Expansion

Adding PoE boards and expansion options

4 minute read

The Interceptor Carrier Board supports expansion via two FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) connectors for adding Interceptor PoE Boards.

PoE Expansion Overview

Configuration	PoE Ports	Connectors Used
Single PoE Board	8 ports	J9 or J10
Dual PoE Boards	16 ports	J9 + J10

What You’ll Need

Interceptor PoE Board(s)
40-pin FFC cable(s) (included with PoE board)
VOITA 48Vdc Power Converter
ATX PSU with adequate 12V capacity

Installing PoE Boards

Step 1: Prepare the FFC Connectors

Locate J9 (and J10 for dual configuration) on the carrier board
Pull the brown locking clips outward gently - they should pivot open

Step 2: Connect the FFC Cable

Hold the FFC cable with contacts up (printing visible on top), blue reinforcement tape down
Insert the cable contacts into the connector - push in as far as possible
Check alignment: The cable should be seated evenly - left and right sides at the same depth. If one side is deeper than the other, remove and reinsert.
Push the locking clips inward to secure the cable

Critical

Always lock the cable before powering on. Moving an unlocked FFC cable while power is applied can burn out the cable, permanently damaging it.

Important

The cable must be inserted as deeply as possible and locked securely. A loose or uneven connection will cause intermittent power delivery issues or complete PoE failure.

Step 3: Install Power Converter

The PoE boards require 48V DC power, which is generated from your ATX PSU’s 12V rail using the VOITA boost converter.

Connect the VOITA 48Vdc Power Converter to the ATX PSU’s CPU connector (4+4 pin)
Route the 48V output cable to the PoE board’s terminal block (J1 on PoE board)
Secure all connections

VOITA Converter Specifications:

Input: 12V DC (9-30V DC range)
Output: 48V DC, 5A max, 240W
Dimensions: 74mm × 74mm × 32mm, 260g

Step 4: Verify Connections

Before powering on:

FFC cables are fully seated and locked
Power converter is connected to PSU and PoE board
No cables are pinched or stressed

Port Numbering

When connected, PoE ports are numbered as follows:

Board	Connector	Ports	Interface Names
PoE Board 1	J9	0-7	poe0-poe7
PoE Board 2	J10	8-15	poe8-poe15

Power Budget

Each PoE+ port can deliver up to 30W per IEEE 802.3at. Plan your power budget:

Configuration	Typical Load	Minimum PSU
8 ports	60-120W	350W
16 ports	120-240W	350W

Note

Most IP cameras draw 8-15W each. A 350W Flex ATX PSU from the Exaviz Store is sufficient for most installations, even with dual PoE boards.

Heavy PoE Loads

The standard VOITA converter provides 240W max. For installations requiring higher capacity (e.g., many high-power devices), contact us to discuss higher-capacity converter options.

Software Configuration

After physical installation, the PoE ports are managed via software:

OS Requirement: Exaviz OS image dated 2025-05-01 or newer
Control Interface: /proc/pse
Driver: ip808ar

See PoE Control for detailed software commands.

Troubleshooting

PoE board not detected

Check FFC cable is properly seated
Verify 48V power is connected
Check OS version supports PoE (2025-05-01 or newer)

Intermittent port failures

Reseat FFC cables
Check for loose terminal block connections
Verify PSU 12V rail is stable under load

Power delivery issues

Check total power budget
Verify VOITA converter output voltage
Try different ports to isolate faulty hardware

FFC Connector Pinout (J9/J10)

For developers creating custom expansion boards:

Pins	Function
1-7	Ethernet data (tied together on J9 and J10)
8, 9, 10	3.3V
11	I2C SDA (ID_SD)
12	I2C SCL (ID_SC)
13	GND on J9, 3.3V on J10 (I2C address select)
14	GPIO4 on J9, GPIO6 on J10
15	GPIO5 on J9, GPIO7 on J10
16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40	Ground

Notes:

The Interceptor PoE Board uses an AW9523 I2C GPIO expander for LED control
Pin 13 sets the I2C address, allowing both PoE boards to share the same I2C bus
Pins 14/15 (GPIO) have 1.8K pullups on the carrier board
ID_SD and ID_SC have internal pullups on the CM4

Next Steps

Last modified January 11, 2026