EEVblog® Electronics Community Forum
Products => Computers => Embedded Computing => Topic started by: Alex Eisenhut on June 12, 2026, 01:29:36 am
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Just daydreaming here, is there a computer that's built into a network jack, that can take its power from PoE or from the host, support all the DHCP stuff, show up on your network, present a simple web page that lets you twiddle roughly 4 GPIOs?
I've seen these
https://www.amazon.ca/Waveshare-RP2350-ETH-Development-Microcontroller-Dual-Architecture/dp/B0DNLW1CBF?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1&smid=A50C560NZEBBE (https://www.amazon.ca/Waveshare-RP2350-ETH-Development-Microcontroller-Dual-Architecture/dp/B0DNLW1CBF?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1&smid=A50C560NZEBBE)
But I'm aiming for something that's the same size as the PCB-mounted Ethernet jack itself.
Maybe I need better keywords?
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But I'm aiming for something that's the same size as the PCB-mounted Ethernet jack itself.
That's probably too small, unless you forgo compliant ethernet transformers and compliant PoE. That Waveshare item you link is about as tiny as I would expect things to go.
Where do you want to mount this? Are you imagining installing it in a wallplate (lots of space) or in a rackmount keystone/module (tiny)?
I assume I can't just suggest a Wifi solution like an ESP32? Wifi is cheaper and smaller than compliant ethernet, but BYO power.
EDIT: Your linked Waveshare board is smaller. An Orange Pi Zero (http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-Zero.html) is bigger than what you want and is over-powered, but IIRC can support passive PoE with a few solder jumpers.
If Element14 has stock then a FIREWALK (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANT_catalog) might do the job.
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Lantronix X-Port
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https://vocore.io/ might fit your use case, I'm kind of amazed that they still exist, but the blog was updated in January
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Just daydreaming here, is there a computer that's built into a network jack, that can take its power from PoE or from the host, support all the DHCP stuff, show up on your network, present a simple web page that lets you twiddle roughly 4 GPIOs?
I've seen these
https://www.amazon.ca/Waveshare-RP2350-ETH-Development-Microcontroller-Dual-Architecture/dp/B0DNLW1CBF?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1&smid=A50C560NZEBBE (https://www.amazon.ca/Waveshare-RP2350-ETH-Development-Microcontroller-Dual-Architecture/dp/B0DNLW1CBF?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1&smid=A50C560NZEBBE)
But I'm aiming for something that's the same size as the PCB-mounted Ethernet jack itself.
Maybe I need better keywords?
I haven't seen that much smaller than this.
You probably realize that fitting a MCU + ethernet module or ethernet PHY + PoE supply (itself requiring inductors and capacitors) would be tough to fit on such a small area. A MCU with embedded PHY (such as WCH CH32V307/317/...) would be a single-chip solution but you'd still have to add a crystal, bypass capacitors, and the PoE circuitry.
Besides, if you want it to be nearly the size of the magjack itself, all the electronics would have to be on the other side right below the magjack, which may cause EMI issues. So I don't really know how practical that idea is. Certainly challenging.
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https://wiznet.io/products/serial-to-ethernet-modules/WIZ-IP32 (https://wiznet.io/products/serial-to-ethernet-modules/WIZ-IP32)
Seems to be based on a programmable core…
There are some others (even smaller) that provide just tcp over spi, and would probably need another chip to implement a web page.
Iirc, TI had something similar sized using one of the stellaris cm3 chips they acquired from luminary micro, but I’m not seeing it in the current lineup.
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This is probably the smallest PoE board out there:
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006132611720.html (https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006132611720.html)
If you can forego PoE and are OK with a whole OS, the RV nano is smaller
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005012190961899.html (https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005012190961899.html)
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If you can forego PoE and are OK with a whole OS, the RV nano is smaller
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005012190961899.html (https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005012190961899.html)
Yup. Sipeed are a good outfit. And you get a full 64 bit 1.0 GHz Linux processor with 256MB RAM, with a bonus 64 bit microcontroller and a 1 TOPS TPU. And you even get the (boot time) choice of RISC-V C906 or Arm A53 as the Linux CPU ... both with 128 bit vector/SIMD processing.
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https://wiznet.io/products/serial-to-ethernet-modules/WIZ-IP32 (https://wiznet.io/products/serial-to-ethernet-modules/WIZ-IP32)
Seems to be based on a programmable core…
I was going to suggest a WizNet product as well, the W5500 which is a 10/100 MAC, PHY, and TCP stack in a single device. They have a bunch of similar products, the 5500 is the one I've encountered the most.
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https://tibbo.com/store/modules/em1206.html
I don't know how complicated it is to power it by POE, but beside that it is even available with LTE 8) If you embed it into a metal casing around the ethernet port only few people will find it...
[attach=1]
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There are modules in extended length ethernet connector.
https://www.cdebyte.com/products/NE2-T1M/1#Parameters (https://www.cdebyte.com/products/NE2-T1M/1#Parameters)
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They all seem to be ethernet to serial though, so you need another MCU behind them to do anything. From OP's post it doesn't seem to be what they want...
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X-Port has linux computer inside the RJ45.....
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There is an Ethernet jack size module from Digi:
https://hub.digi.com/support/products/system-on-modules/digi-connect-me-9210-linux/
ARM926EJ-S with 8MB flash and 16M RAM. It runs an old version of Linux (2.6.35) and has 10 pins that can be assigned amongst GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C, timers, etc. The ethernet is 10/100.
It appears to be a legacy product, but apparently is still being sold (e.g., Mouser is expecting 150 units in September, part #DC-ME-Y413-LX).
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Thanks all, lots of suggestions. :-+