Application · access control
Bollard & Access Control Power
Rising bollards, intercoms, card readers and gate barriers sit at the edge of a site where mains is absent or expensive to bring. PoF delivers data and up to 12 W over one hybrid cable to 200 m, with the control cabinet indoors.
Updated October 24, 2026
- Copper limit
- 100 m
- PoF limit
- 200 m
- PoF power
- 12 W / port
- PON reach
- 20 km
The engineering problem
Why the obvious answer fails.
The endpoint is small; the distance, the power and the environment are not. Three paragraphs explain where the design usually breaks.
Access control devices live at the boundary: a bollard at the driveway, an intercom at the gate, a card reader at the pedestrian entrance, a barrier at the exit. The mains distribution board is inside the building, often 50–200 m away. Trenching a mains duct to each column is expensive and may be impossible on a leased site or a heritage facade.
The loads are modest but safety-related. A card reader is 5–12 W; an intercom with a screen and camera is 10–20 W; a rising bollard’s hydraulic pump is a different class (often 1–3 kW and not a PoF load). PoF is suitable for the reader, intercom, camera and control electronics, not for the bollard motor.
Reliability matters more than cost. If the reader loses power, the gate stops. A PoF splitter in the building with a UPS-backed 48 V supply keeps the readers and intercom alive during a mains outage, while the bollard motor remains on its own circuit.
Path comparison
Four paths, one decision.
The correct path is the one that matches the endpoint power, the distance and the presence of mains. Do not compare only on cable price.
| Path | Reach | Power at the endpoint | Mains at endpoint | Best for | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper PoE | 100 m channel | 15.4 / 30 W at the source (af / at) | Required for the switch | Devices within 100 m of a powered cabinet | Cable loss, surge path, no reach beyond 100 m |
| PoE extender | 200 – 500 m with hops | Reduced at each hop | Required at every extender | Retrofit where a mid-point has power | Another powered box outdoors; still copper |
| Power over Fiber | Up to 200 m per port | Up to 12 W per port | Not required | Ceiling APs, pole cameras, readers, sensors | 12 W per port, hybrid cable, 200 m limit |
| Fibre + local PoE switch | 20 km PON backhaul | Local switch budget | Required at the local cabinet | Cabinets, buildings, dense clusters | Needs a powered cabinet and a switch |
The correct path is the one that matches the endpoint power, the distance and the presence of mains. Do not compare only on cable price.
Design approach
How we lay it out.
Separate the motor from the electronics
Do not try to power a bollard pump over PoF. Put the motor on its own mains circuit and use PoF for the reader, intercom, camera and controller at the column.
Put the splitter indoors
Mount the PoF splitter and its 48 V supply in the building, on a UPS if the gate must work during an outage. The hybrid cable runs to the column; the electronics are protected indoors.
Keep one cable per column
One hybrid cable carries data and power to each column. That removes the separate signal and mains conduits and limits the copper path to the last 200 m.
Bill of materials
A starting BOM.
Quantities follow the endpoint count and the number of cabinets. Adjust after the site survey.
| Item | Specification | Quantity basis |
|---|---|---|
| PoF splitter | 8 outputs, 12 W per port, 48 V DC | 1 per 8 columns/devices |
| Hybrid PoF cable | G.657A2 + copper, 20/50 m | 1 per column + spare |
| PoF ONU / media converter | 1× XPON + 1× GE | 1 per column or group |
| Access controller | Reader / intercom interface | Per design |
| UPS-backed 48 V supply | Sized to the splitter load | 1 per cabinet |
| SPD | At the building entry and column | Per local code |
The bollard motor is not a PoF load. Keep it on a separate mains circuit with its own protection.
Numbers to check
The design rules.
| Design rule | Value to confirm |
|---|---|
| PoF reach | 200 m |
| PoF power | 12 W per port |
| Reader load | 5 – 12 W |
| Intercom load | 10 – 20 W; check peak |
| Bollard motor | Separate mains circuit, not PoF |
| Backup | UPS the 48 V supply for gate electronics |
Recommended equipment
What this design usually uses.
