Powering SP-2 from the MFC 9v input or Cat 5? possible?

[luke]

I didn't realize the SP-2 requires electricity.

In an effort to have just one wire from the Axe to the MFC, I was wondering if anyone knows if you can pull power out of the 9V MFC input when the MFC is powered by the cat 5. Perhaps if they are all interconnected the fact it is an "input" is irrelevant for this purpose.

If not, I was considering a Cat 5 splitter, after which I would feed the MFC with one wire and power the SP-2 with two of its five wires. Of course to do so, I'd need to know which of the five Cat 5 wires are the power, also knowing which is positive versus negative, since the SP needs center pin negative.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SeeD]

(I didn't realize the SP-2 requires electricity)

I don`t think so. Mine does not. I only have a battery for the LED light on my sp-2
And i use cat5

 

[luke]

(I didn't realize the SP-2 requires electricity)

I don`t think so. Mine does not. I only have a battery for the LED light on my sp-2
And i use cat5

The battery is the electricity, I'm trying to find a way to harness power from the MFC to provide that electricity.

 

[6L6C]

I can’t answer part one but I can part two.
As for the Ethernet connection I asked a similar question while back and contacted support. The answer was no, the AF II & MFC are using all four pairs in the Ethernet cable two pair for data and two pair for power, nothing available for outside use.

John

 

[bkrodgers]

Your first option -- if it were to work at all -- is basically the same as the question below. Cliff said this is not something you should try to do:

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/54261-axe-fx-rj-45-pinout.html#post688733

Now, an LED is probably very minimal current draw, so whether it would actually cause a major problem is something I can't say. But it's still something Cliff has said could blow out the supply in the Axe, so keep that in mind.

For the second option, you're not talking about still trying to get the power off the Axe, right? You're just thinking of using unused pairs in the cat5 cable, with a breakout box on either end -- to plug the AC adapter into an unused pair on the Axe side and have a power out on the other? The only question there is that I don't know if there actually are unused pairs. First of all, cat5 doesn't have 5 wires. It has 8. But even with 8, I don't know exactly how the Axe-MFC communication is handled. If it's basically just standard MIDI with power over a more easily obtained cable (ethernet vs 7 pin MIDI), then you may not have a full extra pair at all. It may still be using 7 conductors, just as it would with a 7 pin MIDI cable. 7 pin MIDI uses 2 for each direction, 1 for the shield, and 2 for +/- of the power feed (keeping the negative separate from the shield on the MIDI side). Technically, you might be fine to put the power + on the 8th conductor and use the same ground that the power to the MFC is using. But it's also possible the communication between the Axe and MFC is handled differently on the cat5 connection, which could mean you have more conductors available, or it could mean you have none at all.

Honestly, just making a simple snake may be far easier and safer. Pick up some of this stuff (the first set of products on the page -- expando sleeving), bundle the cables, and avoid any risk of messing anything up. Best-Tronics Mfg., Inc.: HEAT_SHRINK

 

[luke]

How about something like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-ADAPT...=US_Server_Power_Supplies&hash=item2323d65fa1

 

[zenkick]

I just posted this on another thread - might help. I use it to power my mission and my tuner on my pedaltrain: Pedal Juice

EDIT: Some additional information is here, too: http://forum.fractalaudio.com/mfc-discussion/49180-power-board-power-splitter-expansion.html

 

[bkrodgers]

How about something like this?

DC DC Adapter 9V 1A Poe Power Over Ethernet Power Supply Splitter | eBay

Probably not. Power over Ethernet is a standard, but the thing to keep in mind is that (99% certain) the MFC isn't really using Ethernet. It's using a CAT5 cable with RJ45 ends, which happens to be most commonly used as an Ethernet cable. That doesn't mean it's Ethernet. You'll note that they warn that it's important not to connect the Axe to anything other than the MFC on this port, and specifically not to connect it to a router/hub/computer. It says one or both devices could be damaged. If it were really using Ethernet, connecting it to an Ethernet device should be harmless, even if it isn't setup to do anything useful. The fact that they warn against it would indicate they're using the connector and cable, but not the Ethernet standard.

According to the POE entry on Wikipedia (Power over Ethernet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), it uses a phantom power technique. That basically means that (like phantom power on a microphone) it's designed to send power along pairs that are also sending your signal, in a way that doesn't interfere with the signal and are harmless to pieces of equipment that don't need it. But those assumptions about what pairs can be used safely are assumptions based on Ethernet. The Axe is probably using the pairs totally differently, and the phantom power technique may be far from harmless in that application. If you were to run this thing with the Axe, there's a slim chance it will work. There's a far better chance it will either a) do nothing b) cause problems with the MFC's functioning until you remove it or c) blow out circuits in the Axe, MFC, or both.

I just posted this on another thread - might help. I use it to power my mission and my tuner on my pedaltrain: Pedal Juice

EDIT: Some additional information is here, too: http://forum.fractalaudio.com/mfc-discussion/49180-power-board-power-splitter-expansion.html

Now this is very cool. It still involves a charging process, but sounds like much, much less often than using actual rechargeable 9V batteries would. I don't personally need it at the moment, but I'm very glad to learn it exists. I could see it being useful.