• Welcome to Andy's Workshop Forums. Please login or sign up.
 
March 28, 2024, 03:54:44 pm

News:

SMF - Just Installed!


Getting started with Ethernet PHY

Started by acassis, July 27, 2014, 10:01:01 am

Previous topic - Next topic

acassis

Hi Andy and everybody,

I'm developing an open-source module based on your: http://andybrown.me.uk/wk/2012/09/01/ethernet-phy-stm32f107/

I used KiCad to develop the module because it is open-source and have no cost for hobbyists. Although many hobbyists still using Eagle, the usage of KiCad is increasing recently. Even the Open Hardware definition suggest that ideally it should be developed using open-source design tools: http://www.oshwa.org/definition/

My idea it to test this module using a STM32F4Discovery board running NuttX RTOS.

Fortunately NuttX has native support to KSZ8051/KSZ8081 then I just need to modify some definitions.

I will add the code to github and post link here!

Andy Brown

Welcome Alan and congrats on getting the design ported into KiCad. I'm looking forward to hearing how the build goes. If I had enough space in my head to learn another design modelling app then KiCad would probably be the one I'd chose. Maybe one day.

There's more to come from me on the PHY front in the future. I wanted to get an RMII PHY done so I designed a board around the KSZ8091RNA in a QFN package. It works and I already pushed support for it to stm32plus. When I get time I'll do the write-up and publish all the sources.
It's worse than that, it's physics Jim!

acassis

Andy,
nice to know you developed a RMII version using a small QFN package.

I think the LQFP-48 size is fine for my design, but using RMII is interesting to reduce number of pins used and save more room for other peripherals.

About KiCad I think you could learn it in less than 1 day, basically you just will need to learn some keyboard short-cuts because you already have a very good EDA skill.

I think the main drawback of KiCad is the module editor, but the CERN (yes, the particles accelerator guys) is developing a very powerful module editor. Someone posted a nice demo of current features: https://vimeo.com/99235812

Thank you very much again for all your help!

acassis

Hi Andy,

I will develop the board this week, then I just released the design files in github:

https://github.com/acassis/phyether

I hope it will be useful for other people willing to use this PHY on their project.

Andy Brown

I just updated the article with my experience getting this to work with the popular F4 discovery board. It worked, which was surprising given the pin clashes with the discovery's onboard peripherals.
It's worse than that, it's physics Jim!