN 4 pin with
lock type, KYCON KPPX-4. Pin 1,4 are 12VDC and pin 3,4 are GND. Below that is a
console connector RJ45 three wire RS232. See the Serial Console section for pinout.

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4.3. Ethernet Power Selection
Unlike the RT-PoE3N model, there are no jumpers required to set which conductors
provide power. The unit contains two separate power paths for pairs 1,2 / 3,6 and 4,5 /
7,8. These have the standard full wave bridge so any polarity is accepted. The voltage
measurement function handles either polarity and can be used to validate the expected
PSE port polarity.

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5. Operational Overview
5.1. Data path
The data path section allows the UUT port data to be in two states: disconnected, or
connected to the data of the next UUT port. This allows data to pass from port to port for
testing.

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5.2. Power input
Power Input (above); 2 instances, one for each power pair:
Each UUT port can have either power pair measured (reported voltage can be positive or
negative depending on polarity), or connected to the Full Wave Bridge and subsequent
load circuits.
Voltage measurement circuit
Full Wave Bridge input etc.
(see next section)
"measure" command
"connect" command

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5.3. Signature, class, and load
Full wave Bridge
and standard
overvoltage
protection IEEE 802.3at
controller
Class options
Signature options
"detect" commands
"class" commands
Power Status
"status" command
Legacy capacitive
signature 10uF
"cap" command
Power Pair
Variable load
Max 2*660mA
"set" command
From other power pair
2 of these, one for each power pair
The IEEE 802.3at controller (also known as the PD PoE controller) used is the TI
TPS2378.
The signature resistor options are nominal, or invalid (too high). This is enough to
validate the PSE’s ability to detect the physical IEEE signature. A legacy capacitive load
can be applied which should cause the signature detect to fail. This can also be used to
simulate an AC load for AC disconnect testing. The classification (Class) loads are
standard. The "power-good" status of the IEEE controller goes active once the load
capacitor (not shown) is charged and can be monitored via the “status” command. This
command reports the status of each of the two PoE PD controllers. This will indicate
which pairs are powered.

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5.4. Fans
The fans engage when any of the test ports have been issued the “connect” command.
After all ports are no longer connected (e.g. reset command has been issued) the fans will
stay on until nominal heatsink temperature has been reached.
5.5. RJ45 LEDs
Each RJ45 connector has a green and yellow LED. The Green LED will be lit when the
“power-good” status of the IEEE controller goes active. The “status” command can also
be used to report the “power-good” status of each PoE PD controller. The yellow LED
will be lit when a setting is changed on the port.

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6. Ethernet Cables
The performance of a CAT6A rated link is dependent on the cabling, connectors, mated
connections and hardware components that make up the link.
The PoE4N/10G data path passes 10GBASE-T traffic from each test port to the adjacent test
port (ports 1-2, 3-4, etc.). The data path connections are made through magnetics and signal
relays for compatibility with Phy-based cable diagnostics. When passing 10GBASE-T traffic
through the PoE4N/10G data path, it is important to consider the type of cable, plugs and
jacks used as part of that link.
The PoE4N/10G data paths are all tested to the TIA CAT6A permanent link test limit using
the DSX-5000 and the DSX-PLA004 permanent link adapters as shown in Figure 1 below.
The permanent link consists of two 40meter CAT6A cables. Each 40 meter length of cable
consists of a plug mated to the test port and a jack mated to the DSX-PLA004 permanent link
adapter. The combination of cable and connectors shown in Figure 1 was found to have the
best performance.
Figure 1: Po#4/10G Permanent Link Test Setup

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7. Command Reference
This section describes the commands available. For typical command sequences, see
Appendix B.
When the unit is ready for a command, it issues the default prompt "RT-PoE4N/10G>".
The prompt may be changed via the "hostname" command so that a unit can be identified by
its prompt. Command buffering is not supported; you must wait for the prompt before
sending a command. The default baud rate is 9600. This can be changed via the "baud"
command and is “sticky” across power cycles.
All commands are terminated by a <return> which is the character 0x0D (decimal 13).
Most commands have a short form version. The optional characters of a command are
indicated by the [ ] brackets.
All commands that take "on" or "off" arguments can also take "1" and "0" as arguments.
Responses from the unit that include variable data such as the port number are shown as 'C'
printf style strings, so the script writer knows exactly what to expect as a response.
HELP
Description Displays available commands.
Command: he[lp]
Command: ?
Example: help
VERSION
Description Displays software and hardware version
Command: vers[ion]
Result: "Reach PoE Tester Model RT-PoE4N/10G/24
PN 53-0004-11 Rev A 01 SW 1.03 11/01/2016
Copyright (C) 2005-2016 by Reach Technology Inc."
An error is generated if the line card versions are inconsistent; that is, if
the three 8 port line cards have different firmware.

