Wiznet makers

While the Pico W already features Wi-Fi, this project showcases how to extend it with wired Ethernet support by leveraging the official WIZnet ioLibrary_Driver.

Components

• Raspberry Pi Pico W: RP2040-based microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi
• W5500 Ethernet module: Provides stable wired Ethernet connectivity with built-in TCP/IP offload engine
• ioLibrary_Driver: WIZnet’s official C library for controlling the W5500 over SPI
• CMake & Pico SDK: Build and development environment for the RP2040

Key Features

• Hardware integration – Demonstrates how to combine a Wi-Fi capable MCU with a wired Ethernet module
• Driver usage – Implements networking functions using WIZnet’s ioLibrary_Driver
• Modern workflow – Uses Pico SDK and CMake for modular and maintainable embedded development
• Connectivity options – Provides flexibility between wireless and wired networking in embedded applications

Conclusion

The w5500_mesaxyz project highlights the practical value of combining Wi-Fi and Ethernet on a single embedded platform.

1. Reliability: Ethernet offers more stable and deterministic communication compared to Wi-Fi, which can be affected by interference.
2. Flexibility: Supporting both wireless and wired options makes the system adaptable to diverse environments, from labs to industrial sites.
3. Learning resource: The project provides a clear reference for developers who want to understand SPI-based Ethernet integration on the Pico platform using WIZnet’s libraries.

In essence, this repository demonstrates not just connectivity, but also the design mindset of preparing for multiple networking scenarios—a concept valuable in IoT, prototyping, and small-scale embedded systems.