ESP32 Port of OpENer Stack - QuinLED EnIP Project

[agsweeney1972]

Hello OpENer community!

I'm excited to share a proof-of-concept implementation I've been working on: a port of the OpENer EtherNet/IP stack to the ESP32 platform. This project demonstrates the feasibility of running industrial EtherNet/IP communication protocols on cost-effective, widely available microcontroller platforms.

Project Overview

QuinLED EnIP is an EtherNet/IP controller implementation running on the ESP32, specifically targeting the QuinLED Penta Plus LED controller board. The project successfully integrates OpENer to provide both explicit and implicit messaging capabilities, enabling real-time industrial automation applications.

Key Features

• ✅ ESP32 Platform: Ported OpENer to ESP32-WROOM-32UE using ESP-IDF 5.5.1
• ✅ Ethernet Connectivity: LAN8720 PHY with RMII interface
• ✅ EtherNet/IP Support: Explicit messaging, implicit messaging, and essential CIP objects (Identity, TCP/IP Interface, Ethernet Link, Assembly, Connection Manager, QoS)
• ✅ Real-World Application: RGB stack light controller for Motoman robotic manufacturing workcell
• ✅ LED Control: 5 analog PWM channels + digital LED support (WS2812/SK6812)

Practical Application

This implementation was developed to address a specific industrial automation requirement: enabling a Motoman robot to directly control an RGB stack light through EtherNet/IP implicit messaging. The system provides real-time visual feedback synchronized with robot operations and workcell status, demonstrating how OpENer can be used in practical manufacturing environments.

Technical Details

The port leverages ESP-IDF's networking stack (lwIP/esp_netif) and implements:

• Connection Manager with support for Exclusive Owner, Input Only, and Listen Only connections
• Assembly objects for I/O data exchange (11-byte output, 14-byte input)
• NVS storage for persistent network configuration
• Web UI for network configuration

Project Status

This is a proof-of-concept implementation demonstrating OpENer's compatibility with ESP32-based systems. The code is functional and has been tested with PLCs and EtherNet/IP scanners, but is intended as a demonstration rather than production-ready code.

Repository

The project is open-source and available at: EnIP-QuinLED_PentaPlus

Acknowledgments

A huge thank you to the OpENer development team for providing such a robust and portable EtherNet/IP stack! The stack's architecture made the ESP32 port relatively straightforward, and the documentation was instrumental in understanding the implementation details.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the ESP32 port or share implementation details that might be useful for others working on similar platforms. I'd also welcome any feedback from the community on best practices or potential improvements!

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Note: EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. This project is intended for educational and demonstration purposes.