---
title: "esp-eth-drivers"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/esp-eth-drivers/"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/esp-eth-drivers/md"
type: "UCC: User Created Content"
author: "Grace"
author_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/"
original_author: "Grace Koo"
original_url: "https://github.com/espressif/esp-eth-drivers"
published: "2025-09-25"
language: "en"
tags: ["ESP32"]
hardware: ["WIZnet W5500"]
likes: 0
views: 6517
comments: 0
source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)"
---

# esp-eth-drivers

> https://github.com/espressif/esp-eth-drivers.git

Original author: Grace Koo (source: https://github.com/espressif/esp-eth-drivers)

## 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/))

## Documents and links

- [espressif/esp-eth-drivers](https://github.com/espressif/esp-eth-drivers) (code)

## Article

## ESP-IDF Adds Official Support for W5500

### — SPI Ethernet Is Now Part of the Standard Ethernet Driver

Espressif has officially added support for the **WIZnet W5500** Ethernet controller in ESP-IDF.
With the new `esp-eth-drivers` and the `espressif/w5500` component,
ESP32 can now use SPI-based Ethernet seamlessly through the standard Ethernet API.

---

### 🔗 Official Links

GitHub: [esp-eth-drivers](https://github.com/espressif/esp-eth-drivers)

Component Registry: [espressif/w5500 1.0.0](https://components.espressif.com/components/espressif/w5500/versions/1.0.0/examples?language=en)

---

## 1. Official Component Integration

Espressif has published the W5500 driver as an official component under the name `espressif/w5500`.
It can be added to an ESP-IDF project with a single command:

`idf.py add-dependency "espressif/w5500^1.0.0" `

The driver operates on top of the ESP-IDF `esp_eth` abstraction layer,
handling SPI initialization, interrupts, and buffer management internally.

---

## 2. Driver Architecture in esp-eth-drivers

The new W5500 driver is fully integrated with ESP-IDF’s Ethernet layer (`esp_eth`).
Just like LAN8720 or DM9051, W5500 now works as a standard MAC/PHY Ethernet module.

| Feature | Description |
| --- | --- |
| SPI control | Handled automatically by the driver |
| Interrupts | INT pin managed internally |
| RX/TX buffers | DMA-based automatic handling |
| lwIP integration | Single call via `esp_eth_driver_install()` |
| Maintenance | Officially maintained by Espressif |

Internally, W5500 operates in **MACRAW mode** to connect directly with ESP32’s lwIP stack,
allowing developers to use the standard TCP/IP and socket APIs without any manual porting.

---

## 3. Why It Matters

In the past, developers had to manually implement SPI communication,
handle RX/TX pointers, manage interrupts, and integrate with lwIP.
Now, `esp-eth-drivers` takes care of all of that automatically.

This unified approach allows **LAN8720, DM9051, and W5500**
to share the same `esp_eth` API, simplifying **Wi-Fi + Ethernet dual networking** setups.

---

Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/Grace_Koo/projects/esp-eth-drivers/