PoE Standards Introduction PoE standards come in three types: IEEE 802.3af, IEEE 802.3at, and IEEE 802.3bt. These standards define the minimum power that Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) can deliver and the maximum power that Powered Devices (PD) will expect to receive.

Power and data can be delivered simultaneously over Ethernet connections, thanks to a ground-breaking technology called Power over Ethernet (PoE). This approach greatly lowers expenses while streamlining network equipment installation and cabling. At the moment, IEEE 802.3af (PoE), IEEE 802.3at (PoE+), and IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++) are the three primary power supply specifications for PoE. Each standard represents a different set of application scenarios and power supply capabilities.