W5500 Use Case: Shutter Control in Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Systems

W5500 enabled the US Army Research Lab to replace a costly, proprietary MBE shutter control system with a low-cost, open-source Arduino solution.

COMPONENTS Hardware components

Arduino - Arduino Ethernet Shield 2

x 1

Arduino - Arduino UNO

x 1

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1. Background: What is an MBE System?

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is a precision thin-film growth technology used in semiconductor and advanced material research.
Each MBE chamber contains shutters that block or allow atomic beams from elemental sources to reach the substrate. The exact timing of shutter actuation determines the composition and structure of the resulting crystal — accuracy is critical.

2. The Problem with Legacy Systems

Traditionally, shutter control relied on National Instruments PCIe I/O cards and proprietary OEM software.

Extremely costly (tens of thousands of dollars)

Dependent on specific PC hardware and operating systems

No true feedback from shutters (software assumed shutters moved, even if they jammed)

Limited portability and long-term maintainability

This made MBE operation expensive, inflexible, and unreliable.

3. A New Approach: Open-Source + Ethernet Control

To solve these issues, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) developed an open-source shutter controller.

Arduino Mega → central logic

Wiznet W5500 Ethernet Shield → Ethernet interface using Modbus TCP

Solid-State Relays (SSR) → drive 24V shutter solenoids

MCP23017 I/O Expanders → handle shutter sensors and LED indicators

In other words, a low-cost Arduino + W5500 setup replaced expensive proprietary hardware, while still integrating with OEM MBE control software.

📌 Example Code Snippet (simplified)

// Setup: initialization
Wire.begin();                // I2C for port expander
Serial.begin(9600);          // Debugging
Ethernet.begin(mac, ip);     // Initialize W5500 Ethernet

for (int i=0; i<16; i++) {
  pinMode(shutterControl[i], OUTPUT);  // Shutter outputs
}

// Main Loop: Modbus processing
Mb.Run();  // Handle incoming Modbus TCP packets

for (int i=0; i<16; i++) {
  changeShutter(i, shutterCommand[i]);   // Actuate shutter
  if (shutterOpened[i]) LED[i].Green();  // Feedback LED
  else LED[i].Red();
}

➡️ Ethernet.begin() configures the W5500 for Modbus TCP communication.
➡️ Mb.Run() processes Modbus packets, translating Ethernet commands into shutter actions.

4. The Key Role of W5500

The W5500 Ethernet chip acts as the gateway between industrial control software and the open-source Arduino platform.

Enables standard Ethernet communication (Modbus TCP)

Compatible with OEM control software

Works with any PC or laptop with an Ethernet port

Ensures future-proof connectivity without proprietary drivers

5. Value for Users

Researchers: Affordable, reliable shutter control

Engineers: Fully customizable, open-source design

Industry: Freedom from vendor lock-in and reduced maintenance costs

The W5500 is not just an Ethernet chip — it is the key enabler of low-cost, future-proof control systems.

6. Marketing Takeaways

“Even advanced MBE systems run on W5500.”

“Replace $20,000 control systems with a $50 open-source solution.”

“Proven in industrial and research environments.”

“Open-source + W5500 = the new standard for control systems.”

👉 With this narrative, the W5500 can be positioned not only as a networking chip, but as a trusted, field-proven solution in demanding industrial and research applications.

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