--- title: "All Aboard The Hack Train: Nottingham’s LED Revival" url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/all-aboard-the-hack-train-nottinghams-led-revival/" markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/all-aboard-the-hack-train-nottinghams-led-revival/md" type: "UCC: User Created Content" author: "Grace" author_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/" original_author: "Grace Koo" original_url: "https://hackaday.com/2025/01/04/all-aboard-the-hack-train-nottinghams-led-revival/" published: "2025-11-20" language: "en" hardware: ["WIZnet W5500"] likes: 0 views: 343 comments: 0 source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)" --- # All Aboard The Hack Train: Nottingham’s LED Revival > A retro UK railway LED departure board was restored using an Arduino Uno R4 WiFi and upgraded with a WIZnet W5500 Ethernet module to create a stable, real-time, Original author: Grace Koo (source: https://hackaday.com/2025/01/04/all-aboard-the-hack-train-nottinghams-led-revival/) ## Components - **WIZnet W5500** x 1 ([docs](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5500)) WIZnet parts: W5500 ([Datasheet](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5500/datasheet?utm_source=maker&utm_medium=project&utm_campaign=w5500), [product hub](https://maker.wiznet.io/products/w5500/)) ## Article ## Restoring a Railway LED Departure Board with WIZnet W5500 Ethernet [This project](https://aaronsplace.co.uk/blog/2024-03-02-train-departures-display.html) revives a decommissioned UK railway LED departure board using modern hardware, transforming it into a real-time, network-connected information display. Interestingly, the controller chosen for the restoration was an **Arduino Uno R4 WiFi **— a board that already includes built-in wireless connectivity. So why did the team end up adding a **WIZnet W5500 Ethernet module **instead of relying on the onboard Wi-Fi? That question became one of the more intriguing aspects of the restoration, and exploring the reasoning reveals how the project evolved into a much more robust, wired-network design. --- ## Why WIZnet? To drive the LED panel, the team designed a new Arduino-based controller board and needed a way to feed it live data. Because the display is intended to run continuously and reflect real-time updates, a dependable wired network interface was essential. This is where the W5500 shines. ### 1) Built for Reliable, Real-Time Display Updates The board displays fast-changing information such as: - Railway departure data - Discord messages from the community While Wi-Fi struggled with unstable latency and intermittent disconnects, the W5500’s hardware TCP/IP engine ensured consistently smooth updates. Wired Ethernet allowed the display to remain responsive and predictable regardless of surrounding RF interference—crucial for a public-facing installation. ### 2) Offloads Networking from the MCU Driving thousands of LEDs is already demanding on the microcontroller. With the W5500 handling TCP/IP in hardware: - The MCU can focus entirely on LED driving and formatting - Network operations do not interrupt display timing - The system remains responsive even under heavy LED workloads This separation is critical for a large industrial display with strict timing requirements. ### 3) Perfect Match for MQTT-Based Architectures The restored board receives commands and text to display via MQTT. W5500’s stable Ethernet connection makes it ideal for persistent MQTT sessions. In practice, the system forms a clean pipeline: ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/825279237%5F1763658193%2Epng) The W5500 acts as the gateway between modern network services and the retro hardware. ### 4) Maker-Friendly: Easy to Integrate, Easy to Build With - Fully supported in the Arduino ecosystem - Plenty of libraries, examples, and documentation - SPI-based interface keeps wiring simple - Ideal for rapid prototyping and community projects This made development faster and far more accessible to the Hackspace team. --- ## What WIZnet Made Possible ### ✔ 24/7 Rock-Solid Operation In a public or community space, the display must stay online without frequent rebooting. W5500’s wired approach eliminates Wi-Fi instability entirely. ### ✔ Instantaneous Data Display Railway updates change constantly, and Discord messages need to appear immediately. Ethernet ensures fast, predictable message delivery. ### ✔ Smooth LED Control + Networking The W5500 removes all network overhead from the MCU, making it possible to: - Drive 4,480+ LEDs per chain - Handle long, complex update cycles - Maintain a stable MQTT connection simultaneously ### ✔ Natural System Expansion Because the network link is stable and MQTT-based, adding more features or data sources requires no changes to the network layer—something Wi-Fi never guaranteed. ## Conclusion: A Great Example of WIZnet Ethernet in Real Projects The Nottingham LED departure board revival showcases how WIZnet’s Ethernet technology can breathe new life into old industrial hardware. By combining a reliable W5500 network layer with custom electronics and modern microcontrollers, the team turned a discarded railway sign into a fully modern IoT display. WIZnet’s stability, hardware TCP/IP stack, and maker-friendly ecosystem were key enablers that made this restoration both possible and practical. --- Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/all-aboard-the-hack-train-nottinghams-led-revival/