W5500CT
Overview
The W5500CT is a hardwired TCP/IP embedded Ethernet controller that simplifies internet connectivity for microcontrollers via a high-speed SPI interface. It features an integrated 10/100 Ethernet PHY and offloads the entire network stack including TCP, UDP, IPv4, ICMP, ARP, IGMP, and PPPoE to hardware. This reduces the host MCU overhead and eliminates the need for complex software network stacks.
Why Choose This Part
The hardwired stack supports up to 8 independent sockets simultaneously and provides 32KB of internal buffer memory for TX/RX operations. Its SPI interface supports speeds up to 80MHz, while the 5V tolerant I/O pins simplify integration with both 3.3V and 5V logic microcontrollers. The chip also supports Wake on LAN over UDP and a power-down mode to minimize current consumption to 13uA.
Applications
Key Specifications
Getting Started
To begin development, engineers often use the WIZ850io or W5500-EVB-Pico boards which provide a ready-to-use RJ45 jack and breakout pins. WIZnet provides an extensive C-based socket library that handles hardware initialization and basic socket operations. Integration involves connecting the SPI bus (MOSI, MISO, SCK, SCS) and the RST and INT pins to the host MCU.
