---
title: "ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node for a 3,000+ Unit Seniors Village"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/esp32-ethernet-sensor-node-for-a-3000-unit-seniors-village/"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/esp32-ethernet-sensor-node-for-a-3000-unit-seniors-village/md"
type: "UCC: User Created Content"
author: "Vedant Jhawar"
author_url: "https://github.com/vjhawar12/ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node"
editor: "WIZnet"
editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/"
original_author: "Vedant Jhawar"
original_url: "https://github.com/vjhawar12/ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node"
published: "2026-07-26"
language: "en"
likes: 0
views: 158
comments: 0
source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)"
---

# ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node for a 3,000+ Unit Seniors Village

> ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node

Original author: Vedant Jhawar (source: https://github.com/vjhawar12/ESP32-ethernet-sensor-node)

## Article

## [Project Spotlight] An Ethernet Sensor Node for a 3,000+ Unit Seniors Village — A Real-World W5500 Deployment

### Overview

This project isn't a demo or a learning exercise — it's a **real embedded system being built for long-term deployment across a 3,000+ unit seniors village**. The developer is building it as part of a contract engagement with a company that provides solutions for senior living facilities, and has implemented the entire firmware in C using ESP-IDF, running on an ESP32-S3 with a W5500 SPI Ethernet controller, complete with remote management, sensor telemetry, and OTA firmware updates.

![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/828385368%5F1785145026%2Epng)

### Why This Qualifies as a "Real Solution" Case Study

Unlike a typical IoT demo, this project was designed from the ground up around real operational constraints:

- **Unattended, long-term operation**: nodes installed across a facility of thousands of units must be manageable without physical access

- **Network reliability**: wired Ethernet (W5500) was chosen over Wi-Fi to guarantee stable connectivity at facility scale

- **Remote maintainability**: status checks, reboots, and firmware updates all need to happen without a site visit

- **Persistent node identity**: each node must retain its configuration (static IP, etc.) across power loss and reboots

What makes this more than a tutorial project is that these constraints are visibly baked into the firmware architecture itself. Rather than buying an off-the-shelf product, the developer designed both the firmware and the hardware from scratch around one specific deployment's requirements.

### Network Architecture — W5500 SPI Ethernet

The current firmware runs on an ESP32-S3 dev board with a **W5500 SPI Ethernet controller**, integrated with ESP-IDF's Ethernet/TCP-IP stack. The boot sequence is structured as follows:

1. Load persistent node identity and static IP configuration from NVS

2. Initialize the SPI bus and install the W5500 Ethernet driver

3. Attach the netif to the TCP/IP stack and wait for link/IP acquisition

4. Initialize sensor-facing peripherals: I2C, ADC, GPIO, timers

5. Spawn tasks for sensor measurement, heartbeat, UDP streaming, and the TCP console

On top of the network layer, two communication paths run concurrently:

- **UDP telemetry**: temperature, humidity, air quality, and motion detection values, along with chip/firmware version and IP, are packaged into JSON and periodically sent to the backend

- **TCP node console (port 4000)**: commands like `reboot`, `stream on/off`, `ota status`, and `ota flash` let operators inspect and control a node without visiting the site

### Sensor Integration

This isn't just placeholder telemetry fields — it includes actual working sensor drivers.

- **AHT20 (I2C)**: temperature and humidity measurement

- **MQ135 (ADC)**: analog air-quality readings via an ADC oneshot + calibration path

- **HC-SR505 (GPIO/GPIO expander)**: motion detection, with interrupt-driven immediate detection support

### OTA Updates for Unattended Operation

To update firmware on facility-installed nodes without a physical visit, the project implements an HTTPS-based OTA flow:

1. Fetch the manifest file over HTTPS (certificate-pinned TLS)

2. Compare firmware versions and download/flash a newer version if available

3. Reboot, validate the new image, and roll back on failure

Notably, the rollback validation logic is there specifically to prevent a node from being bricked by a bad firmware push in an unattended environment.

### Hardware Roadmap — From SPI to RMII

While the current dev board + W5500 (SPI) combination is being used to validate the firmware, the custom PCB (Rev 1) is planned to move to **an ESP32-WROOM-32E with the ESP32's internal Ethernet MAC and an external LAN8720A (RMII) PHY**. This frees up the SPI bus for other sensors/peripherals instead of dedicating it to Ethernet. The Rev 1 PCB is currently in pre-layout schematic review.

|  | Current (Dev Board) | Rev 1 Custom PCB (Planned) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MCU | ESP32-S3 dev module | ESP32-WROOM-32E |
| Ethernet | W5500 (SPI) | Internal EMAC + LAN8720A (RMII) |
| Bus usage for Ethernet | Occupies SPI bus | SPI bus free |
| Development stage | Firmware functionally validated | Schematic review, layout pending |

### Comparison with Commercial ESP32 Ethernet Products

Comparing this project against commercial ESP32-based industrial Ethernet controllers on the market highlights a clear difference in character.

| Product/Project | Ethernet | Features | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **ESP32 Ethernet Sensor Node (this project)** | W5500 (SPI) → migrating to RMII/LAN8720A | Purpose-built sensor set for a seniors village + custom TCP/UDP protocol + OTA | - |
| NORVI ENET | W5500 (SPI) | 8x DI, 4x AI, DIN-rail, OLED | $108–$134 depending on model |
| Olimex ESP32-PoE / PoE-ISO | LAN8710A (RMII) + PoE | Open source hardware, optional galvanic isolation (ISO) | ~$20.90 for PoE base, ~$29.06 for ISO |
| DFRobot EDGE101 | Ethernet + RS485 + CAN | Metal enclosure, optional 4G, infrastructure/asset monitoring | $39.90 (official store); $46–$57 through resellers |
| Erqos EQSP32CE | Ethernet (ESP32-S3) | RS232/RS485/CAN, 16-channel I/O, built-in MQTT/OTA, DIN-rail | $185 single unit (~€155) |

All of these commercial products target the **general-purpose industrial automation/gateway** market. This repo, by contrast, was **purpose-designed around a specific deployment site (a 3,000+ unit seniors village)** — its sensor set and communication protocol were built for that use case from the start — and rather than buying a commercial gateway, the developer is building **custom firmware and a custom PCB** from scratch. That's what sets it apart.

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Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/esp32-ethernet-sensor-node-for-a-3000-unit-seniors-village/