FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Over what frequency range must a 10G transformer hold its specifications?
Parts in this family are generally specified to 500 MHz — twice the ceiling of the 2.5G/5G family and several times that of the Gigabit family.
The port structure is the same as a Gigabit part, so only the frequency ceiling distinguishes the rate grades, not the structure. The wider band means every high-frequency item has to hold its limit across more spectrum — an additional constraint, not a relaxation. Neither a Gigabit nor a 2.5G/5G part can stand in for one here, however identical the package. The family is listed in the 10G BASE-T range.
Does the 10G family include any through-hole parts?
No. All 16 parts in this family are surface-mount, one of them low-profile.
It is the only data-rate family in this category with no through-hole option at all. The implication for production is direct: boards using these parts have to be reflowed and cannot be wave-soldered. Where mechanical, serviceability or process convention requires a through-hole part, there is currently nothing at 10G to match, and that belongs in the discussion at concept stage. Choice is thin in the 2.5G/5G family too. Parts are listed in the 10G BASE-T range.
How are cross talk and common-mode rejection stated in the 10G family?
Several parts quote them as Typ rather than Min, over a test band much wider than the Gigabit family's.
Both differences have to be read together: the qualifier changes from a guaranteed floor to a typical value, and the band widens several times over. A Typ figure should not be used as a guaranteed boundary in worst-case analysis, and tabulating these numbers alongside Gigabit parts quoting Min usually leads to a wrong conclusion. Where a project needs a guaranteed limit at a specific frequency, tell us the band and the criterion. Parts are listed in the 10G BASE-T range.
How much PoE current does the 10G family support?
It reaches the high four-pair current grades, with the top two grades well above what is common in the Gigabit family, and it is the only family here using a PoE++ designation.
Of the 16 parts, 9 carry no power capability and the rest spread across PoE+ and several four-pair current grades. High current and high bandwidth appearing together is not a coincidence — 10G ports are common on wireless access points and aggregation equipment, where a port often has to carry both. Settle the IEEE class first, then check whether the figure describes one path or the group. Grades are shown per part in the 10G BASE-T range.
What port counts does the 10G family offer?
13 single-port and 3 dual-port parts, with nothing above two ports.
Pin counts are mostly 24, with the dual-port parts at 48 and one part at 30. Where a design needs four or more ports, this family currently has nothing to match — a clear contrast with the Gigabit family, which holds more than a dozen quad-port parts. 10G ports are usually uplink or aggregation ports and few in number. Designs needing several of them normally use multiple single- or dual-port devices, so allow for board area and routing space at layout. Parts are listed in the 10G BASE-T range.
