Key Facts:
  • Pre-standard and IEEE® 802.3bt-2018 devices powered in existing Ethernet infrastructure
  • PoE injectors and midspans installed between Powered Devices (PDs) and existing switch
  • PSE chipset provides management and control with extensive interoperability
  • IdealBridge™ MOSFET-based full-bridge rectifier protects PDs against reverse polarity
  • Pre-standard Gen 6 PSE chipset designs upgrade to IEEE 802.3bt with no hardware change

Microchip enables both pre-standard and IEEE-compliant Powered Devices (PDs) to receive up to 90W of power without changing Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches or cabling. This development eases the transition to using IEEE 802.3bt-2018-compliant PoE injectors and midspans for users, and Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) chipsets for system developers.
 
As the industry adopts the latest generation of PoE technology for managing data and power over a single Ethernet cable, users face the challenge of making pre-standard PDs work with new IEEE 802.3bt-2018-compliant PDs without changing PoE switches or cabling.
 
Many proprietary solutions were brought to market through 2018 and support specifications such as Universal PoE (UPOE) and Power over HDBaseT (PoH). They meet the higher powering needs of two-pair and four-pair PDs including kiosks, POS terminals, thin clients, 802.11ac/ax access points, small cells, smart buildings, industrial automation systems and connected LED lighting. During this period Microchip has offered a PSE chipset for implementing the widely adopted PoH four-pair power standard for 95W PDs. It is now the first to also offer an IEEE 802.3af/at/bt chipset that enables pre-standard switches to interoperate with new IEEE 802.3bt-2018-compliant products. Its complete IEEE 802.3bt-compliant offering includes a range of products.

PoE injectors and midspans:

•    Users can power any combination of pre-standard and IEEE 802.3bt-2018-compliant PDs by installing the single- or multi-port solutions between PDs and their existing switch.
•    Family includes single- and multi-port options that will also enable new IEEE 802.3bt-compliant switches to power pre-standard PDs.