Adaptive backoff time in power-over-ethernet detection cycles

Abstract

One aspect provides a power sourcing equipment controller for providing power to a powered device using power-over-Ethernet (PoE). The power sourcing equipment includes a voltage-output logic block to output a sequence of voltage signals, the voltage signals comprising at least a detection signal and a classification signal; a current-measurement logic block to measure current provided responsive to the voltage signals; a backoff-time-determination logic block to determine a backoff time in response to the current-measurement logic block detecting the provided current exceeding a predetermined threshold, the backoff time being determined based on an amount of time needed for discharging an internal capacitor associated with the powered device; and a timing logic block to cause the voltage-output logic block to delay the output of a next sequence of voltage signals based on the determined backoff time, thereby facilitating powering up of a device compliant with a different PoE standard.