Suggestions regarding multiple ethernet ports

Other Hardware Hardware Development
1

Hi,

I have been making few custom boards in the past using Atmega2560 and w5500 with the help from this forum.

Right now for a particular requirement I need to connect to two different devices over Ethernet simultaneously. Due to the architecture of the whole system (of which, my board is a small part) I cannot use an external ethernet switch.

I want to make the board with two ethernet ports coming out of it.

What I was thinking is this:

  1. One option can be just to make two separate chains, (ATMEGA+W5500+RJ45) x 2
    Both the Atmega controllers can talk to each other via UART. This seems to be an overkill to
    me .
  2. Another option may be two somehow use two (W5500s+RJ45). Don't know how feasible this is.
  3. Last option I can think of is using some ethernet switch IC and connect one port to the W5500 and other two to RJ45. But I do not think the Analog differential signals can be directly connected to the PHY interface of the switch ICs..
    EDIT: or maybe like this : W5500->Magnetics -> Magnetics of Switch IC phy port -> switch IC
    Basically I picture this like normal ethernet connection but we skip the two RJ45s and the ethernet cable.. Or is it crazy?

If anyone has any idea about how to go about it, it would be a great help.
Thanks

2

How will this be housed? Single box, cabinet, rack?

3

An enclosure will be designed to house it. The enclosure will probably be mounted in a rack with other equipment.

4

Ok, one suggestion is to mount everything on DIN rail inside the enclosure. Depending on your specs, the switch will be a separate module on the rail, but integrated in the enclosure.

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5

This approach makes the most sense but I am exploring options because my module will probably be mounted along with an existing module which is taking a smaller space in the rack so I can horizontally adjust both together, but the dimension is restricted. But if there is no other way then will have to do this somehow. Will discuss this with the team tomorrow.

My module was not planned before, it is being added to solve incompatibility between three devices. One device sends serial NMEA data, two devices listen only to ethernet for GPS data(over OpenAMIP protocol).

6

Also available, over SPI:

7

As far as I understand, this is also MAC+PHY like W5500. How do you propose I use it?

8

Ohho, in that case forget that :slight_smile:

I know so little about Arduino networking hw. Network at whole - fine.

I should invest in some ethernet shields...

9

Thanks anyways. I will keep on looking. If there is no other option I'll have to go with the original suggestion given by you and fit it somehow.

10

To skip the DIN, and stack instead:

https://www.mouser.fi/ProductDetail/Brainboxes/SW-114?qs=OcgtsXO%252B3gs68eCkzzHuXg%3D%3D

I like the wide Vcc input. Price is higher than the Chinese net shops, but Mouser is all about quality.

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11

Thanks, this looks promising. Price is not an issue if we can get a good quality product

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