Microsemi Launches Industry's First Family of IEEE802.3at Integrated Circuit Solutions for High Power PoE Applications

IRVINE, Calif., Feb 11, 2008 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq:MSCC), a leading manufacturer of high performance analog mixed signal integrated circuits and high reliability semiconductors, has announced the industry's first IEEE802.3at-ready power over Ethernet (PoE) integrated solution family, delivering up to 60 watts power for devices ranging from video screen phones and WiMAX transmitters to pan-tilt-zoom cameras, thin-clients and laptop computers.

The new product family includes the PD69012 12-port PSE High PoE Manager and the PD69008 8-port PSE High PoE Manager. Both feature external power FETs, enabling switch manufacturers to build switches that can drive 36W for every two-pairs and interface to devices consuming up to 30 watts, with ongoing currents of 720mA, as required by IEEE802.3at-draft 1.0.

Applications requiring up to 60 watts can use the same Microsemi integrated circuits in a 4-pair configuration. The new ICs support Layer-2 Classification and 2-event classification, which reduces the software resources required to implement PoE switches and is essential for building IEEE802.3at midspans.

"The PD69012 and PD69008 were built to support the higher currents required by PoE Plus, allowing not only peace-of-mind but full optimization for IEEE802.3at," said Daniel Feldman, PoE Product Line Manager at Microsemi.

"The PD690XX family builds upon our experience of having shipped more than 35 million PoE ports to enable customers to have the smallest real-estate and lowest power dissipation, while keeping Microsemi's power management algorithms," Feldman said.

Both the PD69012 and PD69008 include all of the features found in lower power PD64012G and PD64004A circuits and in the pre-standard PD64012GH and PD64004AH, including detection of pre-standard devices, dynamic power management and emergency power management. In addition, the new devices also add support for power management based on Layer-2 classification.

With increases in the maximum theoretical power per port, advanced power management features become critical for the design of PoE switches, saving integrators an average of 50 percent of the cost of adding PoE to a switch, by allowing sharing of power supplies and the employment of smaller power supplies.

"The PD69012 allows the industry to build next generation IEEE802.3at or PoE Plus switches and midspans, enabling support for products that require more power, such as PTZ security cameras and 802.11n APs," said Val Oliva, Director of Product Strategy at Foundry Networks. "Microsemi's solution helps deliver PoE Plus to prepare for higher power PoE installations today, while maintaining support for the existing IEEE802.3af standard."

The PD69012 and PD69008 can be configured on a port-by-port basis to work in IEEE802.3at mode or 100% IEEE802.3af compliant mode. Both PoE managers can be used standalone or with the PD69000, which enhances the power management support and provides a backwards compatible interface with the PD63000 and PDIC66000, guaranteeing customers which have been shipping PowerDsine PoE solutions in switches since 2002 can make minimal software changes to adopt the latest PoE technology.

"The IEEE802.3at standard brings a breakthrough in usability of PoE for applications in the enterprise, SME, SOHO and residential markets," said Steve Litchfield, Executive Vice President and President of Microsemi's Analog Mixed Signal Group. "The PD69012 and PD69008 are designed with the flexibility to allow for both 36W and 72W solutions, enabling our customers to have compliant and efficient products ready when the IEEE802.3at standard is ratified in early 2009," he said.

Product Availability

The PD69012 and PD69008 are sampling now and will be in volume production in Q2 2008.

About Power over Ethernet Technology

PoE is a technology for wired Ethernet, the most widely installed local area network technology in use today. PoE allows the electrical power necessary for the operation of each end-device to be carried by data cables, rather than by separate power cords. It minimizes the number of wires used to install the network, resulting in lower cost, less downtime, easier maintenance and greater installation flexibility. The technology was pioneered by PowerDsine, a founding member of the IEEE 802.3af and IEEE802.3at Task Forces. The company was acquired by Microsemi Corporation in January 2007 and is now part of Microsemi's new Analog Mixed Signal Group.