Power over Fiber · access
PoF Switch & PoF ONU
One hybrid cable to the ceiling: data and 12 W.
A Power-over-Fiber access set: an optical gateway, an 8-output PoF power splitter, hybrid PoF cable and a ceiling Wi-Fi 6 ONU. Each output delivers up to 12 W to 200 m, so ceiling APs and cameras run without a local mains socket.
- Power per port
- Up to 12 W
- Reach
- Up to 200 m
- Outputs
- 8 + 1 cascade
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 AX3000
Best for Outdoor Wireless Coverage · Campus Fibre Network · Parking Lot Camera System
View specificationsPower over Fiber · splitter
PoF Power Splitter
Eight outputs, 12 W each, one cascade port.
A 1×9 PoF power splitter that combines an optical splitter and a 48 V DC power distributor in one box. It feeds eight PoF ONUs at up to 12 W each to 200 m and provides a cascade port for a second splitter.
- Split
- 1×9 (8 + cascade)
- Output power
- ≤12 W per port
- Supply
- 48 V DC, 120 W
- Insertion loss
- ≤16.5 dB output
Best for Outdoor Wireless Coverage · Parking Lot Camera System · Bollard & Access Control Power
View specifications
Power over Fiber · cable
Hybrid PoF Cable
G.657A2 fibre and copper in one flat jacket.
A flat hybrid cable with one G.657A2 fibre and a copper pair, terminated SC/UPC and supplied in 3, 20 or 50 m lengths. Attenuation is ≤0.4 dB/km at 1310 nm and ≤0.3 dB/km at 1550 nm; the jacket is rated −20 to +80 °C.
- Fibre
- G.657A2, single core
- Attenuation
- ≤0.4 / ≤0.3 dB/km
- Lengths
- 3 / 20 / 50 m
- Temperature
- −20 to +80 °C
Best for Outdoor Wireless Coverage · Parking Lot Camera System · Bollard & Access Control Power
View specifications
PoE switching · managed & unmanaged
PoE Switches
8 to 48 PoE ports, with 10G and 100G uplinks.
PoE switch families from compact 4–8 port units to 48-port Layer 3 switches with 100G uplinks. IEEE 802.3af/at power, VLAN and IGMP isolation, and a 100 m copper limit that decides where the fibre has to take over.
- Ports
- 4 – 48 × GE PoE
- Uplinks
- GE / 10G / 100G
- Power
- 802.3af / at
- Distance
- 100 m copper
Best for CCTV & Surveillance Power · Parking Lot Camera System · Perimeter Security Power
View specificationsApplication FAQ
Bollard & Access Control Power: site questions.
If your question is not here, send the site details and we will answer with the calculation, not a brochure.
Ask an engineerCan PoF power a rising bollard?
No. The hydraulic pump draws far more than 12 W and is a motor load. Use PoF for the reader, intercom and camera at the column; keep the motor on a dedicated mains circuit.
What happens during a power cut?
If the 48 V supply is on a UPS, the readers and intercom stay alive and the gate can be operated manually or by the controller. The bollard motor still needs mains or its own backup.
How far can the column be from the building?
Up to 200 m on PoF. Beyond that, use a local cabinet with a PoE switch and a mains feed, or a fibre link with a local power source.
Is one hybrid cable enough for a reader and a camera?
One cable carries one optical path and one power pair. If the reader and camera are separate devices, use a small PoE switch or a PoF ONU with multiple ports at the column.
Can I use PoF outdoors?
Yes with UV-rated conduit, a drip loop and an IP-rated enclosure for the connectors. The cable is rated −20 to +80 °C, but the jacket is not a substitute for mechanical protection.
Does PoF work with third-party access controllers?
The PoF link is transparent to Ethernet; the controller sees a standard network link. Confirm the connector type and the PoE class of the device at the column.
Next step
Planning Bollard & Access Control Power?
Send the device list, the longest run, the mains condition and the country. We return the path, the BOM and the budget assumptions.
No obligation. The plan states its assumptions so your engineer can check it.