Motorola, PowerDsine Join Forces To Deliver PoE ASIC

Jun 16, 2003 12:00 PM, By Ashok Bindra, Editor, PETech

6/16/2003

By Ashok Bindra, Editor, PETech

Motorola, PowerDsine Join Forces To Deliver PoE ASIC

Motorola Inc.'s Semiconductor Products Sector and PowerDsine, supplier of power over Ethernet (PoE) solutions, are combining forces to jointly develop an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for the emerging PoE market. Combining Motorola’s SMARTMOS process with PowerDsine’s power over LAN expertise, the partners have unveiled plans to design and deliver IEEE 802.3af compliant ASIC chips for Ethernet switches and midspans to allow emerging VoIP phones, WLAN access points, network security cameras, Bluetooth devices, and others to share power and data over the same cable.

The IEEE is expected to ratify Draft 4.3 of the 802.3af standard this month. Analysts estimate that nearly 50 million Ethernet ports will be compatible with the new standard by 2005. Furthermore, experts project that 85% of all the Ethernet ports will be PoE enabled in the next four or five years.

The first fruit of this joint effort will be a 12-port solution (15W power per port) based on Motorola’s SMARTMOS 8, which allows integration of power devices with high-voltage analog and high-density digital logic functions on a single chip. The SMARTMOS 8 circuits can handle more than 100V. According to PowerDsine, samples of the PoE ASIC will be available in the fourth quarter, with production in early 2004. In addition to being fully complaint to 802.3af, it will also work with pre-standard proprietary solutions. PowerDsine says higher integration to address the needs of 24- and 48-port solutions is also in the works.

“Motorola's SMARTMOS technology and our system know-how allows us to develop an ASIC that stands above the rest in the industry,” said Igal Rotem, CEO of PowerDsine. "We're working together to extend our market reach and to build a flexible, yet tightly integrated and reliable solution that is top of the line, takes up less space and requires fewer components—something customers need today.”

The design team, which is already in place, has been working together for a few months.

For more information, visit www.powerdsine.com.