Methods and apparatus for provisioning phantom power to remote devices

An apparatus for provisioning power from a power budget to a set of remote devices configured to obtain phantom power from the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a set of ports configured to connect to the set of remote devices through a set of cables;
• a power supply configured to provide power within the power budget;
• and
• a controller coupled to the set of ports and to the power supply, the controller being configured to:
• identify, through a port of the set of ports, a power demand for a remote device, the power demand being a total power value based on a power rating for the remote device and a calculated cable dissipation power value for a cable connecting the apparatus with the remote device;
• generate a comparison between the power demand for the remote device and the power budget of the apparatus;
• and
• allocate power from the power budget provided by the power supply to the remote device through the port of the set of ports when the comparison indicates that the power budget supports the power demand for the remote device, and reject allocation of power from the power budget to the remote device when the comparison indicates that the power budget does not support the power demand for the remote device.