038-041_PE_FebMar05_EK 2/2/05 2:15 pm Page 40
POISED FOR P
A
gentle squall has been gathering over the
prospect of carrying power over the same
copper used to transmit data. But the
technique, also known as Power over
Ethernet (PoE), is about to generate an
electrical storm. PoE technology has been
with us for about four years, initially with numerous
proprietary and custom solutions. But in June 2003, the
IEEE ratified a standard, dubbed the 802.3af. This was
conceived to support the way switches, routers and hubs
should deliver power over standard Ethernet cabling to end
DETECTION AND HANDSHAKES
The Power-over-Ethernet specification (802.3af)
defines a method to deliver power to devices such
as Internet Protocol (IP) phones and security systems
from networking equipment such as routers and
switches. This will take place over the same
twisted-pair cable (Category 5, 5e or 6 and RJ-45
connectors) used to carry data over Ethernet
networks, and removes the need to install separate
power wiring or rely on sources derived from a
wall-mounted power supply.
The power delivery specification outlines a three-
step operating protocol detection, classification and
powering between the power source equipment
(PSE) and each powered device (PD). Accounting for
typical losses in the cabling, this permits each PD to
draw up to a maximum of 12.95W.
Typical PoE controller chips apply to both the
power source and power device sides and serve as
the system handshaking interfaces to implement the
power delivery protocol. At the source end, the PSE
first determines if the device connected to its output
port is a bona fide PD. In this detection phase, the
PSE places a low voltage on the cable, looking for a
25kilohm signature resistor in the PD controller.
Following this phase, the controllers coordinate a
start-up procedure for delivering power from the PSE
to PD. This pays special attention to the inrush current
and the PDs changing voltage and current demands.
Each PD must include at least one DC/DC
converter that transforms the input voltage to levels
that suit its construction and also provides a 1500V
isolation barrier. To stay active, the device under
power must draw a minimum current of 10mA. This
allows detection logic within the power source to
remove power to a port when equipment is
www.iee.org/power
disconnected.
38 IEE Power Engineer | February/March 2005
user devices, such as Internet Protocol (IP) phones,
security systems and wireless Local Area Network (LAN)
access points (see Detection and handshakes, below).
But, even as industry coalesced round this standard, it
was clear that the power output available to the power
device (PD) a realistic 13W once the inevitable losses
through the cabling and power conversion inefficiencies
were taken into account was just not high enough. So,
just as inevitably, a new 802.3 task group was initiated in
November 2004 to extend the power output and come up
with a revised version of the standard, the PoEplus.
Initial soundings suggest power will be doubled to 30W
per port, although some of the companies that have shown
interest in participating in the Study Group favour going
as high as 40W. But why the need for more and more
power? The motivation is obvious; to support many more
devices and end user applications.
Typical devices that will make use of PoEplus include
video phones, point tilt zoom (PTZ) security network
cameras and multi-channel as well as outdoor wireless
LAN access points. The PoE technology will also be
extended to new markets, such as using the LAN to power
laptops, PDAs, workgroup switches, radio frequency
identification (RFID) readers, industrial controllers and
base-stations for the emerging wireless broadband,
WiMAX. Indeed, each of these markets already needs
more than the 13W currently available (fig 1).
Clearly, backward compatibility to existing Ethernet
cabling and the current 802.3af specifications is essential.
But concerns exist over moving towards higher power
levels, since twisted pair cabling was never intended to
carry serious power loads. Interference, safety and heat
build-up in large bundles of cable are all real worries.
Issues aside, the latest initiative seems to have the
backing of most of the major players in the sector. Switch
and router makers such as Cisco, 3Com, Nortel and
Fujitsu are all on board as are component suppliers, Texas
Instruments, Linear Technology Corporation, National
Semiconductor, Maxim Integrated Products, Philips
Semiconductors, Fairchild and Supertex.
One company playing a significant promotional role
with the 802.3af standard is Israeli group PowerDsine.
Collaborating with Freescale Semiconductor, US, the
company has developed and is selling what is arguably the
most highly integrated PoE controller chip on the market
(see Meet the families, p41).
PowerDsine is developing so-called end-span and
mid-span products, which refer to the two main
implementations of PoE. The former is a PoE-enabled
 038-041_PE_FebMar05_EK 2/2/05 2:15 pm Page 41

Power electronics

R POWER
CAN THE LATEST POWER
OVER ETHERNET STANDARD
DELIVER THE OUTPUT
INDUSTRY CRAVES?

