Wiznet makers

By chance, I stumbled upon a great opportunity to design a circuit with the STM32H743VIT6 MCU for the first time. (Is it really a great opportunity, though? Haven't tried it yet, so who knows?)

 Let's take a look at the STM32H743VIT6 product.

Key Features of the STM32H743VIT6:

• Core: Arm® Cortex®-M7 processor, which can run up to 480 MHz, with double-precision floating point unit (FPU).
• Memory: Up to 2 MB of flash memory and up to 1 MB of RAM, providing ample storage for complex applications.
• High-Speed Interfaces: Includes USB OTG, Ethernet, and SDMMC.
• Rich Connectivity: Supports a wide range of communication interfaces, including I2C, SPI, UART, and CAN.
• Advanced Analog Features: Comes with analog peripherals, such as ADCs (Analog-to-Digital Converters), DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters), and comparators.
• Graphics Support: Offers Chrom-ART Accelerator™ for enhanced graphic capabilities, supporting direct drive of LCD panels.
• Security: Features cryptographic hardware acceleration and a true random number generator for enhanced security.
• Power Efficiency: Designed with ST's ART Accelerator™ and smart architecture to ensure power efficiency and performance.

Products Featuring the STM32H743VIT6:

The STM32H743VIT6 is part of a broader family of MCUs that cater to varying needs, from basic to highly complex applications. Products within the STM32H7 series vary by memory size, pin count, and additional features, allowing designers to select the most appropriate MCU for their specific requirements. This versatility makes the STM32H7 series suitable for a wide array of products, from simple IoT devices to more sophisticated systems like advanced industrial controllers and multimedia platforms.

The above table is a comparison chart for the STM32H743 series.

Here's a brief description of the W5500.

The W5500 is a hardwired TCP/IP embedded Ethernet controller that provides an easier and more efficient way to implement network connectivity into embedded systems. Manufactured by WIZnet, the W5500 is designed to enable Internet connectivity without the need for an operating system and is optimized for use in embedded applications where ease of integration, stability, performance, and cost-effectiveness are crucial.

# Key Features of the W5500:

- Hardwired TCP/IP Stack: The W5500 integrates a full hardwired TCP/IP stack, which supports TCP, UDP, IPv4, ICMP, ARP, IGMP, and PPPoE protocols. This offloads the CPU from the burden of processing these protocols, leading to more efficient use of the microcontroller's resources.

- SPI Interface: It features a high-speed Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) for communication with the host microcontroller, enabling fast data transmission rates that are essential for network communication.

- Memory: Comes with a built-in 32Kbytes of RAM for TCP/IP packet processing, which means it can handle multiple connections simultaneously, making it highly suitable for complex network tasks.

- I/O Pins: Includes digital I/O pins that can be used for various purposes, such as indicating the status of network connections or interfacing with other hardware components.

- Power Efficiency: The W5500 is designed for low power consumption, making it an ideal choice for power-sensitive applications.

- Support for up to 8 Simultaneous Socket Connections: This feature allows the W5500 to manage multiple network connections, which is particularly useful for applications that require connections to different services or devices over the network.

- Easy to Implement: Its simple interface and hardwired TCP/IP stack make it relatively easy to integrate into existing projects, reducing development time and complexity.

# Applications:

The W5500 is used in a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including home automation, smart metering, remote control, and monitoring systems. It is also suitable for building networked devices in industrial automation, where reliable network connectivity is essential.

Next is the circuit design.

This is the MCU and pin header design section. The product was created with an Ethernet module concept in mind and was designed with the external appearance of a PICO Ethernet module as a reference. Approximately 40 castellated holes were made to enable SMT (Surface Mount Technology), allowing for a total of 34 pins to be used as I/O. The design also accommodates USB and ST-LINK. SPI4 was used to connect to the W5500.

The basic circuit for the W5500 was designed based on the following reference materials.

(Reference materials: https://docs.wiznet.io/Design-Guide/hardware_design_guide, https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/iEthernet/W5500/ref-schematic, https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/iEthernet/W5500/w5500-evb-pico)

This was my first time designing with a USB C connector. Power-only C connectors are also sold at affordable prices, so it's crucial to check the product information to select a product capable of data communication.

End of Part 1: Circuit Design Section