Lighting an Office Ceiling with a Stage-Lighting Protocol — An 8-Channel Controller That Turns ArtNet into 0-10V via W5500

One-Line Summary

An 8-channel controller that receives ArtNet — the standard protocol of stage and performance lighting — over wired Ethernet and converts it into 0-10V analog dimming signals, the standard for commercial lighting. The W5500 handles that ArtNet reception.

What Is This Project?

The Drop Ceiling Controller is an 8-channel ArtNet-to-0-10V converter. It lets you control the light fixtures set into the finished ceiling (drop ceiling) of an office or commercial space using the digital protocol from stage lighting.

The structure, in one line: a controller (PC) sends brightness values (0–255) for 8 channels over wired Ethernet using the ArtNet lighting-control protocol; the ESP32-S3 receives them and passes them to a DAC (digital-to-analog converter); an op-amp circuit boosts that output into a 0-10V analog signal to dim the fixtures.

This is where two worlds meet. ArtNet/DMX is the digital lighting-control standard used in stage, performance, and architectural lighting, while 0-10V is the most common analog dimming method used by the fluorescent and LED drivers of offices and commercial facilities. This project acts as the bridge between the two. And the entrance to that bridge — the gateway that takes ArtNet in over the wire — is handled by the WIZnet W5500.

What WIZnet Brings: A Wired Gateway That Doesn't Drop Lighting Data

In lighting control, network reliability is show reliability. If a brightness command is delayed or dropped, the lights flicker or freeze — an immediately visible failure, whether in a venue or a commercial space. That's why the lighting industry has traditionally preferred wired over Wi-Fi.

The Drop Ceiling Controller receives ArtNet data over W5500 wired Ethernet through an Adafruit Ethernet FeatherWing (WIZ5500).

The Path the Signal Travels

[ArtNet Controller (PC)]
        │  UDP / ArtNet (port 6454)
        ▼
   [Wired Ethernet]
        │
   [WIZnet W5500]  ◀── receives ArtNet packets
        │  SPI
        ▼
   [ESP32-S3 Feather]
        │  I2C
        ▼
   [DAC6578 (8-channel)]
        │  0-5V
        ▼
   [op-amp boosts to 0-10V]
        ▼
   [Lighting fixtures, 8 channels]

The W5500 connects to the ESP32-S3 over SPI and receives UDP port 6454, where ArtNet data arrives. The code reflects this too — a simple, clear structure that initializes the W5500 with Ethernet.init(csPin), opens a UDP socket, and parses packets.

The Three ArtNet Packets the W5500 Handles

What's interesting about this project is that it implements the ArtNet protocol properly on top of the W5500. It handles three packet types.

• ArtDmx (0x5000): the core packet carrying the actual 8-channel brightness values (0–255)
• ArtPoll (0x2000): a discovery packet the controller broadcasts to find lighting nodes on the network
• ArtPollReply (0x2100): the packet by which the ESP32 responds to the controller's poll — "I'm here" — carrying its IP, name, and port info

In other words, the W5500 doesn't merely receive data; it also handles the replies so the device acts as a standard ArtNet node that is auto-discovered on the network. Thanks to this, the controller software can find the device with a single ArtPoll, without knowing its IP.

Why Wired (W5500)?

The W5500 is an Ethernet controller with the TCP/IP stack built into hardware. The ESP32-S3 only issues commands to the W5500 over SPI, and the actual network processing is handled by the W5500. For uses like lighting where real-time behavior and stability matter, the combination of wired deterministic connectivity and hardware TCP/IP fundamentally avoids the interference and latency risks of Wi-Fi.

How It Works: From ArtNet to 0-10V

1) Reception (W5500) The Python controller sends 8 channel values inside ArtDmx packets. The ESP32-S3 receives these packets over W5500 Ethernet.

2) Conversion (DAC6578) The received DMX values (0–255) are mapped to 10-bit DAC values (0–1023). The DAC6578 is an 8-channel I2C DAC, connected to the ESP32-S3's STEMMA QT (I2C) port, outputting 0-5V per channel.

3) Amplification (op-amp) An op-amp circuit boosts the DAC's 0-5V output to 0-10V. Since 0-10V is the de facto standard for commercial lighting dimming, this output can be connected directly to a lighting driver.

4) Display (TFT) The 240×135 TFT screen built into the ESP32-S3 TFT Feather shows the current IP and ArtNet universe, connection status (LIVE / NO SIG), and a real-time bar graph of all 8 channel levels.

What's Worth Noting

• A bridge between two lighting worlds: It connects the stage-side digital protocol (ArtNet/DMX) and the analog standard of commercial lighting (0-10V) in a single device. It lets the ArtNet consoles and software a lighting director already uses reach even an ordinary office ceiling fixture.
• Auto-discovered as a standard ArtNet node: By implementing ArtPoll/ArtPollReply on top of the W5500, the controller finds it automatically when plugged into the network. No need to enter an IP by hand.
• One API, five input modes: Restructured as an Arduino library, it handles Ethernet ArtNet, WiFi ArtNet, BLE, Serial (CSV), and Standalone through the same output API (voltageWrite). A flexible design that defaults to wired Ethernet but can extend to wireless or serial as needed.
• Even a custom SMD PCB: Not a breadboard build — it includes a dedicated SMD carrier board designed in KiCad (integrating the DAC + op-amp). A level of completeness aimed at real installation.
• A complete ecosystem: Firmware (Arduino) + desktop controller (Python/Qt) + hardware (PCB), all in one repository, ready to pick up and use.

