AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Silicon
Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance,
analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, today introduced the Si348x family
of power management ICs, enabling reduced system cost and improved
efficiency in power over Ethernet (PoE) power sourcing equipment (PSE).
Complementing Silicon Labs' popular Si3452 PSE controllers, the new PoE
power management ICs provide an easy-to-use, energy-efficient and
small-footprint solution for streamlining power delivery in managed and
unmanaged switches and routers, iPBXs, IP-based security systems,
set-top boxes and power injectors.
Efficient, intelligent and cost-effective balancing of powered device
(PD) loads is a critical design consideration for multi-port PoE
equipment. For example, the PoE+ standard allows up to 30 Watts per port
to be sourced by the PSE, requiring 720 total Watts in a 24-port system.
At any given time, some or perhaps most of these ports may not be in use
or drawing full power. The ability to properly size the power supply
through active power management enables dramatic power supply cost
savings and higher system efficiency. Silicon Labs' Si348x power
management ICs take advantage of the real-time voltage and current
monitoring capabilities of the Si3452 PoE controller to apply active
power management based on actual consumption, enhancing the efficient
use of switch ports beyond simple classification schemes.
For compact systems of eight ports or less, the Si3480 power manager
provides a pin-programmable, stand-alone solution that does not require
an interface to an intelligent host, making it ideal for unmanaged
switches or other applications in which the user wants full-featured
active power management without having to write or integrate system
software.
For larger PoE systems, the Si3482 power manager leverages the real-time
voltage and current monitoring capability of the Si3452 controller to
manage up to 48 ports with as many as three power sources. The Si3482
device can be programmed by its host via a serial peripheral interface
(SPI) or universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) interface,
setting the power supply capacity, port power configuration, port
priority, detection timing and fault recovery protocol. Once programmed,
the Si3482 can operate without host intervention using the saved
configuration data. The Si3482 also facilitates link layer discovery
protocol (LLDP) agents in the host, which can call a routine in the
Si3482 to dynamically adjust the amount of power granted to a PD during
the course of a connection.
"Our innovative approach to active power management reduces PoE system
cost by allowing designers to right-size power supplies in both managed
and unmanaged switch products, avoiding costly overdesign," said Carlos
Garcia, vice president of wireline products at Silicon Laboratories.
"Silicon Labs' end-to-end PoE solutions are based on an integrated
systems-level approach, giving designers the ability to optimize their
applications for power efficiency while reducing BOM costs and board
space."
Comprehensive Reference Designs and SDK
Silicon Labs offers a complete suite of development tools including a
graphical user interface (GUI)-based software development tool to enable
quick evaluation and design with the Si348x ICs and companion Si3452
devices. The Si3480MS8-KIT development kit implements an 8-port midspan
power injector with an intelligent power management LED display,
enabling detailed evaluation of the Si3452 in conjunction with the
Si3480 8-port power manager. The 24-port SmartPSE24-KIT power management
evaluation kit supports SPI or UART-based interfaces and includes
comprehensive power management functions to simplify designing with the
Si3482 IC.
For users who prefer a software-only solution, Silicon Labs offers a
power manager software development kit (SDK) for systems that include an
intelligent controller such as an Ethernet switch SoC. This SDK includes
a power management kernel, GUI tool and an application programming
interface (API). The SDK facilitates rapid porting to the switch
controller, providing a turnkey power management capability for high
port-count systems, leveraging the real-time monitoring capabilities of
the Si3452 controller. Contact your local Silicon Labs representative
for further information about the SDK.
Pricing and Availability
The Si3480 8-port power management IC is available in a 20-pin, 4 mm x 4
mm QFN package. Pricing for the Si3480 begins at $0.93 (USD) in
10,000-unit quantities. The Si3482 48-port power management IC is
available in a 20-pin, 4 mm x 4 mm QFN package. Pricing for the Si3482
begins at $2.40 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities. The Si348x devices are
companion chips to Silicon Labs' IEEE 802.3at-compliant Si3452
controller available in RoHS-compliant, 6 mm x 6 mm QFN packaging and
priced at $3.40 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities. The Si3480MS8-KIT and
SmartPSE34-KIT kits are priced respectively at $299 and $379 (USD).
For more information about the Si348x family, development kits and
reference designs, visit www.silabs.com/pr/PoE.
Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Silicon Laboratories is an industry leader in the innovation of
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a
world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal
design, Silicon Labs' diverse portfolio of highly integrated,
easy-to-use products offers customers significant advantages in
performance, size and power consumption. These patented solutions serve
a broad set of markets and applications including consumer,
communications, computing, industrial and automotive.
Headquartered in Austin, TX, Silicon Labs is a global enterprise with
operations, sales and design activities worldwide. The company is
committed to contributing to our customers' success by recruiting the
highest quality talent to create industry-changing innovations. For more
information about Silicon Labs, please visit www.silabs.com.
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Laboratories' current expectations. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could
impact Silicon Laboratories' financial results and cause actual results
to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements,
please refer to Silicon Laboratories' filings with the SEC. Silicon
Laboratories disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
Note to editors: Silicon Laboratories, Silicon Labs, the "S" symbol, the
Silicon Laboratories logo and the Silicon Labs logo are trademarks of
Silicon Laboratories Inc. All other product names noted herein may be
trademarks of their respective holders.
SOURCE: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Dale Weisman, +1 512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010