LTC4266A/LTC4266C
22
4266acfe
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ApplicAtions inForMAtion
mode, or when the corresponding Class Enable bit is
cleared.
802.3at 2-Event Classification
The 802.3at specification defines two methods of classify-
ing a Type 2 PD. The LTC4266A supports 802.3at 2-event
classification. The LTC4266C does not support 2-event
classification.
One method adds extra fields to the Ethernet LLDP data
protocol; although the LTC4266A/LTC4266C is compat-
ible with this classification method, it cannot perform
classification directly since it doesn’t have access to the
data path. LLDP classification requires the PSE to power
the PD as a standard 802.3af (Type 1) device. It then
waits for the host to perform LLDP communication with
the PD and update the PSE port data. The LTC4266A/
LTC4266C supports changing the ILIM and ICUT levels on
the fly, allowing the host to complete LLDP classification.
The second 802.3at classification method, known as
2-event classification or ping-pong, is supported by the
LTC4266A. A Type 2 PD that is requesting more than 13W
will indicate Class 4 during normal 802.3af classification.
If the LTC4266A sees Class 4, it forces the port to a speci-
fied lower voltage (called the mark voltage, typically 9V),
pauses briefly, and then re-runs classification to verify the
Class 4 reading (Figure 1). It also sets a bit in the High
Power Status register to indicate that it ran the second
classification cycle. The second cycle alerts the PD that
it is connected to a Type 2 PSE which can supply Type 2
power levels.
2-event ping-pong classification is enabled by setting a bit
in the port’s High Power Mode register. Note that a ping-
pong enabled port only runs the second classification cycle
when it detects a Class 4 device; if the first cycle returns
Class 0 to 3, the port assumes it is connected to a Type 1
PD and does not run the second classification cycle.
Invalid Type 2 Class Combinations
The 802.3at specification defines a Type 2 PD class sig-
nature as two consecutive Class 4 results; a Class 4 fol-
lowed by a Class 0-3 is not a valid signature. In AUTO pin
mode, the LTC4266A will power a detected PD regardless
of the classification results, with one exception: if the PD
presents an invalid Type 2 signature (Class 4 followed by
Class 0 to 3), the LTC4266A will not provide power and
will restart the detection process. To aid in diagnosis, the
Port Status register will always report the results of the
last class pulse, so, for example, an invalid Class 4–Class 2
combination would report a second class pulse was run
in the High Power Status register (which implies that the
first cycle found Class 4), and Class 2 in the Port Status
register.
POWER CONTROL
External MOSFET, Sense Resistor Summary
The primary function of the LTC4266A/LTC4266C is to
control the delivery of power to the PSE port. It does
this by controlling the gate drive voltage of an external
power MOSFET while monitoring the current via an exter
-
nal sense resistor and the output voltage at the OUT pin.
This circuitry serves to couple the raw VEE input supply
to the port in a controlled manner that satisfies the PD’s
power needs while minimizing power dissipation in the
MOSFET and disturbances on the VEE backplane.
The LTC4266A/LTC4266C is designed to use 0.25Ω sense
resistors to minimize power dissipation. It also sup-
ports 0.5Ω sense resistors, which are the default when
LTC4258/LTC4259A compatibility is desired.
Inrush Control
Once the command has been given to turn on a port,
the LTC4266A/LTC4266C ramps up the GATE pin of that
port’s external MOSFET in a controlled manner. Under
normal power-up circumstances, the MOSFET gate will
rise until the port current reaches the inrush current limit
level (typically 450mA), at which point the GATE pin will
be servoed to maintain the specified IINRUSH current.
During this inrush period, a timer (t
START
) runs. When
output charging is complete, the port current will fall and
the GATE pin will be allowed to continue rising to fully
enhance the MOSFET and minimize its on-resistance. The
final VGS is nominally 12V. The inrush period is main-
tained until the tSTART timer expires. At this time if the
inrush current limit level is still exceeded the port will be
turned back off and a tSTART fault reported.