Installing Firmware on SP2301 Linux EVB for Dual-Port Ethernet

Introduction

The SP2301 Linux EVB from WIZnet is an industrial-grade embedded Linux development board designed for industrial IoT and edge computing applications. A key feature of this board is its dual-port Ethernet capability, achieved by combining:

• The native SP2301 Ethernet interface for control signals

• An expansion Ethernet port via W5100S-io / W5500-io for data communication

This architecture ensures physical separation between control and data flows, providing greater system stability and security.

With SecurePi firmware and Linux kernel drivers that already support WIZnet W5100S / W5500 chipsets, users can easily enable dual-port Ethernet communication. This guide outlines how to install the firmware using the SD card and BOOT switch, without needing Linux command-line operations.

What You’ll Need

• SP2301 Linux EVB

• Micro SD card (8 GB or larger, FAT32 formatted)

• PC (Windows, Linux, or macOS) to prepare the SD card

• DC power supply (9V to 36V)

Firmware Installation Steps

1. Download and Prepare the Firmware

SecurePi provides pre-built Linux firmware images designed for supported platforms, including the SP2301 Linux EVB. These images come ready to boot and include built-in support for WIZnet hardware.

On your PC:

• Download the SecurePi firmware image for the SP2301 Linux EVB.

• Verify the integrity of the image using the provided checksum (such as SHA256).

• Use tools like balenaEtcher or Rufus to write the firmware image to the Micro SD card.

Important: Ensure the correct drive is selected in your flashing tool to avoid overwriting other storage devices.

2. Insert the SD Card

Once the flashing process is complete:

• Safely eject the Micro SD card from your PC.

• Insert it into the Micro SD slot on the SP2301 Linux EVB.

3. Set the BOOT Switch

The SP2301 Linux EVB is equipped with a BOOT mode selector switch that determines the startup source.

Set the BOOT switch to SD boot mode. This instructs the board to load the Linux OS directly from the SD card during startup. There is no need to manually flash internal storage or run additional setup commands.

4. Power On the Board

• Connect the SP2301 Linux EVB to a stable power source using the DC input (9V to 36V).

• The board will detect the firmware on the SD card and automatically boot into the Linux operating system.

• Indicator LEDs will confirm power and activity status.

Dual Ethernet Ready Without Additional Configuration

Once booted:

• The SecurePi Linux OS will run directly from the SD card.

• The included Linux kernel already contains the necessary WIZnet driver modules for the W5100S and W5500 chipsets.

• Both Ethernet ports will be operational:

  • The native SP2301 Ethernet port as the control interface

  • The W5100S-io / W5500-io expansion port as the data interface

This setup enables immediate use of dual-port Ethernet functionality without requiring driver installation or complex configuration.

Conclusion

The SP2301 Linux EVB combined with SecurePi firmware provides a fast and reliable method to enable dual-port Ethernet networking. With its BOOT switch-controlled SD card boot process and built-in WIZnet driver support, developers can deploy the board quickly for industrial IoT and edge computing applications without needing to perform additional setup or command-line operations.

If you need a diagram of the BOOT switch positions, a quick-start PDF, or a sample configuration overview, let me know and I can provide that material.

SP2301 Linux EVB: Enabling Dual-Port Ethernet for Industrial IoT

Introduction

The SP2301 Linux EVB is a high-integration embedded Linux development board designed by WIZnet for industrial IoT and edge computing applications. Powered by a Cortex-A5 core-based SP2301 industrial-grade module, this EVB provides a feature-rich platform for robust and scalable industrial solutions.

Its design ensures that developers can easily implement reliable communication and automation systems, with built-in support for dual-port Ethernet through WIZnet's W5100S-io or W5500-io modules.

Key Features at a Glance

• Processor: Cortex-A5 core industrial module (SP2301)

• Operating System: Linux/RTOS support

• Ethernet Ports: Dual-port 100M Ethernet

  • Control Plane: SP2301 core board direct connection

  • Data Plane: W5100S-io / W5500-io expansion (hardware TCP/IP stack)

• Wireless:

  • 4G full-netcom (via Mini PCIe)

  • WiFi 6 / BT 5.0 (via M.2)

• Industrial Buses:

  • 4x RS485 (with direction control + surge protection)

  • 2x CAN bus

• Storage:

  • Micro TF card slot

  • QSPI Flash (W25Q32JVSSIQ*1)

• Expansion: 90 programmable GPIOs, I2C, UART, SPI

• Display / Vision: Dual MIPI CSI/DSI (camera + display interface)

• Power Input: 9-36V wide voltage DC input

• Temperature Range: -40°C to +85°C (industrial grade)

• Protection: ESD, power isolation, reverse polarity protection, signal impedance matching

Detailed Specifications

Power

• Input: DC005 jack, 9V ~ 36V wide voltage range

• Power architecture: 4V / 3.3V / 1.8V hierarchical power management

Ethernet

• SP2301 core Ethernet: 100 Mbps for control

• Expansion Ethernet: W5100S-io / W5500-io 100 Mbps for data, with hardware TCP/IP offload

