Wiznet makers

CycloneTCP Support for WIZnet EVB and Applicable Use Cases

Oryx Embedded’s CycloneTCP stack provides support for the WIZnet W5500 Evaluation Board as an Ethernet network interface.
This document clarifies the technical meaning of this support and outlines practical scenarios in which the combination of CycloneTCP and WIZnet hardware is typically utilized.

CycloneTCP Summary

CycloneTCP is a commercially licensed embedded TCP/IP software stack designed for high-reliability environments. Key characteristics include:

• MISRA-C compliance
• Suitability for domains requiring regulatory certification (e.g., IEC 62304)
• Support for RTOS-based systems
• Comprehensive protocol coverage, including IPv4/IPv6, TLS/DTLS, DHCP, MQTT, CoAP, and others

CycloneTCP processes all TCP/IP functionality within the MCU, rather than relying on external hardware acceleration.

Interpretation of “WIZnet chip Support”

CycloneTCP provides drivers for W5100, W5200, and W5500 devices and includes configuration examples for corresponding WIZnet evaluation boards.
It is essential to note that this support does not involve the use of the W5500’s internal hardware TCP/IP offload engine (TOE).

Operational Model

• CycloneTCP executes all protocol processing (TCP, UDP, IPv6, TLS, etc.) on the MCU.
• The W5500 functions solely as an SPI-based Ethernet MAC/PHY interface.
• Socket management and packet handling remain entirely under CycloneTCP control.

Thus, W5500 is treated as a general-purpose Ethernet network interface, not as a hardware TCP/IP processor.

Applicable Use Cases for CycloneTCP + WIZnet Hardware

The combination is selected primarily in scenarios where a software-based TCP/IP stack is required due to certification, architectural, or functional constraints.

1. Systems Requiring Industrial, Medical, or Safety Certification

CycloneTCP is frequently adopted in sectors such as:

• Medical devices
• Industrial automation and control
• Power and energy systems
• Transportation and defense equipment

These products often mandate:

• deterministic behavior
• certifiable software components
• traceability and compliance with standards

Reason for Selecting W5500

• Simplifies Ethernet integration and hardware validation
• Eliminates the need to implement a custom MAC/PHY driver
• Reduces design risk and development time
• Provides a stable, well-established hardware platform

This enables a system architecture where a certifiable software stack is used in conjunction with reliable and low-complexity Ethernet hardware.

2. Low-Resource MCU Platforms Requiring Ethernet Connectivity

CycloneTCP is optimized for constrained MCUs (e.g., Cortex-M0/M3).
W5500 is advantageous in this environment due to:

• simplified hardware design
• low driver complexity compared to discrete PHY solutions
• SPI-only interface requirements

This configuration allows developers to integrate Ethernet functionality efficiently without implementing full MAC/PHY subsystems.

3. Existing CycloneTCP-Based Products Adding Wired Ethernet

For products already using CycloneTCP:

• incorporating W5500 is straightforward
• the driver model is consistent with CycloneTCP’s architecture
• no additional TCP/IP stack integration work is required

W5500 provides a stable Ethernet hardware layer with minimal overhead.

Conclusion

CycloneTCP’s support for WIZnet EVB boards enables the W5500 to be used as a general-purpose Ethernet network interface controlled entirely by a software TCP/IP stack.
This model is distinct from WIZnet’s hardware TCP/IP architecture and is suited for the following environments:

• certified industrial and medical applications
• low-resource MCU designs requiring Ethernet
• existing CycloneTCP-based product lines
• systems requiring IPv6, TLS, or custom protocol processing
• security and packet inspection workloads

This demonstrates the flexibility of WIZnet hardware as both a TOE-based solution and a reliable Ethernet interface within software-centric TCP/IP architectures.

https://www.oryx-embedded.com/products/CycloneTCP.html#EthernetMACs