Product launch supporting maximum 90W PoE wiring
Pre-standard equipment and
IEEE 802.3bt 2018 compliant devices available in existing Ethernet infrastructure


Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology is being adopted to manage data and power through a single Ethernet cable. Now, pre-standard Power Devices (PD) must be implemented simultaneously with new IEEE 802.3bt 2018 standard-compliant power devices in existing Ethernet infrastructure.

Microchip Technology announced on the 28th that it will provide PoE injectors and midspans compliant with the IEEE 802.3bt 2018 standard. For system developers, the company has also released PSE (Power Sourcing Equipment) chipsets that allow both pre-standard and IEEE-compliant PDs to receive up to 90W of power without switch and cable replacement.

Currently, Microchip's IEEE 802.3bt 2018-compliant PD69208M, PD69204T4, PD69208T4 PSE managers, PD69210 PoE controller and others are available for volume purchase. The PD70224 IdealBridge dual MOSFET bridge rectifier circuit is also available for purchase. The injectors and midspans are scheduled to be released by November 2019.

The PSE chipset is designed to provide scalability supporting both 2-pair and 4-pair systems with a single board design while ensuring even heat dissipation across the entire system. It provides management and control functions necessary for building PSE equipment, supplies 90–99.9W of power per port, and supports up to 48 ports for IEEE 802.3bt Type 3 (Classes 1–6) and Type 4 (Classes 7–8) applications.

The initial pre-standard PSE design based on Microchip's 6th generation PSE chipset can be upgraded to IEEE 802.3bt standard through software updates without hardware modifications. The dual-pack IdealBridge MOSFET-based full-bridge rectifier device is used on the power supply side of PoE connections and protects the PD from reverse-polarity connections.

Through Microchip's PoE injectors and midspans to be released in November, users can install single-port or multi-port solutions between the PD and existing switches to supply power to all combinations of pre-standard and IEEE 802.3bt 2018-compliant PDs. The product line includes single-port and multi-port options through which IEEE 802.3bt-compliant switches can supply power to pre-standard PDs.

Iris Shuker, manager of Microchip's PoE business unit, stated, "Microchip combines the changing device power requirements from 30W to 90W with plug-and-play convenience to provide an easy transition method."

He further noted, "Microchip's PSE chipsets provide an architecture requiring no system board redesign and separate pre-standard and IEEE-compliant product lines. These chipsets are key elements of the IEEE 802.3bt 2018-compliant PoE injectors and midspans that close the interoperability gap between users."