Akros Announces Integrated 30W PD PWM Controller For PoE Plus Applications
Akros Silicon, Inc. announced the availability of its AS1130 device, an extension to its family of Power over Ethernet (PoE) Powered Device (PD) controllers. The AS1130 provides the same small footprint and high integration as its predecessors, the AS1113 and AS1124. In addition, the new device provides up to 30W power delivery on the network cable, allowing for the deployment of high-end security cameras and wireless LAN access points.
The first version of the POE specification, IEEE 802.3af, was released in 2003 and provides sufficient power delivery on the network cable to realize Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, basic security cameras and wireless access points (WAP). The success of this first PoE standard has set the stage for remotely powering more sophisticated applications. Pan, Tilt, Zoom (PTZ) Video security cameras, 802.11n wireless LAN access points and remotely powered and controlled switching and routing appliances require higher power than the 13W offered by the 802.3af standard. This prompted the IEEE to develop the 802.3at standard, which is due for letter ballot approval in 2008. The 802.3at standard defines power delivery of up to 30W on an Ethernet Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable. The AS1130 has been designed to deliver these power levels and meet the emerging 802.3at standards requirements.
Akros’ silicon solutions, built on standard HV CMOS technology, allows for a highly integrated design that includes the PoE PD controller, low Rds hot swap MOSFET and a dc-dc controller. This level of integration removes approximately 18 external components from the application circuit. The low part count is said to provide for a greater than 50% reduction it the PCB layout footprint and a significant BOM cost savings compared to competing solutions. The short interconnect to the RJ-45 jack and the controlled Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) output waveform on the dc-dc controller are both key in reducing radiated emissions and meeting industry Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC) requirements.
The AS1130 device are claimed to provide seamless support for local power and over temperature protection. Additionally, pin compatibility between the AS1113, AS1124 and AS1130 allows the designer to support multiple power levels without a complete redesign of the system PCB. Integrating these components is also said to substantially reduce board-to-board variation and increases overall manufacturability and provides the customer with time to market advantage.
The AS1130 also provides advanced power management through integration of a hot-swap switch with a programmable maximum current limit of 800mA. The dc-dc architecture is a current mode converter which can be configured with external component changes for either fly-back, forward, or buck topologies to support non-isolated or isolated switching topologies. The AS1130 device includes a series of platform tested circuit capabilities to assist system designers in providing solutions that meet or exceed the current regulatory and extreme environmental usages. Specifically, the device supports the "two finger classification" and is backward compatible to current 802.3af customer needs. Akros offers optimized yet flexible silicon solution enabling its customers to bring to market higher performance PoE PD products with low cost and small footprint.
The AS1130 is available in a 20-pin QFN, RoHS compliant, and package. The device is priced at $1.66 for 1kU quantity.
