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Technical Review: A34G43AYL2N + W6300 EVB for Real-Time Control via Hardware TCP/IP Offloading

This review analyzes the A34G43AYL2N + W6300 EVB, a solution targeting embedded systems that require concurrent real-time control and high-bandwidth network communication.

Its core architecture features the A34G43AYL2N (Cortex-M4F @ 200MHz) dedicated to deterministic tasks (e.g., FOC), while the W6300 chip offloads all Ethernet processing via a hardware TCP/IP stack. This design eliminates MCU resource contention and ISR latency from network traffic, guaranteeing real-time control loop integrity.

1. Core Component Specifications

1.1 MCU: A34G43AYL2N

Core: 200MHz ARM Cortex-M4F (w/ FPU)

Memory: 2048 KB Dual-Bank Flash, 256 KB SRAM

Key Peripherals: 3-Phase PWM, 3x 12-bit ADC (1.5 Msps)

Operating Temp: -40°C to +105°C (Industrial Grade)

1.2 Ethernet Controller: W6300

Protocol Stack: Hardware TCP/IP (IPv4/IPv6 Dual Stack)

Buffer: 64KB TX/RX

Features: Wake-on-LAN (WoL)

Interface: QSPI (for MCU communication)

2. EVB Hardware Details

3. Optional PoE Module (SS-POE)

The EVB supports an optional SS-POE module via headers J9 and J10.

4. Design Considerations

4.1 GPIO Resource Constraint

To enable Ethernet, the A34G43AYL2N's PB8 ~ PB15 pins (8 total) are dedicated to the QSPI interface with the W6300. These pins, though physically exposed on the header, are unavailable for user I/O when Ethernet is active.

4.2 Deterministic Behavior

By offloading protocol processing (TCP, UDP, IPv6) to the W6300, the MCU can execute its main control loop at a fixed cycle, free from network-induced jitter. This is a critical architecture for high-reliability industrial controllers.

5. Reference Demo Firmware Features (Web / iperf3)

The EVB supports reference firmware to immediately verify the hardware's capabilities, operating in two key modes.

Mode Switching: Pressing and holding the EVB's USER button (SW1) for 3 seconds or more switches between Web Server Mode and iperf3 Server Mode.

Initial Setup: Initial configuration, such as setting the EVB's IP address (e.g., 192.168.100.3), is performed via a UART terminal (115200-8-N-1) using console commands after connecting the EVB to a laptop with a USB Type-C cable .

5.1 Web Server Mode

This is the default mode. Accessing the EVB's IP address (e.g., http://192.168.100.3) provides a GUI-based webpage.

Device Info: Displays device information such as model name, firmware version, and MAC address .

Network Settings: Allows network parameters, including IPv4/IPv6 activation and auto/static configuration, to be modified and saved from the web interface .

I/O Control Panel: Enables web-based interaction with the EVB's hardware:

Monitors the real-time status (LOW/HIGH) of the USER button (KEY1)

Allows direct control (On/Off) of the onboard LEDs via 'Toggle' buttons.

Displays the real-time digital value from the ADC channel, which can be changed by adjusting the onboard variable resistor (RV1) .

Performance & Comms: Provides a web-based speed test (Upload/Download) and a UART terminal communication interface (Web-to-Serial) 

5.2 iperf3 Server Mode

This mode is dedicated to benchmarking pure network throughput.

In this mode, the EVB acts as an iperf3 server, indicated by 4 blinking LEDs.

The user can run the iperf3 -c [EVB IP] command from a PC to measure raw network performance, free from the MCU resource overhead required by the web server function.

6. Conclusion

The A34G43AYL2N + W6300 EVB effectively decouples control and communication performance. It is an optimized platform for applications where precise real-time control must not be compromised by network connectivity, such as industrial gateways, PoE-based remote actuators, and networked robotics. Developers can build highly reliable systems, provided they account for the GPIO limitations.