---
title: "dakbot"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/dakbot/"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/dakbot/md"
type: "UCC: User Created Content"
author: "Christopher Sabato"
author_url: "https://github.com/chrissabato/dakbot"
editor: "WIZnet"
editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/"
original_author: "Christopher Sabato"
original_url: "https://github.com/chrissabato/dakbot"
published: "2026-04-19"
language: "en"
tags: ["ESP32", "W5500"]
hardware: ["Espressif ESP32", "WIZnet W5500"]
likes: 0
views: 306
comments: 0
source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)"
---

# dakbot

> Converts Daktronics AllSport 5000 serial RTD into JSON/MQTT over wired W5500 Ethernet ( 12 ms RTT), powering live graphics, signage and smart-arena automations

Original author: Christopher Sabato (source: https://github.com/chrissabato/dakbot)

## Components

- **Espressif ESP32** x 1 ([docs](https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs/esp32))
- **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/))

## Article

### Project Overview

**Dakbot Gateway** turns the proprietary RTD stream from a Daktronics AllSport 5000 scoreboard into open, IP-friendly JSON and MQTT. Thanks to the on-board **WIZnet W5500** Ethernet controller the link is hard-wired, immune to stadium Wi-Fi congestion and guarantees a sub-12 ms end-to-end delay—fast enough for frame-accurate broadcast graphics and real-time arena automation.

![Daktronics AllSport 5000 Series | NESC Timekeeping Wiki | Fandom](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/nesc-timekeeping/images/d/de/Daktronics_5000_series_pic.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20161107193037)

![](https://camo.githubusercontent.com/39aa1d90bca6f38a8bb8c6520508278b6dab336ddddf4959536789b2419799d3/68747470733a2f2f636872697373616261746f2e636f6d2f32303236303431362f64616b626f742e6a7067)

![Outdoor Video Scoreboards](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/TQmTEOyoWB7tE8x0Asxr6bZlDe8c4Oaqtx8sHSeITj9cEKW9C9dFD10JPNkvg8bzX6eIiaAkLnoznJI3PNdDMHYJ7WZe7kpl3TkQUkr6TpH6U-2IOJO2Ov1a9zQQLYRLoh47jJyxw060YpfgSbcDkpj7WZn0FKPiz8GA7BPiaogm9eIZ-Du3rLVEb8vyvplg?purpose=fullsize)

### Key Features

- **RTD → JSON/MQTT** – decodes position/value packets into a human-readable, sport-agnostic schema.

- **Deterministic Ethernet (W5500)** – 1–2 ms network jitter vs. dozens on crowded Wi-Fi.

- **Hardware TCP/IP offload** – frees the ESP32-S3 to parse RTD and serve the web UI without drops.

- **OTA & Web UI** – pick sport mode, DHCP/static, MQTT broker, or upload new firmware from any browser.

- **PoE ready** – a single UTP run provides both power and data, perfect for press-table installs.

### Hardware Setup

```plaintext
AllSport 5000 RTD (DB-25) ─► MAX3232 ─► UART RX (ESP32-S3-ETH)
ESP32-S3-ETH ↔ W5500 (SPI) ─► RJ-45 ─► Stadium LAN
```

### Core Code Snippet

```c
import network, uasyncio as aio
nic = network.LAN(mdc=23, mdio=18, phy_type=network.PHY_W5500)
nic.active(True); nic.ifconfig_dhcp()

from daktronics import SerialReader
from webserver  import serve

async def main():
    aio.create_task(SerialReader().run())   # RTD → dict
    await serve()                           # JSON & MQTT endpoints
aio.run(main())
```

```c
{
    "HomeTeamName": "HOME",
    "AwayTeamName": "GUEST",
    "HomeTeamScore": "9",
    "AwayTeamScore": "4",
    "Inning": "9",
    "InningText": "9TH",
    "InningDescription": "BOT of 9TH",
    "TB": "▼",
    "top": "",
    "bottom": "▼",
    "Ball": "0",
    "Strike": "0",
    "Out": "0",
    "Count": "0-0",
    "Outs": "⚪⚪⚪"
}
```