Use Cases

• Scenic lighting for offices and commercial spaces: Control existing 0-10V dimmable lighting through stage-lighting ArtNet software
• Gallery/exhibition lighting control: Precisely dim 8 channels with wired stability to match an exhibition's staging
• Architectural lighting installations: Treat ceiling lighting like a canvas with creative-coding tools such as p5.js, TouchDesigner, and Processing
• Small performance/event spaces: Run ArtNet-based lighting from a single PC without a professional DMX console
• General-purpose 0-10V equipment control: Beyond lighting, use it as an 8-channel interface for any equipment that uses 0-10V control (motor drives, fans, etc.)

Comparison with Related Projects on WIZnet Makers

WIZnet Makers (maker.wiznet.io) hosts several projects that receive ArtNet lighting data over the W5500. Here's a comparison with three whose actual content we verified.

2040-ArtNode: RP2040 + W5500 ArtNet LED Controller Board (Benjamin) A custom PCB for JLCPCB turnkey assembly that receives ArtNet (UDP 6454) with RP2040 + W5500 and drives 4 universes of WS2812B/SK6812 pixel LEDs (up to 1,024 pixels).

• Similarities: Receiving ArtNet over W5500 wired, and designing a custom KiCad PCB, closely mirror the Drop Ceiling Controller. The orientation of "a dedicated board built for manufacturing, not a breadboard" is the same too.
• Differences: 2040-ArtNode's output is digital addressable LED pixels (WS2812B). The Drop Ceiling Controller's output, by contrast, is 0-10V analog dimming voltage, targeting office/commercial lighting drivers. They split on whether the target fixture is pixel LEDs or existing 0-10V equipment.

ArtNet to ESP-NOW DMX512 — ESP32 + W5500 Wireless Lighting System (irina) A wireless lighting system where an ESP32 master receives ArtNet over W5500 wired, relays it wirelessly up to 200 m via ESP-NOW, and slave nodes output standard DMX512 signals via RS-485/XLR.

• Similarities: The input-side structure of "a master that receives ArtNet over W5500 wired" is the same as the Drop Ceiling Controller. The motivation of solving cabling problems in stage-lighting environments resonates too.
• Differences: irina's project is a wireless relay bridge that re-emits the received data as DMX512 (RS-485/XLR). The Drop Ceiling Controller is not a relay but an end-node that converts to 0-10V analog to drive fixtures directly.

High-Performance ArtNet to WS2812 Controller (viktor) A stage-grade high-performance controller that receives 72 ArtNet universes with RP2350 + W5500 and drives 12,288 WS2812 pixels across 12 outputs at 30+ FPS. The core is a design that processes UDP bursts in real time without dropping frames, using the W5500's 32KB buffer, 8 sockets, and 80MHz SPI.

• Similarities: It drives lighting by receiving ArtNet over W5500 wired, and shares the logic that "lighting control requires deterministic wired reception."
• Differences: viktor's focus is high-performance, high-density processing that renders large-scale pixel LEDs without dropouts. The Drop Ceiling Controller is small-scale at 8 channels, but its weight is on versatility — 0-10V analog output plus five input modes and a desktop controller.

In short, the approach of "receiving ArtNet over W5500 wired to control lighting" is very active on Makers. But while most of these target digital lighting such as WS2812/DMX512, the Drop Ceiling Controller stands out by converting that output into 0-10V analog dimming and connecting directly to the existing lighting equipment of offices and commercial facilities. Add a dedicated SMD PCB and a five-mode input library (Ethernet/WiFi/BLE/Serial/Standalone), and it aims to be a general-purpose 0-10V interface rather than a single-purpose controller.

Tech Stack Summary

FAQ

Q. What is ArtNet? ArtNet is a protocol for transmitting lighting-control data (DMX512) over Ethernet as UDP. It is widely used in stage, performance, and architectural lighting, and this project receives ArtNet packets on port 6454.

Q. What role does the W5500 play? The W5500 is the wired Ethernet gateway through which ArtNet data arrives. Connected to the ESP32-S3 over SPI, it receives UDP packets and, by responding to ArtPoll, also acts as an ArtNet node that is auto-discovered on the network. Because it handles TCP/IP in hardware, it provides the stable, real-time connection that lighting control needs.

Q. Why wired instead of Wi-Fi? In lighting control, latency or dropouts lead to immediately visible failures. Wired Ethernet provides deterministic connectivity free of the interference and latency risks of wireless, which is why the lighting industry has traditionally preferred it. That said, this project also supports a WiFi ArtNet mode at the library level.

Q. Why is 0-10V needed? 0-10V is the most common analog dimming method for commercial lighting (fluorescent and LED drivers). By boosting the DAC's 0-5V to 0-10V with an op-amp, the output can connect directly to standard lighting drivers without any extra conversion.

Q. Is it a finished product? It's a product-oriented open-source project with firmware (Arduino library), a desktop controller (Python/Qt), and a custom PCB (KiCad). With five input modes and automatic node discovery, it's at a level you can pick up and configure right away.

Project Links

• GitHub: npuckett/Drop-Ceiling-Controller
• WIZnet W5500: https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5500

Related Projects on WIZnet Makers (ArtNet + W5500)

• 2040-ArtNode: RP2040 + W5500 ArtNet LED Controller Board (Benjamin)
• ArtNet to ESP-NOW DMX512 — ESP32 + W5500 (irina)
• High-Performance ArtNet to WS2812 Controller (viktor)