PoE moving beyond vidcams and VOIP phones for the factory floor

Ron Wilson, ace chip design guy, passed along some information he got talking with the folks at NXP about Power-over-Ethernet (PoE): NXP is seeing a lot of interest in building-scale systems, such as security systems or sensor networks, interconnected via Ethernet and Cat-V cable because Cat-V is about the only cable that ordinary workers (physical plant workers, janitors, etc) are legally allowed to pull in a building without being either certified cable techs or licensed electricians. That makes Ethernet over Cat-V the cheapest possible way to interconnect and power your network. And with sensors becoming ubiquitous, both to monitor processes, equipment, and personnel, PoE is going to be a nice feature for office and factory equipment.