Network Architecture

```plaintext
[AllSport 5000] --RS-232--> [ESP32-S3-ETH + W5500] --Ethernet--> LAN
                                                |--> HTTP  /status.json
                                                |--> MQTT  /scoreboard/status
```

### Performance Results

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| RTD-to-JSON round-trip | **≤ 12 ms** (wired LAN) |
| Link reliability | 72-h soak test: 0 packet loss |
| MCU load | < 25 % @ 20 RTD pkt/s + HTTP |

### Lessons Learned

Stadium Wi-Fi’s variable latency made precise graphics impossible—swapping to W5500 Ethernet delivered rock-solid timing. Hardware TCP/IP offload kept MicroPython responsive even under high serial and web traffic.

### Future Improvements

- PoE HAT for true single-cable deployment

- TLS/HTTPS API

- Parser for AllSport 7000 & soccer mode

### Challenges & Solutions

| Challenge | Solution |
| --- | --- |
| RTD frame errors | Check-sum validation, discard corrupt frames |
| Wi-Fi jitter & drops | Migrated to W5500 wired Ethernet |

## Why Choose W5500 Ethernet over Wi-Fi?

1. **Predictable latency** – graphics update within 1–2 video frames.

2. **RF-noise immunity** – unaffected by crowded 2.4/5 GHz channels, metal bleachers or LED scoreboards.

3. **Hardware offload** – socket handling in silicon, leaving cycles for RTD parsing.

4. **PoE support** – power and data through the same cable, reducing install cost.

## Potential Applications

| Domain | Example |
| --- | --- |
| Live streaming & broadcast | Auto-update OBS/vMix score-bug via JSON or direct plug-ins |
| Sports analytics | Feed real-time numbers to Python notebooks (win-prob models, shot charts) |
| Digital signage | LED ribbon boards, concourse displays subscribe to MQTT |
| Smart-venue automation | Home-Assistant triggers lights, sounds on score change |
| Fan mobile apps | Publish through HiveMQ → WebSocket → instant score push |

**About the Creator**
<https://chrissabato.com/#about>

Chris Sabato is the Director of Athletic Communications at Willamette University and a longtime creative technologist in college athletics. His work spans live sports production, video, graphics, photography, web management, and digital storytelling, and he is especially known for building practical in-house tools that improve efficiency and simplify real-time media workflows. That blend of creative production and engineering-minded problem solving is clearly reflected in Dakbot, a compact system designed to turn scoreboard data into reliable JSON and MQTT feeds for live graphics and venue automation.

![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/634768354%5F1776676296%2Epng)

![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/634768354%5F1776676305%2Epng)

**Q 1. What is Dakbot Gateway?**
A plug-and-play device that converts the RS-232 “Real-Time Data” (RTD) stream from a Daktronics AllSport 5000 scoreboard into JSON and MQTT over wired Ethernet.

**Q 2. Do I have to modify the AllSport 5000 console?**
No. Dakbot only plugs into the factory RTD port on the back of the console; the scoreboard hardware and firmware remain untouched.

**Q 3. What hardware does Dakbot use?**
A Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH board with an on-board WIZnet W5500 Ethernet controller and a MAX3232 level-shifter for safe RS-232 ↔ 3.3 V conversion.

**Q 4. What is RTD?**
RTD (Real-Time Data) is a continuous serial feed—19200 baud, 8-N-1—that the AllSport 5000 transmits to mirror the live scoreboard state (scores, clock, period, etc.).

**Q 5. How fast is the JSON round-trip?**
End-to-end latency from RTD byte arrival to JSON or MQTT publish is under **12 milliseconds** on a wired LAN.

**Q 6. Why choose W5500 Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi?**
W5500 provides hardware TCP/IP offload, 1–2 ms network jitter, and zero packet loss—even in RF-noisy stadiums where Wi-Fi drops or stalls.

---

Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/dakbot/