Hybrid AC/DC distribution system with a shared neutral (2020)

Re:Hybrid AC/DC distribution system with a shared neutral (2... by mystified5016 on Friday May 02, 2025 @10:43AM (#43870504)

PoE seems excessively wasteful for dumb loads. 8 conductors for lighting and a dozen bytes of "turn off bulb 1234" is crazy. Not to mention that you need almost as much electronics on either end of the wire as you do with any 120VAC to DC adapter.

We definitely need domestic DC systems, but not loaded down with the hardware and software complexity of Ethernet. You could run three wires for DC plus half-duplex RS232 or similar, or you could do two wires and impose a high frequency communication signal on top of the DC. There are many options that don't require your lights to have IP addresses.

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Re:Hybrid AC/DC distribution system with a shared neutral (2... by deepsun on Friday May 02, 2025 @12:01PM (#43871539)

Even though it's 8 conductors, you still put only one cable, that's much easier than even two wires.

Low voltage means you don't need an electrician license to DIY, because it's not going to burn the house.

Mass producing cables and electronics becomes cheap. The limiting factor is then materials, not complexity. Look at ESP32 controllers for $7.

Also, I d like my cable to serve 10 light bulbs, each of which may not only turn on/off, but change brightness and color temperature.

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