Coupler for power line communication and power-over-ethernet

A system for power distribution and communication, comprising:

• a first power line couplable to a power source and configured to conduct power line communication (PLC) signals;
• a second power line configured to conduct the PLC signals;
• and
• a first coupler coupled to the first power line by a first Twinax connector and to the second power line by a second Twinax connector, the first coupler configured to:
• form a first power-over-Ethernet (POE) branch configured to be coupled to a POE device,
• provide current-limited power to the POE device through the first POE branch,
• convert the PLC signals to POE signals for transmission to the POE device over the first POE branch,
• convert received POE signals, from the POE branch, to the PLC signals for transmission over the power line, and
• pass through power and the PLC signals from the first power line through the first Twinax connector to the second power line through the second Twinax connector, and from the second power line to the first power line.

A method of communicating over a power line communication (PLC) bus, comprising:

• converting a received power-over-Ethernet (POE) signal, from a coupler, to a local power signal and a local communication signal, the converting comprising rectifying the local power signal and conditioning a voltage of the local power signal;
• transmitting a POE signal to the coupler through a Quadrax connector for a POE branch;
• converting, at the coupler, the POE signal to a PLC signal for transmission on the PLC bus through a Twinax connector;
• and
• limiting, at the coupler, a current conducted by the POE branch.