Technology

WIZnet TOE(TCP/IP Offload Engine) is a core technology of the WIZnet Ethernet solution implemented in hardware to efficiently process TCP/IP network communications. Internally, the TOE consists of a TCP/IP hardware stack for accelerating network protocol processing and a control system for operation settings and status checking. Processed data is automatically stored in allocated memory. The essence of TOE is to support fast and stable network communications in embedded systems without allocating additional resources or burdening performance

Key Features of WIZnet Chips

Supports TCP/IPv4v6 stack

Supports fast 100/10 Ethernet communication through a hardware-based TCP/IPv4v6 stack (only W6100).

Low-cost IoT application construction

Built-in MACPHY with a TCP/IPv4v6 Stack, enabling the construction of low-cost IoT solutions in conjunction with low-spec embedded systems.

Compatibility with various hardware platforms

Supports convenient development with compatibility with many open-source platform boards, such as Arduino and ARM mbed, Raspberry Pico and etc.

Defacto-standard Ethernet solution

WIZnet's Ethernet solutions have become the defacto-standard on embedded platforms because of the open source projects from various maker communities, such as GitHub.

Comparison between TOE and Software TCP/IP Stack

When using a software-based TCP/IP stack, all resources used for network communication are provided by the embedded system. Since all packet processing is independently done by the embedded system from user applications, the system's performance directly determines the network performance, which can be significantly affected by the operational application.

In contrast, the TOE processes the TCP/IP stack of packets through separate resources. Therefore, the system only receives processed data and processes it in the application, reducing the load and complexity associated with network use. Moreover, the hardware TCP/IP stack ensures a consistent transmission speed regardless of changes in the network environment.