Silicon Labs simplifies Power over Ethernet deployment for residential gateways and surveillance systems

Powered devices (PD) continue to proliferate in small office/home office (SOHO) and small-to-medium business (SMB) markets, driving the need for easy-to-use single-port embedded PoE/PoE+ PSE solutions to enable these end devices. With the rising popularity of the higher power IEEE 802.3at PoE+ standard and the need to support PD applications that consume up to 30 watts, developers require PSE controllers that offer flexible power measurement and monitoring capabilities, standards-compliance and no interoperability hassles.

The Si3462 controller is a complete, cost-effective single-port PoE and PoE+ PSE solution. When deployed with the new Classification Optional Mode, the Si3462 eliminates the need for up to 10 discrete components, reducing the total BOM cost for embedded PSE to as little as $1.60 (USD). In this mode, the Si3462 controller determines when a valid PD is connected at the other end of the cable and immediately applies a predetermined amount of power. This mode optimizes cost and simplicity for applications that do not require classification such as proprietary systems operating with a fixed set of PDs.

The Si3462 controller’s innovative architecture eliminates the need for a separate MCU and related software, simplifying overall system integration, mitigating software development costs and risks, and speeding time to market. The Si3462 device’s detection, classification, power-up, fault monitoring, protection and disconnect processes all run according to hardware pin configurations without the assistance of a host processor or MCU. The Si3462 continuously monitors the power delivered to PDs, ensuring that each PD is operating safely and within all IEEE-required PoE/PoE+ specifications.

“The new Si3462 controller makes the adoption of PoE+ in embedded PSE systems easier and more cost-effective than ever, while freeing developers from the standards compliance risks and complexities associated with other PSE solutions,” said Jim Judkins, product line director for Access products at Silicon Labs. “PSE can now be deployed with plug-and-play simplicity, eliminating the need for host MCUs and high-overhead software.”

The Si3462 controller provides a variety of easy-to-use, pin-selectable operating modes that enable the flexible use of the device in both PSE endpoint and midspan applications. Although primarily designed for PSE endpoint products, the Si3462 controller also easily supports midspan power injectors widely used in small business and enterprise local area networks. Midspans enable a remote PD to be powered by a legacy Ethernet switch without PSE capability by inserting the midspan between the PSE endpoint and the PD.

Pricing and Availability
The Si3462 controller is available now in production quantities in a tiny 3 mm x 3 mm QFN package. The Si3462 is priced at $0.95 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities. To help developers reduce development time and cost, Silicon Labs offers the Si3462-EVB evaluation kit, a comprehensive turnkey design that enables a cost-effective drop-in implementation of a single PoE+ PSE port. The Si3462-EVB is available now for $95 (USD).