The world's first 60 watt, single-port Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) midspan to feature gigabit switching support and high efficiency four-pair operation fully compliant with the IEEE 802.3at draft 4.1 high-power power-over Ethernet (PoE) specifications.

Launched by Microsemi the new PowerDsine PD-9501G Midspan delivers power over all four pairs of Ethernet cable, maintaining a low 600mA current level while delivering 60 watts of power, which equates to 51 watts for PD consumption using a CAT5 cable.

The new PowerDsine PD-9501G Midspan is designed to be used with a wide range of advanced PoE powered devices (PDs) including 802.11n Access Points, WiMAX CPE and base stations, Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras, thin clients and other applications that require high power and support of 2-event classification as defined in the latest IEEE 802.3at specifications.

Offering a simple, economic means to deploy PoE appliances without the need to replace the IT infrastructure, the PD-9501G Midspan delivers power over all four pairs of Ethernet cable, maintaining a low 600mA current level while delivering 60 watts of power. As a result, the device is able to deliver 51 watts for PD consumption using a CAT5 cable. Contrast this with a typical 2-pair Midspan that must feed 60 watts with current levels of 1.2A., delivering a mere 42 watts for PD consumption.

In addition to its 60 watt operating mode, the PD-9501G may also be used to power 2-pair devices up to 30 watts. In this case, the device still uses all four pairs of CAT5-and-above cable, which enables it to dissipate up to 50 percent less power on the cable. A PoE system using the PD-9501G Midspan will consume almost 15 percent less energy than a conventional 2-pair solution.

The new PD-9501G offers a unique interlocking feature that enables users to scale their deployments by incrementally linking multiple one-port Midspans as new PDs are added to the network. The PD-9501G.

According to Sani Ronen, senior product line manager for Microsemi PowerDsine Midspans the PowerDsine PD-9501G, delivers on the promise of the emerging 802.3at standard: "This new Midspan offers a combination of high power, gigabit support and 2-event classification. It is a pioneering solution in a PoE market where the barrier to PoE adoption was its restriction to 15.4W and 30W, respectively, in 802.3af and 802.3at applications. The PD-9501G enables adopters to develop powered network devices with the advanced functionality enabled by the IEEE 802.3at specification and will enable a host of new Ethernet applications to take full advantage of the well-known PoE benefits at 60W power levels."