Wiznet makers

W55RP20 is used in various industrial environments.
It is the smallest and most efficient MCU for Ethernet.

The challenge

Nicomtek identified issues with existing road detection systems. These systems are designed to assess whether snow has accumulated on the road and how much ice has formed. However, traditional devices determine road conditions solely based on temperature. As a result, they often misinterpret cold weather as icy roads, even when no ice is present. This leads to unnecessary activation of road heating systems, causing energy waste.

A reliable device was needed to securely receive data from sensors and transmit it to the cloud. While various MCUs with Ethernet functionality are available on the market, they tend to be expensive and often require implementing TCP/IP in firmware, which is both complex and time-consuming.

Even if the firmware is well-implemented, hardware issues can still arise. Although many reference circuits exist, designing an Ethernet circuit remains challenging, even when carefully following these guidelines.

Moreover, even if all these components are successfully implemented, developing a user-friendly method for configuring the device remains a significant challenge.

The solution

Nicomtek was able to develop its product easily by utilizing WIZnet’s Custom Service. Since WIZnet provided everything from firmware to hardware, covering Serial to Ethernet, the development process was simplified. Additionally, WIZnet’s extensive certification support made the certification process much more convenient.

WIZnet already offers open firmware for TTL, RS-232, and RS-422/485 conversion. By leveraging this firmware, Nicomtek was able to configure its product effortlessly.

Furthermore, WIZnet’s W55RP20 operates reliably even in extreme cold conditions. It securely transmits all collected data to the cloud. The W55RP20 receives data from sensors via RS-485 and transmits it to the cloud using MQTT.

Why W55RP20?

The W55RP20 is a chip that combines the RP2040 from Raspberry Pi and the W5500 from WIZnet.
The stability of this combination is already at the highest level, as both chips have been widely and reliably used in embedded systems for years.

Moreover, for Serial-to-Ethernet projects that do not require high MCU performance, choosing the W55RP20 offers the most cost-effective solution.

As mentioned in the Solution section, a professional support system for Serial-to-Ethernet development is available. Everything from hardware and firmware to configuration tools and EMC certification support can be provided quickly.

Most importantly, the W55RP20 meets industrial standards and is already being used in numerous industrial applications.