USB

• Type: Type-C 16P

• Support: USB OTG functionality

Indicators

• Power indicator LED

• 4G network status LED

• GPIO user-controllable LED

Cellular Communication

• Interface: Mini PCIe slot (50 x 32 mm)

• Supported Modules: Universal 4G modules

• Antenna: IPEX FPC / IPEX to SMA elbow onboard antenna

• SIM: Micro SIM self-ejecting slot

WiFi / Bluetooth

• Interface: M.2 slot (30 x 22 mm)

• Supported Modules: Universal M.2 WiFi/BT (SDIO)

• Antenna: IPEX FPC / IPEX to SMA elbow onboard antenna

Expansion Interfaces

• Connectors: 3x 2.54mm 2x15 pin headers

• Functions: GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI

Dual-Port Ethernet: Reliable Separation of Control and Data

The unique dual-port design of the SP2301 Linux EVB separates the control plane and data plane physically:

• The SP2301 native Ethernet port handles control signals, commands, and system management.

• The W5100S-io / W5500-io expansion port focuses on high-speed data transfer, with hardware TCP/IP acceleration, reducing CPU load and increasing throughput.

This design improves system stability, security, and communication integrity — critical in industrial applications where control and data flows must not interfere with each other.

Industrial-Grade Reliability

The SP2301 Linux EVB is built for harsh conditions:

• Wide temperature support: -40°C to +85°C

• Robust power design: handles voltage fluctuations and supports reverse connection protection

• ESD protection and signal integrity design

These features ensure the board can be deployed confidently in factory automation, smart grid, transportation, and other demanding environments.

Conclusion

With its comprehensive connectivity, flexible expansion, and dual-port Ethernet capability via the W5100S-io / W5500-io, the SP2301 Linux EVB is a powerful solution for developers creating next-generation industrial IoT devices and edge gateways. Its modular design accelerates prototyping, testing, and scaling to mass production, while its industrial-grade reliability ensures long-term, stable operation in critical applications.

Industrial IoT Gateway (Field-to-Cloud) Using Dual-Port SP2302

Overview

Industrial IoT (IIoT) Gateway is a critical component in modern automation and telemetry systems. This article demonstrates how to build a Field-to-Cloud Gateway using the dual-Ethernet SP2302, with:

• eth0 for cloud connectivity (Internet-facing)
• eth1 for Modbus TCP data collection (W5500 via SPI)

This physical and logical separation enhances security, performance, and fault isolation — making it ideal for manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure applications.

Why Use Dual-Port SP2302?

In many industrial environments, Modbus controllers, PLCs, and legacy field devices are built for local, deterministic communication and have no native support for IoT protocols, cloud APIs, or secure Internet access. These devices are often critical to operations but lack the capability to communicate beyond their local network.

This is where the dual-port SP2302 becomes invaluable.

By integrating a W5500-based Ethernet port (eth1) via SPI alongside the SP2302’s native Ethernet (eth0), you can safely isolate and connect local-only machines to the cloud — without compromising network security or device integrity.

This architecture allowseth1to interface with local Modbus TCP devices, PLCs, or proprietary machine controllers, while eth0 manages communication with cloud services like Adafruit IO, AWS IoT, or private MQTT brokers.

Here’s how the dual-port configuration supports this secure and efficient data bridge:

With this setup, devices that were never designed for the Internet — like PLCs and Modbus sensors — can now participate in modern IoT platforms. The SP2302 ensures that all communication is stable, secure, and structured, acting as a translation and transport layer between industrial equipment and scalable cloud infrastructure.

The field-to-cloud gateway architecture is not only practical but also essential for evolving legacy operations into connected, intelligent systems without requiring expensive retrofitting or risking security exposure.

System Architecture

Roles for Each Ethernet Port

System Diagram

Setup Instructions

1. Prepare the Hardware

• Connect WIZ850io to SP2302 via SPI
• Assign IPs:
  • eth0: via DHCP or static (e.g., 192.168.1.50)
  • eth1: static (e.g., 192.168.2.50) for talking to local Modbus devices

2. Configure Netplan

yaml
network:  version: 2  ethernets:    eth0:      dhcp4: true    eth1:      dhcp4: false      addresses: [192.168.2.50/24]
bash


複製編輯
sudo netplan apply

Demo: Modbus TCP to MQTT Gateway (Field-to-Cloud)

This example reads a simulated Modbus register from a device on `eth1`, and sends it to **Adafruit IO** using MQTT over `eth0`.

Install Required Packages

bash

pip3 install pymodbus paho-mqtt

Python Demo Code

python
# iot_gateway_demo.py

import time
import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
from pymodbus.client.sync import ModbusTcpClient

# --- Modbus TCP Config (eth1 interface) ---
MODBUS_IP = '192.168.2.100'
MODBUS_PORT = 502
UNIT_ID = 1

# --- Adafruit IO MQTT Config (eth0 interface) ---
AIO_USER = 'your_adafruit_username'
AIO_KEY = 'your_aio_key'
AIO_FEED = 'sensor1'
BROKER = 'io.adafruit.com'
TOPIC = f"{AIO_USER}/feeds/{AIO_FEED}"
ETH0_IP = '192.168.1.50'...