LTC Begins Shipping LTC4258 Quad PoE Controller

Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA), a manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits, reported that it is shipping two quad Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) controllers that are fully compliant with the IEEE 802.3af specification. The controllers provide autonomous operation for power sourcing equipment (PSE), sequencing through all of the required tasks without processor intervention.

The devices can operate in either automatic stand-alone or processor-controlled modes. The LTC4258 implements the 802.3af detection and classification, current limiting for normal and fault operation, and dc disconnect detection. The LTC4259 performs the same functions, but also adds the ability to implement ac disconnect detection. Both devices can communicate with the host over the two-wire I2C bus, requiring minimal firmware support. The precision measurements for detection, classification and current sensing are performed by dedicated internal circuitry with fully specified accuracy.

Pricing for the LTC4258 starts at $6.35 each for 1,000-piece quantities and pricing for the LTC4259 starts at $6.95 each for 1,000-piece quantities.