Board Free.kr
BoardFree offers free, practical PCB designs for easy prototyping. The BL-5001 Ethernet Driver extends embedded systems with simple, reliable 10/100Mbps LAN con
WIZnet - W5100
x 1
Author
- “A creator who freely shares PCB designs and electronic circuits with the community.”
- "An engineer dedicated to helping students and developers test ideas through open hardware.”
- “A technical innovator lowering the barrier to electronics by providing free PCB resources.”
- “A catalyst in the engineering community—turning concepts into working circuits through accessible board designs.”
BoardFree is a community-driven electronics platform that focuses on sharing practical circuit designs and PCB resources at no cost. Guided by an engineer who believes that hardware knowledge should be accessible to everyone, the site provides free boards, schematics, and hands-on tools that help students, hobbyists, and developers bring their ideas to life.
Behind BoardFree is an engineer dedicated to lowering the barriers to hardware development—a creator who shares PCB designs openly, supports rapid prototyping, and inspires others through simple yet effective board-level solutions.
This philosophy has made BoardFree a unique space where concepts quickly turn into working circuits, and where learning electronics becomes both approachable and enjoyable.
Weakness:
The site does not provide a full bill of materials; it only offers the PCB itself without a component list or sourcing information.
Strengths:
The PCB is completely free—users only need to pay for shipping.
In addition, the creator openly welcomes any hardware-related questions, making it a supportive resource for learners and developers.
I would like to introduce the latest version of BL-5001 among the products BL-5001 (Ethernet Driver), BL-576 (Ethernet to TTL-UART), and BL-575 (Ethenet to UART).
Components
BoardFree BL-5001 Ethernet Driver Board
- Interface: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet PHY + MAC
- Power Rails: 3.3 V and 1.8 V according to the schematic
- Connector: RJ-45 with integrated magnetics and status LEDs
- Peripheral Header: SPI / I²C control, interrupt line, configuration jumpers
Product Information
Protocol
The BL-5001 is an Ethernet driver board designed to easily interface embedded systems with standard 10/100 Mbps LAN networks.
TCP/IP and UDP stacks are handled by the host controller, while the physical layer is managed by the onboard PHY.
Through its SPI control interface, the BL-5001 can switch between multiple host devices, making it suitable for large-scale installations where one board manages several network endpoints.
Control Features
- Supports up to 100 m Ethernet cable links (via switch or direct connection)
- LED Indicators: Link/Activity, 10/100 Speed, Power
- SPI/I²C interface allows the microcontroller to configure MAC address, link speed, duplex mode, and PHY registers
- Jumper settings for internal/external clock selection and magnetic isolation options
- Fully documented schematic and BOM provided in the PDF
Use Cases
- Large event venues, broadcast studios, or data centers requiring stable Ethernet connectivity for embedded systems.
- Robotics, camera controllers, PTZ systems, and any setup needing deterministic LAN control instead of wireless links.
- Industrial IoT gateways and edge devices bridging proprietary logic to standard LAN infrastructure.
- Multi-endpoint installations that require one driver board to dynamically manage several network nodes.
🧠Engineering - Focused Insights
The BL-5001 Ethernet Driver, together with the open hardware resources provided by BoardFree, is particularly valuable for users who need practical, circuit-level insight without relying on closed or proprietary modules. The following groups will benefit the most:
1. Embedded System Developers
Engineers building microcontroller-based systems who require a transparent, schematic-level Ethernet interface they can integrate, modify, or expand directly.
BoardFree’s openly published schematics (BL-5001, BL-576, BL-575) allow developers to understand every power rail, signal path, and PHY/MAC connection in detail.
2. Students and Electronics Learners
Learners studying digital logic, communication interfaces, or PCB design will find BoardFree’s open documents highly educational.
Because the PCB itself is free (shipping-only), students can physically examine layouts, practice soldering, and experiment without financial burden.
3. Makers & Hobby Engineers
Makers who want to prototype networking features quickly—without designing a PHY/MAC or Ethernet-UART bridge from scratch—can adopt the BL-5001, BL-576, or BL-575 as ready-to-use modules.
The openness of the circuit documents makes troubleshooting and modification easy.
4. Industrial & IoT Hardware Designers
Teams developing gateways, controllers, or sensor nodes that need deterministic wired Ethernet will appreciate the stable PHY implementation, integrated magnetics, and well-documented schematics.
The ability to analyze the board-level implementation reduces risk and speeds up certification or mass-production planning.
5. Educators & Lab Instructors
Instructors running microcontroller, networking, or PCB-design courses can use BoardFree boards as hands-on teaching material.
Because the boards are free, students can safely inspect, modify, re-solder, and experiment with real hardware—something not possible with expensive commercial modules.
📘 Reference Links
- Product PDF (schematic + detailed specs):
http://www.boardfree.kr/project/BL-5001.pdf - BoardFree Homepage:
http://www.boardfree.kr/
🏷️ Tags
#EthernetDriver #BL5001 #BoardFree #IndustrialEthernet #EmbeddedLAN #10BASE-T #100BASE-TX #SPI #I2C #BroadcastNetworking #W5100