PoE interface circuit meets IEEE specs

Power Integrations has successfully completed an important series of tests for power-over-Ethernet powered devices incorporating the company's DPA-Switch family of ICs.

Power Integrations has successfully completed an important series of tests for power-over-Ethernet (PoE) powered devices (PDs) incorporating the company's DPA-Switch family of ICs.

Testing by the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Consortium (UNH-IOC) showed that a PoE interface circuit designed by Power Integrations meets the IEEE802.3af standard for PDs.

In interoperability testing, the Power Integrations circuit was shown to work correctly with all of the consortium's power sending equipment (PSE) - some 25 different devices in all.

UNH-IOC test results are widely referenced in the telecom industry to demonstrate IEEE802.3af compliance and to provide confirmation that a new PD will work with any PSE prior to the deployment of new PoE equipment.

The Power Integrations design, which is presented in the company's Design Idea DI-88, is a PoE interface and DC/DC switching circuit designed around the company's monolithic DPA-Switch ICs.

A simple, low-cost discrete circuit performs the PoE signature and classification functions, while DPA-Switch manages all the primary DC/DC switching and control functions.

The complete circuit requires only 16 components and costs about one-third less than designs based on integrated interface/controller ICs.

The DI-88 design is capable of supporting all current classes of PoE devices (Classes 0 to 3).

"We are delighted that our PoE interface has passed the UNH-IOC test, achieving a perfect score", said Andrew Smith, DC/DC product marketing manager for Power Integrations.

"These results help confirm what our market experience has already shown - that our approach to the PoE PD is highly effective, low-cost and compatible with industry-leading PoE systems".

Copies of the UNH-IOC test reports, along with additional information on Power Integrations' PoE offerings, can be found on the Power Integrations website, as can design support tools and product information (including DI-88) related to the DPA-Switch family of ICs.

The DI-88 interface design is available for use free-of-charge to Power Integrations customers using DPA-Switch ICs in their PD designs.

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