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Future of 5G small cells with power over Ethernet

17th March 2020

Alex Lynn

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Silicon Labs has introduced a comprehensive Power over Ethernet (PoE) portfolio that reduces the cost and complexity of adding 90W PoE to power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered devices (PD). The new 90 W PoE portfolio complies with the IEEE 802.3bt standard, which more than doubles standard PoE power and expands the capabilities of wireless access points and IoT wireless gateways.

The portfolio’s higher power capabilities help make PoE-powered 5G small cells and digital buildings a practical reality.

“Silicon Labs’ 802.3bt PoE portfolio delivers higher power, exceptional integration and advanced features to help developers simplify their system designs while meeting stringent power, size and cost budgets,” said Brian Mirkin, vice president and general manager of power products at Silicon Labs. “Our new PoE portfolio spans both ends of the Ethernet cable, from 15 to 90W, giving developers flexible options for a wide range of PSE and PD applications.”

The Si3471 PSE controller is the industry’s first fully autonomous, 90W single-port 802.3bt-compliant power-sourcing solution. The Si3471 makes it easy to add 90 W power to single-port midspans or ‘injectors’. It automatically manages all nuances associated with the 802.3bt standard.

The Si3471 does not require external host MCUs, firmware downloads or software programming and is simple to configure using three digital I/O pins. The small 38-pin 5x7mm QFN package and simple BOM help reduce system cost and complexity.

The Si3474 quad Ethernet port PSE controller powers up to four 90 W 802.3bt PoE ports or up to eight 30W 802.3at/af PoE ports, providing a versatile solution for industrial and commercial Ethernet switches and security recording equipment.

The Si3474 can be operated in autonomous mode with full power on each port or in hosted mode, enabling developers to manage power through an I2C interface with a full-featured register map. The Si3474 is available in a 56-pin 8 mm x 8 mm package with an industry-standard pinout.

The Si34071 single-chip PD solution combines an 802.3bt interface with an integrated, high-efficiency DC/DC converter capable of achieving more than 90 percent end-to-end efficiency. The Si34071 includes a simple, 9600-baud UART interface to the system MCU. The Si34071 delivers high power for 5G small cells, wireless access points and IoT gateways. A companion to the Si3471 PSE controller, the Si34071 comes in a small 32-pin 5x5mm QFN package.

“Silicon Labs’ new 90 W solutions helped streamline our single-port PoE designs for the emerging high-power PoE market,” said Jonathan Sohnis, Chief Technology Officer of Altronix, a global leader in power and data transmission solutions. “Silicon Labs’ excellent technical support enables us to be early in the market with the latest high-power PoE technology.”