Do You Know About the W5500 Ethernet Controller?
12 October 2023
Ⅰ. What is W5500 Ethernet controller?
Ⅱ. Symbol, footprint and pin configuration of W5500
Ⅲ. Technical parameters of W5500
Ⅳ. What are the features of W5500?
Ⅵ. Connection method between W5500, host and SPI working mode
Ⅶ. How does the W5500 Ethernet module implement data collection?
Ⅷ. What are the uses of W5500 Ethernet controller?
W5500 is an industrial-grade Ethernet control chip manufactured by WiZnet. It has the characteristics of low power consumption, high-speed transmission, and easy integration. It supports TCP, UDP, IPv4, ARP, ICMP, IGMP and other protocols, and is very suitable for communication needs between embedded devices and the Internet, such as smart home, industrial control, remote monitoring and other scenarios. In addition, it supports high-speed standard 4-wire SPI interface to communicate with the host. The SPI rate can theoretically reach 80MHz. It integrates the TCPIP protocol stack and hardware Ethernet controller to easily implement network communication functions.
* Note: Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is a serial peripheral interface protocol. It is a full-duplex, synchronous interface technology usually used to connect microcontrollers and peripherals, such as sensors, memories, displays, etc. The SPI protocol has high transmission efficiency and is very simple to use, so it is widely used in embedded systems.
Replacement and equivalent:
• ATMEGA4809
• ENC28J60
• LAN8720
• W5500S
• Does not support automatic polarity conversion (only one party on both sides of the network communication supports it)
• Internal 32K byte transceiver buffer for TCP/IP packet processing
• Supports power down mode and wake on LAN over UDP
• The use of low-power chip design can effectively reduce the power consumption of IoT devices and improve the efficiency of the equipment.
• Supports Ethernet speeds up to 100 Mbps, which can meet the high-speed communication needs of IoT devices.
• Supports 8 channels of independent hardware Socket communication at the same time, and the communication efficiency does not affect each other.
• Supports multiple interfaces to meet the requirements of different types of IoT devices, such as SPI, I2C, etc.
• It has extremely high reliability and can support multiple network protocols, such as TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, etc., which can adapt to the complex network environment of IoT devices.
The diagram depicted above illustrates the structural block layout of the W5500. It is evident from the diagram that the device operates on a 3.3V power supply and necessitates a 25MHz clock source driver. Inside the chip, a phase-locked loop (PLL) efficiently multiplies the frequency to 150MHz. Additionally, the W5500 incorporates a built-in physical layer PHY, which means that users must supply an isolation transformer and the appropriate RJ45 crystal header when connecting to a network. The W5500 primarily comprises the following key components:
1. Memory: The W5500 features integrated memory dedicated to caching and retaining data packets. These memory zones serve the purpose of facilitating high-performance network communication by allowing for data reception and transmission.
2. Control registers: The W5500 features a set of control registers designed for the purpose of configuring and overseeing its diverse range of functions. These registers can be customized by the host controller to fulfill precise network requirements.
3. SPI interface: The W5500 interfaces with the primary controller, typically a microcontroller or microprocessor, via the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). This SPI connection is employed by the main controller to set up different W5500 parameters, facilitate data transfer, and manage network communication functions.
4. Ethernet controller: The W5500 includes an integrated Ethernet controller that can be used to handle Ethernet communications. The controller supports 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet communication and complies with the IEEE 802.3 standard.
5. PHY (physical layer): The W5500 incorporates a PHY layer that manages signal conversion and connection control for the Ethernet physical layer. This PHY layer transforms digital signals into analog signals, facilitating their transmission over Ethernet cables. Additionally, it autonomously negotiates speed and duplex modes.
6. Socket: The W5500 offers support for multiple sockets, typically accommodating at least 8 connections or more. Each socket is capable of initiating a distinct TCP or UDP connection, allowing for versatile network communication through multiplexing. Sockets serve as the conduits for transmitting and receiving data, equipped with a range of configuration choices to cater to various application requirements.
7. Built-in TCP/IP protocol stack: W5500 integrates TCP/IP protocol stack, including TCP, UDP, IP, ARP, ICMP and Ethernet layer protocols. This allows the W5500 to handle all aspects of network communications, including socket communications and packet routing.
The SPI protocol outlines four operational modes (0, 1, 2, 3) that are determined by the clock signal's idle level (high or low) and the direction of the data latch edge (rising or falling). However, the W5500 chip only supports 0 and 3 these two working modes. In these modes, data is commonly latched during the rising edge of the clock signal and transmitted during the falling edge.
Depending on the connection method between W5500 and the main control chip, the SPI of W5500 can work in the following two modes:
1. Variable Data Mode (VDM)
2. Fixed Data Mode (FDM)
To begin, we must first configure the operating mode of the W5500 using the SPI interface. This entails setting parameters like transmission rate, clock polarity, and phase. Following the configuration, we proceed to transmit the necessary data to the W5500's data buffer. The data is sent byte by byte via the SPI interface, with a maximum data frame size of 128 bytes for each transmission. Subsequently, the data from the buffer is read into the internal RAM of the W5500 utilizing the W5500's DMA (Direct Memory Access) function. The DMA offers blazing transfer rates of up to 100Mbps, facilitating swift movement of substantial data volumes. Finally, the data stored in the W5500's internal RAM is retrieved via the SPI interface and transferred to the main controller for processing and storage. The main controller can employ a timer for timed data collection to achieve periodic data acquisition.
• Industrial automation: In the field of industrial automation, W5500 serves as a valuable tool for facilitating the connection of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors, and various other equipment to enable streamlined data collection and live monitoring. With the utilization of W5500, engineers can effortlessly establish a dependable network link, ensuring the smooth operation of the production process.
• Remote data collection: The W5500 serves as a versatile solution for gathering data from remote devices and sensors, facilitating its seamless transmission to a centralized data server for the purpose of storage and subsequent analysis.
• Security system: By connecting the W5500 with surveillance cameras, sensors and alarm devices, we can monitor the surrounding environment in real time and respond quickly to potential security incidents.
• Embedded Ethernet connection: This can be used for sensor data collection, remote monitoring, remote control and data communication, etc.
• IoT applications: The W5500 plays a pivotal role in IoT applications by facilitating the connection of IoT devices to the Internet, enabling functions such as sensor data collection, remote control, and monitoring.
• Web server: The W5500 chip offers the capability to construct an embedded web server designed for device oversight and control via a web browser interface. This proves highly advantageous for remote management and monitoring, facilitating the efficient real-time supervision of equipment while concurrently diminishing the need for manual intervention and minimizing error occurrences.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is W5500?
The W5500 chip is a hardwired TCP/IP embedded Ethernet controller that provides easier internet connection to embedded system. It supports TCP, UDP, IPv4, ICMP, ARP, IGMP, and PPPoE protocols. W5500 embeds the 32Kbyte internal memory buffer or the Ethernet packet processing.
2. What is the operating temperature range of W5500?
The operating temperature of W5500 ranges from -40°C to 85 °C.
3. What is the use of W5500?
W5500 uses a 32Kbytes internal buffer as its data communication memory. By using W5500, users can implement the Ethernet application they need by using a simple socket program instead of handling a complex Ethernet Controller. It is possible to use 8 independent hardware sockets simultaneously.
4. What is the speed of W5500 module?
The W5500 SPI supports 80 MHz speed and the new efficient SPI protocol, so users can implement high speed network communication. In order to reduce power consumption of the system, W5500 provides WOL (Wake on LAN ) and a power down mode.
