
LTC4267
17
4267f
Diode Bridge
IEEE 802.3af allows power wiring in either of two configu-
rations: on the TX/RX wires or via the spare wire pairs in 
the RJ45 connector. The PD is required to accept power in 
either polarity on either the main or spare inputs; therefore 
it is common to install diode bridges on both inputs in 
order to accommodate the different wiring configurations. 
Figure 9 demonstrates an implementation of these diode 
bridges. The IEEE 802.3af specification also mandates 
that the leakage back through the unused bridge be less 
than 28μA when the PD is powered with 57V.
The IEEE standard includes an AC impedance requirement 
in order to implement the AC disconnect function. Capaci-
tor C14 in Figure 9 is used to meet this AC impedance 
requirement. A 0.1μF capacitor is recommended for this 
application.
The LTC4267 has several different modes of operation 
based on the voltage present between V
PORTN
 and V
PORTP
pins. The forward voltage drop of the input diodes in a PD 
design subtracts from the input voltage and will affect the 
transition point between modes. When using the LTC4267, 
it is necessary to pay close attention to this forward voltage 
drop. Selection of oversized diodes will help keep the PD 
thresholds from exceeding IEEE specifications.
The input diode bridge of a PD can consume over 4% 
of the available power in some applications. It may be 
desirable to use Schottky diodes in order to reduce power 
loss. However, if the standard diode bridge is replaced 
with a Schottky bridge, the transition points between the 
modes will be affected. Figure 10 shows a technique for 
using Schottky diodes while maintaining proper threshold 
points to meet IEEE 802.3af compliance. D13 is added to 
compensate for the change in UVLO turn-on voltage caused 
by the Schottky diodes and consumes little power.
Classification Resistor Selection (R
CLASS
)
The IEEE specification allows classifying PDs into four 
distinct classes with class 4 being reserved for future use 
(Table 2). An external resistor connected from R
CLASS
 to 
V
PORTN
 (Figure 4) sets the value of the load current. The 
designer should determine which power category the PD 
falls into and then select the appropriate value of R
CLASS 
from Table 2. If a unique load current is required, the value 
of R
CLASS
 can be calculated as:
 R
CLASS
 = 1.237V/(I
DESIRED
 – I
IN_CLASS
)
where I
IN_CLASS
 is the LTC4267 IC supply current during 
classification and is given in the electrical specifications. 
The R
CLASS
 resistor must be 1% or better to avoid degrading 
the overall accuracy of the classification circuit. Resistor 
power dissipation will be 50mW maximum and is transient 
so heating is typically not a concern. In order to maintain 
loop stability, the layout should minimize capacitance at 
the R
CLASS
 node. The classification circuit can be disabled 
by floating the R
CLASS
 pin. The R
CLASS 
pin should not be 
shorted to V
PORTN
 as this would force the LTC4267 clas-
sification circuit to attempt to source very large currents 
and quickly go into thermal shutdown.
Power Good Interface
The 
P
W
R
G
D signal is controlled by a high voltage, open-
drain transistor. The designer has the option of using this 
signal to enable the onboard switching regulator through 
the I
TH
/RUN or the P
VCC
 pins. Examples of active-high 
interface circuits for controlling the switching regulator 
are shown in Figure 7. 
In some applications, it is desirable to ignore intermittent 
power bad conditions. This can be accomplished by in-
cluding capacitor C15 in Figure 7 to form a lowpass filter. 
With the components shown, power bad conditions less 
than about 200μs will be ignored. Conversely, in other 
applications it may be desirable to delay assertion of 
P
W
R
G
D to the switching regulator using C
PVCC
 or C17 
as shown in Figure 7.
It is recommended that the designer use the power 
good signal to enable the switching regulator. Using 
P
W
R
G
D ensures the capacitor C1 has reached within 
1.5V of the final value and is ready to accept a load. The 
LTC4267 is designed with wide power good hysteresis 
to handle sudden fluctuations in the load voltage and 
current without prematurely shutting off the switching 
regulator. Please refer to the Power-Up Sequencing of the 
Application Information section.
APPLICATIU
W
U
U