Reach Technology RT-PoE4N User manual

Reach PoE4N Tester Manual 1.4 08/09/2017 Page 1
Reach PoE4N Tester Manual 1.4
Model RT-PoE4N
Software Version 1.0 and above
August 09, 2017
© Copyright Reach Technology, a Novanta Company, 2005-2017
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]

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Table of Contents
1. REVISION HISTORY........................................................................................................... 4
1.1. RTI-POE4N -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 (UNIT UNDER TEST)CONNECTIONS......................................................................... 7
4. CONNECTORS AND JUMPERS........................................................................................ 8
4.1. RJ-45 ETHERNET CONNECTORS........................................................................................ 8
4.2. REAR CONNECTORS .......................................................................................................... 8
4.3. ETHERNET POWER SELECTION.......................................................................................... 9
5. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 10
5.1. DATA PATH...................................................................................................................... 10
5.2. POWER INPUT .................................................................................................................. 11
5.3. SIGNATURE,CLASS,AND LOAD....................................................................................... 12
5.4. FANS................................................................................................................................ 13
5.5. RJ45 LEDS...................................................................................................................... 13
6. COMMAND REFERENCE................................................................................................ 14
HELP ......................................................................................................................................... 14
VERSION.................................................................................................................................. 14
ERROR CHECK........................................................................................................................ 15
HOSTNAME............................................................................................................................. 15
BAUD........................................................................................................................................ 15
ECHO ........................................................................................................................................ 16
BOOT ........................................................................................................................................ 16
PORT /GROUP PREFIX .......................................................................................................... 16
CAL ........................................................................................................................................... 16
CAP............................................................................................................................................ 17
CLASS....................................................................................................................................... 17
UPOE......................................................................................................................................... 17
CONNECT ................................................................................................................................ 18
DETECT.................................................................................................................................... 18
EXT............................................................................................................................................ 18
MEASURE ................................................................................................................................ 19
MEASURE2 .............................................................................................................................. 19

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RESET....................................................................................................................................... 19
SET............................................................................................................................................ 20
STATUS.................................................................................................................................... 20
TEMPERATURE ...................................................................................................................... 20
APPENDIX A - OPERATIONAL NOTES............................................................................... 21
A.1 POWER-ON....................................................................................................................... 21
A.2 ERROR MESSAGES ........................................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX B - TEST SETUPS................................................................................................. 23
B.1 OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................... 23
B.2 SIGNATURE DETECT........................................................................................................ 23
B.3 CLASS DETECT................................................................................................................ 23
B.4 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (IEEE 802.3AF) .......................................................... 24
B.5 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (IEEE 802.3AT) .......................................................... 24
B.6 POWER STATUS AND OVERLOAD (UPOE)....................................................................... 24
B.7 DATA TRANSMISSION UNDER POWER (IEEE 802.3AF).................................................... 24
APPENDIX C - SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................... 25
C.1 MEASUREMENT SPECIFICATIONS.................................................................................... 25

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1. Revision History
1.1. RTI-PoE4N - Base Model
The Model RT-PoE4N is the initial version in production. It can be recognized by the
version string as follows (see the VERSION command; also seen on power-on).
Reach PoE Tester Model RT-PoE4N/24
PN 53-0003-11 Rev A 01 SW 1.02 07/01/2014
Copyright (C) 2005-2014 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 provides diagnostic functional
testing of 24 PSE ports compatible with IEEE Standards 802.3af and 802.3at. 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 gigabit traffic. It provides high density
with 24 Powered Device (PD) loads in a 1U high chassis.
Each RT-PoE4N port passes up to GbE speed traffic to the next port to facilitate data
traffic testing. That is, Port 1 data connects to Port 2, 3 to 4, and so on. This is useful
when the PSE has diagnostics to do port-to-port traffic testing, or when the PSE is set up
for port pair VLANs to force traffic through all ports. This contrasts with the RT-PoE3N
that has the data broken out to a separate REF port.
2.2. Front panel
Picture 1: Front of RT-PoE4N

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2.3. Features
IEEE signature options: nominal, high, and over-spec capacitive.
Classification 0 through 4 (all nominal).
Passes GbE 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 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 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
3.3. UUT (Unit Under Test) Connections
The RT-PoE4N has twenty-four identical test ports. Connect the port of the PSE (PoE
Supplying Equipment) under test to the port connector via a standard straight through
Ethernet cable. The PSE data will be routed to the next port (1 to 2, 3 to 4, etc) on a
straight-through, non-crossover basis. There is a UPoE, GbE rated 802.3at class
transformer isolating the PoE4N RJ45 so that power can be tapped from the PSE while
data is passed on. All data path connections are made via signal relays and 100 ohm
differential pairs for data integrity.
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 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 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 pair 1,2 / 3,6 and for pair
4,5 / 7,8. These have the standard full wave bridge so any polarity is accepted. The
voltage measurement function accommodates 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.

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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. 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>". 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/24
PN 53-0003-11 Rev A 01 SW 1.02 07/01/2014
Copyright (C) 2005-2014 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\r\n"
or
"0 - no errors have occurred\r\n"
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.\n"

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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\n"
BOOT
Description Resets the system to the power-on state. This is the same as if the unit
has its power cycled.
Command *boot
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);

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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.
CLASS
Description Sets the IEEE load class. See IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at specification.
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.

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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.
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.

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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>
MEASURE2
Description Measures the voltage from the UUT (center taps of GbE magnetics) of
the main and alt pair. 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]2
Response: printf(":p%d %.1fV, %.1fV\n\r",port,fval,
fval_alt);
The result will be between 0.0 and 60.0
Example: p1 meas2
Example response: :p1 50.5V, 0.0V<CR><LF>
RESET
Description Resets port(s) to fully disconnected state.
Command: res[et]
Response: printf(":p%d reset\n", port);

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SET
Description Sets power load value in milliamps. If set too low, the minimum value
will be set; if at or above 1400mA an error will occur. Note that this is
the load for both the main and the alt pair.
Command: set <value>
Response: printf(":p%d %dmA\r\n",port,value);
or
printf(":p%d %dmA (min)\r\n",port,value);
Example: g2 set 350
Example response: :p9 350mA<CR><LF>
:p10 350mA<CR><LF>
:p11 350mA<CR><LF>
:p12 350mA<CR><LF>
:p12 350mA<CR><LF>
:p14 350mA<CR><LF>
:p15 350mA<CR><LF>
:p16 350mA<CR><LF>
STATUS
Description Returns the "Power Good" status of the IEEE load controllers. The
power status is active when the IEEE controller is receiving power above
the UVLO value and the load capacitor is charged. Also reports if an
over temperature condition occurred that caused the port to be shut
down.
Command: st[atus]
Response: printf(":p%d PWR %d, PWR2 %d\n",port, state1,
state2);
state = 1 or 0 for on and off respectively.
TEMPERATURE
Description Reports the temperature of the drain pin of the MOSFET load, as
measured on the line card PCB.
Command: temp[erature]
Response: printf(":p%d %3d C\n", port, tempC);