Wiznet makers

Want to run a full stage light show from your PC straight into cheap LED strips? Let's see how LichtBit's open-source ESP32 controller turns Art-Net/sACN data into 2,720 dancing pixels — with the WIZnet W5500 keeping every frame rock-solid!

COMPONENTS

Hardware components

• WIZnet – W5500 Ethernet Module ×1
• Espressif – ESP32-WROOM-32 Dev Board ×1
• OLED Display 128×32 (I2C) ×1
• Addressable LED Strip (WS2812B / SK6812 / APA102) ×4 outputs
• 5V–24V DC Power Supply ×1

Software Apps and online services

• Arduino IDE
• I2SClocklessLedDriver library
• Art-Net / sACN software (Resolume Arena, MadMapper, xLights)
• WLED firmware (optional, standalone mode)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Dutch hardware designer LichtBit built a fully open-source ESP32 controller that bridges professional lighting software and low-cost addressable LED strips. The board takes Art-Net/sACN data over the network and converts it into the high-speed serial signals that NeoPixel-style strips understand — driving up to 16 universes / 2,720 RGB LEDs across 4 outputs. Let's walk through how it works and how to set it up!

Why Ethernet? (The bandwidth problem)

A single DMX512 universe carries only 512 channels. Since each RGB LED needs 3 channels, one universe runs out after about 170 LEDs. To scale up, Art-Net and sACN (E1.31) pack many universes onto a standard Ethernet network. That's where the WIZnet W5500 comes in — its hardwired TCP/IP stack handles all the network traffic so the ESP32 cores stay free to render pixels, which is exactly why the designer recommends wired Ethernet for high frame rates.

W5500 ART-NET NODE BLOCK DIAGRAM

0. Preparation

• ESP32 + WIZnet W5500 Art-Net node (or equivalent hardware)
• Addressable LED strips (WS2812B/SK6812/APA102) + 5V–24V power supply
• Ethernet cable + a network switch or router
• A PC running Art-Net/sACN software (Resolume Arena, MadMapper, or xLights)

1. Get the project files

The full open-source project — firmware binaries, a custom wled_cfg.json, and 3D enclosure files — lives on the project's GitHub repo, while the schematics, PCB layout, BoM, and Gerber files are on the EasyEDA OSHWLab page.

2. Wire up the hardware

Connect your LED strips to the 4 screw-terminal outputs (up to 680 RGB LEDs each). The board's onboard 5V level-shifters keep data clean over long cable runs, individual ~8A resettable fuses protect each channel, and reverse-polarity protection guards against wiring mistakes. Power it from anywhere in the wide 5V–24V range.

3. Connect the network

Plug the W5500 Ethernet port into the same switch/router as your PC. Tip: the W5500 doesn't do Auto-MDI/MDIX, so a direct PC-to-board connection needs a crossover cable — but going through a switch or router works with any standard cable. The 128×32 OLED shows live status and IP mapping so you always know the node's address. If the network times out for 30 seconds, the board auto-launches an AP mode for standalone debugging.

4. Map your universes in software

In your lighting software, map your video or light show across the universes and point the output at the node's IP. The controller unpacks the Art-Net/sACN packets and instantly drives the strips. It supports RGB, RGBW, and RGBAW strips, so most common LED types just work.

5. Test & play

Press the physical boot/mode button to run standalone RGB test cycles or cycle through the 10 built-in color presets — a quick way to confirm wiring before going live. Then stream your show and watch all 2,720 pixels light up in sync!

Bonus: Standalone effects with WLED

Don't want a PC in the loop? Flash the WLED framework for standalone animations. Note: Ethernet + WLED needs the experimental WLED-W5500 fork, since stock WLED doesn't natively drive the W5500 over SPI yet. The provided wled_cfg.json safely remaps pins 12, 14, 27, and 26 to the onboard level shifters and fuses.

RESULT

A pre-assembled node is also available for makers who'd rather build the light show than the board. This project is a great example of how the WIZnet W5500 brings reliable, high-throughput Ethernet to real-time lighting — turning a low-cost ESP32 into a professional-grade pixel controller.

Links 👇👇👇

• GitHub repository (firmware, config, 3D files)
• EasyEDA OSHWLab project (schematics, PCB, BoM, Gerber)

Source: CNX Software (May 27, 2026)