Power-over-Ethernet PSE controllers (Microchip PD692x0, TI TPS23881, Skyworks Si3474)
Controllers that sit on the power-sourcing side of Power-over-Ethernet, deciding which switch ports deliver power to connected devices like IP phones, cameras, and access points, and how much. The directory covers current-generation chips from Microchip, Texas Instruments, and Skyworks used in modern managed PoE switches and industrial Ethernet gear, plus a generic regulator-backed fallback.
recommendation
It should stay in the kernel because this is an active and still-growing subsystem. Vendors continue to sell the controller chips new in 2025 (TI lists the TPS23881 as active, Microchip lists the PD69210 as in production), and upstream development is healthy: a new Skyworks Si3474 driver landed in 2025, alongside ongoing PoE budget and port-priority work for the TPS23881 and PD692x0 families.
repository signals
sources
- lore-kernel.gnuweeb.org
In 2025 the subsystem gained a new Skyworks Si3474 driver, indicating active upstream enablement rather than retirement.
- lore-kernel.gnuweeb.org
A 2025 net-next series added PSE budget/event support and included TPS23881 work, showing active feature development in this directory.
- lore-kernel.gnuweeb.org
PD692x0 received 2025 work for permanent configuration management, showing ongoing maintenance and enhancement.
- ti.com
TI lists TPS23881 as ACTIVE and orderable, so at least one supported controller is still sold new.
- microchip.com
Microchip lists PD69210 as In Production, so the PD692x0 family remains in current-market availability.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local source inspection via exec_command showed real driver code for current PSE controllers: pd692x0, tps23881, si3474, plus a generic regulator-backed driver. Lore evidence was obtained via web search against public mailing-list mirrors: no removal/deprecation series surfaced, while 2025 threads show new Si3474 enablement and ongoing TPS23881/PD692x0 feature work. Product-status URLs were obtained via web search on vendor product pages and show TPS23881 ACTIVE and PD69210 In Production. This points to a young, still-expanding subsystem used in current PoE switch/industrial Ethernet designs, so removal/deprecation is not justified.