By John Walko

Ethernet switch in which power is supplied directly from
the data ports. Meanwhile, the mid-span option is a stand-
alone plug-and-play device that sits between an ordinary
Ethernet switch and the terminals, or power hubs (fig 2).
As has now become the norm, PowerDsine has just
released a pre-standard version of its mid-span, dubbed the
High Power Series 8000, ahead of a final standard
ratification. This provides up to 39.5W of power while
supporting the 802.3af standard with regards to detection
and safety. The series incorporates a small DC-DC
stepdown converter that provides a simple way to power
legacy 12.5V, 2.5A devices with high power PoE.
RAISING THE STAKES
Igal Rotem, chief executive of PowerDsine, says that
devices will always need more power, even if the standard
settles at the safer option of 30W. As he points out, the
technical issues for going to 30W and related safety and
interference issues are pretty well understood and pose
no problem.

IEE Power Engineer | February/March 2005 39

038-041_PE_FebMar05_EK 2/2/05 2:15 pm Page 42
Fig 1: Want to access your laptop over a local area network?
With PoEPlus you can.
Evidently Rotem is keen to explore beyond this power
level. He believes that those wanting more power could
consider offering dedicated, proprietary solutions that will
work on top of any standard that emerges, rather than force
this standard in a way that might cause unnecessary risks.
Rotem is also extremely bullish about the prospects for
PoE. We anticipate that, of the 220m Ethernet ports that
will be shipped this year, between 8% and 9% will be PoE
enabled, he said. And recent figures from market
research groups indicate that, within four years, almost
every fast Ethernet and Gigabit port will have the
capability.
But where are the opportunities? Early adopters only
used the technology for high to medium end chassis
switches. According to Rotem, the stackable switches used
by smaller enterprises are now quickly coming to market
with PoE functionality. And we see huge opportunities
ahead as the big suppliers of Internet-based private
automatic branch exchange (PABX) equipment, such as
NEC, Panasonic, Samsung and Fujitsu are now fully
embracing PoE in their latest designs, he added.
Rotem also suggests voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
now accounts for about 60% of switches with PoE
capability, while WLAN access points account for 30% and
security cameras and other applications take the
remaining share. He anticipates that, as VoIP becomes
mainstream, the percentage of PoE-enabled switches will
grow even more.
MARKET PROSPECTS
Care needs to be taken with the market statistics for PoE.
One benchmark is the number of enterprise switches that
www.iee.org/power
are being shipped with PoE capability. A recent study from
US analyst, Venture Development Corporation (VDC)
suggested PoE penetration will increase from about
40 IEE Power Engineer | February/March 2005
Provided we dont get bogged down
in arcane arguments, a high power
standard could be agreed within
nine months
25 million of the 160 million Ethernet switch ports shipped
this year, to a much higher figure of around 140 million of
the total 210 million ports expected to ship in 2007.
VDC has also analysed the global market for PoE
enabling silicon on both ends of the cable. In terms of units
shipped, the researchers predict a healthy 55% compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) between this year and 2007, up
from 133 million to 496 million in terms of number of ports
supported. However, VDC cautions that the sector is very
likely to see price erosion, with the average selling price
per unit dropping from more than $1 now per unit, to
perhaps less that 50 per unit.
VDCs figures relate to the number of ports supported.
Thus an integrated controller for the PSE, such as
PowerDsines PD64012, can support up to 12 ports, while
many of the parts for a PD can only cater for one port.
Indeed, Rotem says his firm, PowerDsine, supplies its
system-on-chip devices to most of the big switch makers,
such as 3Com, Nortel and Avaya as well as many of the big
original design manufacturers (ODMs), with one
exception; Cisco. The US network giant buys its PSE end
controllers mainly from US semiconductor maker, Linear
Technology.
But, before PoEplus can really advance, the standard
will need to be firmly established first, a matter on which
Rotem is surprisingly cautious. There are lots of issues
on the table. I expect the Study Group will be fully formed
by next March, and then it could take another 18 months
for a standard to be ratified. If all goes well, we are probably
looking at late 2007.
Steve Hemmah, marketing manager for PoE products at
Texas Instruments, is more optimistic. Standards will be
