Finding the Easiest Products for W5500 and PoE Design

I am looking for a way to apply Ethernet to my device using the W5500. I have finished all the testing with the W5500.

However, a customer suddenly requested PoE, so I had to change the design.

So I hurriedly purchased the modules below and conducted tests. I would like to share what I experienced.

First is the official PoE module from WIZnet, the manufacturer of the W5500.

This module is capable of an 8W output and supports both Mode A and Mode B. It is convenient because it can actually be combined and used with WIZnet's Pico series. However, it generates quite a lot of heat, which causes a lot of noise when it gets hot. WIZnet is said to be releasing a new product with improvements on this part. I look forward to a low-cost, high-performance product coming out.

And this is a product from Silvertel, a PoE specialist company. It is very stable and works well. However, it was a bit disappointing that the price is a bit high. Since Silvertel offers various specifications and formats, I think I will continue using their products.

And I tested another product I had on hand. It is an affordable product. I had used this product before, and there was an issue where it was fine at first, but quite a lot of noise would occur as time passed.

This is the product I wanted to use the most. It is an affordable Chinese product and very compact. However, because it is compact, its power specification is too small, and it is a bit expensive. It would be great to apply to low-power products.

This product uniquely combines with the W5500, so there was no need to design the W5500 separately. Platypus PP-W5500-PoE. It stably outputs around 8-9W. The price seems a bit high, but considering the design cost for the W5500, RJ-45, and other components, it feels reasonable.

Also, there is a Switching IC (DPA423) on the bottom side, and the specs of this IC are very impressive. This chip has various protection circuits, which is probably why the unit cost is a bit higher.

This module internally generates 3.3V so that the W5500 operates independently, and it provides a separate 5V output.

I am using SPI simply by connecting it to the MCU without using other features. I am selecting and using PoE power and external 12V, and it seems there are no issues with the PoE module even if 12V is reversely input. First of all, I have been operating about 700 units for two months, and there are no problems yet.

Later, I would like to introduce my product. It is being used in a simple nutrient solution controller system and a drone.

I think it would be best to choose and use a PoE module that fits your specific situation. These days, there seem to be many products that are cheaper and better than the modules above.