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ERROR CHECK
Description: The unit maintains an error flag that is set if any error message is
generated. This command reports the error flag value. A test script can
run an entire sequence of commands and check at the end to make sure
there were no errors instead of having to check on a command-by-
command basis.
Command: err[ors]
Result: "1 - one or more errors have occurred; error flag
reset"
or
"0 - no errors have occurred"
HOSTNAME
Description: Used to change the unit's prompt. This is useful in a production system
so the script knows exactly which physical unit it is talking to. Name
must be equal or less than 31 characters long
Command: host[name] <string>
Example: hostname myTester
This makes the unit's prompt "myTester>"
BAUD
Description: Used to change the unit's baud rate. This will not take effect until the unit
power is cycled or the *boot command is issued. This is done to make
sure the baud change is acceptable.
Command: *baud <baudrate>
<baudrate> = 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, or
115200
Example: baudrate 19200
Response: "Console baud set to 19200. Cycle power or issue
*boot to effect change."
BOOT
Description Resets the system to the power-on state. This is the same as if the unit
has its power cycled.
Command *boot

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ECHO
Description: Used to test the communication between the host and this unit. This is
useful at higher baud rates to validate a baud can be used without error.
A script can repeat the echo command continuously and verify that no
communication errors are present.
Command: *echo <string>
<string> = any ASCII string. May contain spaces.
Example: *echo this is a test
Response: "this is a test"
PORT / GROUP PREFIX
Description For all port-specific commands, a port or group prefix will restrict the
command to a specific port or port group. The prefix must be followed
by a space before the port command. If no prefix is used, the command
will be applied to all 24 ports.
Port Prefix: pN
This specified port N where N is from 1 to 24.
Group Prefix: gM
This specifies group M where M is from 1 to 3.
group 1 = ports 1-8
group 2 = ports 9-16
group 3 = ports 17-24
CAL
Description Runs internal calibration of class and power loads.
Command: cal
Response: printf(":p%d Autocal OK\r\n", port);
or
printf("!p%d Autocal FAIL\r\n", port);
CAP
Description Controls the 10uF capacitor across the full-wave bridge. This represents
either a legacy capacitive signature or an AC load.
Command: cap [on|off]
Response: printf(":p%d cap %d\r\n", port, state);
state = 1 or 0 for on and off respectively.

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CLASS
Description Sets the IEEE load class. See IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at specification
(external documents).
Command: cl[ass] [0|1|2|3|4]
Argument: class value
Response: printf(":p%d class %d\n", port, class);
Example: p9 cl 3
Example response: :p9 class 3<CR><LF>
This sets port 9 IEEE "class" to 3.
UPOE
Description Changes between regular PoE, PoE+ mode and UPoE mode. In UPoE
mode the load is limited to 100mA until power good is detected on both
pairs. In regular mode the load is limited to 100mA until power good is
detected on the main pair. If a comma is present the command assumes
the user is requiring that power be valid on a specified pair before
releasing the 100mA limit e.g. when “upoe 0,1” is entered then the load
will be limited to 100mA until power is valid on the alternate pair.
Command: upoe [on|off|0,0|0,1|1,0|1,1]
Response: printf(":p%d upoe %d\n\r",port,state);
state = 1 or 0 for on and off respectively.
CONNECT
Description Controls the relays that connect the power load circuitry to the UUT port
via the GbE transformer. From a power perspective, this is equivalent to
plugging in the RJ45 from the UUT. See the Operational Overview
section for more details. Connect must be on for the UUT to see an IEEE
802.3af/at PoE load. The connect command can also be used to select the
main, alternate, or both power pairs. If a comma is present the command
assumes the user is specifying the connect status of each pair
individually. The first value is the connect status of the main pair and the
second is the alternate pair e.g. when “connect 0,1” is entered then only
the alternate pair will be connected to the load.
Command: conn[ect] [on|off|0,0|0,1|1,0|1,1]
Response: printf(":p%d Connect Sig %d\n", port, state);
state = 1 or 0 for on and off respectively.

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DETECT
Description Sets the IEEE 802.3af/at detect signature.
Command: det[ect] [ok|hi]
Arguments: ok signature resistance 24.9K 1%
hi signature resistance 36K 1%
Response: printf(":p%d det %s\n", port, arg);
EXT
Description Controls the connection of the data path from one test port to another.
The data path is connected between adjacent ports: 1-2, 3-4, etc. when
the ext command is set on for both ports. This is necessary for the ports
to send data to each other. When ext is off, the data path is open.
Command: ext[ernal] [on|off]
Response: printf(":p%d Ext Ref %d\n", port, state);
state = 1 or 0 for on and off respectively.
MEASURE
Description Measures the voltage from the UUT (center taps of GbE magnetics) of
the main. Reports the voltage as either positive or negative depending on
the polarity of the pair. The “Cisco” standard 1,2 = negative, 3,6 =
positive is reported as a positive voltage.
Command: meas[ure]
Response: printf(":p%d %d.%uV\n\r",port,fval);
The result will be between 0.0 and 60.0
Example: p1 meas
Example response: :p1 50.5V, 0.0V<CR><LF>