pushed through quickly, he said. We have learnt from the
last PoE standardisation effort, which took nearly three
years, and the changes are not so dramatic. Provided we
dont get bogged down in arcane arguments, a high power
standard could be agreed within nine months.
Hemmah also believes that the devices will not require
many design changes, either on the power device or power
supply equipment end. He points, however, to changes in
signature classification in some external power metal oxide
silicon field effect transistors (MOSFETs).
I would say most of these enhancements on the silicon
side relate to increased integration and are evolutionary
rather than revolutionary, he said. In any case, it was
inevitable that there would be a move to higher powered
PoE, and the silicon companies are well prepared.
038-041_PE_FebMar05_EK 2/2/05 2:15 pm Page 43
Fig 2: The Midspan PoE Controller eliminates the need for
installation of local power at the device, saving time and money
But while Hemmah believes design will not be an issue,
he says thermal management could be problematic for the
new, more complex devices. Companies such as Texas
Instruments are working to integrate as much as possible,
but some components, such as the optocouplers and diodes,
will always generate a lot of heat and need to be kept
separate on the board.
Werner Berns, marketing manager for power
management devices at National Semiconductor in Europe,
concurs that redesign of the circuitry, especially for devices
on the power device side, where National plays, is not a big
issue. The architecture and footprint can remain pretty
much the same. The bigger issue we have to face is on the
packaging side to deal with heat dissipation, he says.
But what does Ciscos supplier, Linear Technology, see
as being the key challenges to high power PoE? Todd
Nelson, marketing manager for mixed signal products at
Linear, agrees the component suppliers are in good shape
to upgrade their designs. The bigger decisions depend on
the cable makers as to how they can cope with the higher
power densities.
Nelson maintains the key decision is whether the
standards committee opts for increasing the current on
both pairs, or just on one pair of wires. He believes the
committee will get to a functional definition within six
months, at which stage device makers such as Linear can
start developing the silicon.
We will have a standard for PoEplus within 18 months,
he asserts. What impact it will have on the market
remains to be seen. I dont see it doubling the market size
in the short term, but in the long run, its certainly an
important development.
John Walko is a technology journalist based in London
Power electronics
MEET THE FAMILIES
Controllers and devices for the Power Device (PD) side typically include
an internal 25k resistor and classification current source, some kind of
current-limiting, thermal shutdown circuitry, and electrostatic discharge
protection.
Recent additions include the LM5070 from National Semiconductor,
billed as a totally integrated interface solution for the PD. The part
incorporates a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller,
programmable under-voltage threshold and hysteresis circuitry,
signature resistor disconnect and internal power switch.
Also touting its integrated capability as a PoE DC/DC controller is
Maxim Integrated Productss MAX5941/MAX5942. The device has a
current-mode PWM section and interface for the PD that includes
oscillator, detection circuitry for device classification, programmable
control of inrush current, and over-current and thermal shutdown
circuitry.
Linear Technologys LTC4267 PoE controller, released last
November, includes a switching regulator and is claimed to provide
the smallest PoE solution available for Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) phones, security cameras and any Ethernet-connected device
requiring less than 13W.
Perhaps surprisingly, only a few key players compete in the market for
interface controllers for the power supply equipment (PSE) side.
PowerDsines third generation part is described as the most integrated
PoE management chip. The PD64012, developed in conjunction with
Freescale Semiconductor formerly Motorola can integrate up to
12 power MOSFETs with as many as 80,000 logic gates on a single chip.
Texas Instrumentss TPS2384, announced in December, is a quad-
port version of the companys TPS2383 octal PSE manager. Like the
TPS2375 family of PoE controllers released in May 2004 for PDs, the
2384 touts high-temperature operation for industrial requirements.
Linear Technologys LTC4258 and LTC4259 are designed to control
four independent ports and boast autonomous no processor
operation.
IEE Power Engineer | February/March 2005 41