LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 Ethernet Board with W5500 Module

Specifications

• Microcontroller: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (Dual-core, up to 240 MHz)

• Ethernet Module: WIZnet W5500 (Hardwired TCP/IP stack)

• Flash Memory: 16MB

• PSRAM: 8MB

• Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) & Bluetooth 5 (LE)

• Storage: Integrated MicroSD (TF) Card Slot

• Expansion: Header interface for optional LILYGO PoE Shield

• Dimensions: 59mm (L) x 28mm (W) x 11mm (H)

Key Applications and Projects

• ESPHome Industrial Gateways: Hardwiring an ESP32-S3 to your network to reliably poll local Modbus or I2C sensors in a factory environment without Wi-Fi dropouts.

• Network Attached Storage (NAS) Logger: Utilizing the W5500 for fast network transfer and the MicroSD card to continuously log security camera metadata or server ping statistics.

• Home Assistant Bluetooth Proxies: Placing the node centrally in your home to forward Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) packets from smart thermometers directly to Home Assistant over a stable Ethernet link.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The Ultimate Garage Access Controller: Wi-Fi rarely reaches the detached garage reliably. Evolve your smart home setup by running a single burial-grade Cat6 Ethernet cable from your home router out to your garage. Attach the optional LILYGO PoE shield to this T-ETH-Lite board and plug the cable into a PoE switch inside your house. Out in the garage, the board now has rock-solid power and data. Program the ESP32-S3 to control a relay that opens your garage door. Because the board has Bluetooth 5, you can also program it to detect the BLE MAC address of your car or smartphone, creating an ultra-reliable, hardwired auto-opening smart garage system!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 Board

• 2 x Long Male Pin Headers (Unsoldered)

• 2 x Short Male Pin Headers (Unsoldered)

Downloads & Links

• LilyGO-T-ETH-Series Github Link

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What microcontroller drives this board? It is powered by the Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module.

2. What makes the W5500 different from the LAN8720A Ethernet chip? The LAN8720A is just a physical layer (PHY) chip, meaning the ESP32 has to handle all the complex TCP/IP network processing in software. The W5500 has a hardwired TCP/IP stack built into the silicon, which handles the network protocols automatically, drastically reducing the processing load on the ESP32.

3. Does this board support PoE (Power over Ethernet)? Out of the box, no. However, it features a specifically designed pin interface that allows you to easily plug in LILYGO's optional PoE Shield to enable 802.3af PoE capabilities.

4. How do I power the board if I don't have the PoE shield? You must provide 5V power to the 5V_IN and GND pins on the expansion header. Note: This specific board does not have a USB port for power or programming.

5. How do I program this board since there is no USB port? Because it lacks an onboard USB-to-Serial converter to save space, you must program it using an external USB-to-TTL Serial adapter (like an FTDI or CH340 board). Connect the TX of your adapter to the RXD pin of the board, RX to TXD, GND to GND, and provide 5V power. You must also pull the IO0 pin LOW while resetting to enter bootloader mode.

6. How much Flash memory and RAM does it have? It features a massive 16MB of Flash memory and 8MB of PSRAM, which is essential for buffering large network payloads.

7. Can I log data locally? Yes, the board features a built-in Micro SD (TF) card slot hidden on the back of the PCB.

8. What are the internal pins used for the MicroSD card slot? The SD card uses standard SPI pins: MISO (IO05), MOSI (IO06), SCLK (IO07), and CS (IO42).

9. How does the ESP32 communicate with the W5500 chip? They communicate internally via an SPI connection. The W5500 uses MISO (IO11), MOSI (IO12), SCLK (IO10), CS (IO09), RST (IO14), and INT (IO13).

10. Does the board still support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth? Yes. Despite having Ethernet, the ESP32-S3 still features its standard 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE) radios.

11. What settings do I need in ESPHome to make the Ethernet work? In your YAML configuration, you must define the ethernet component and set the type to W5500. You must also define the correct SPI pins (miso_pin, mosi_pin, clk_pin, cs_pin) as listed in the pinout diagram.

12. Do I need to solder anything? The main components and RJ45 jack are pre-soldered. The kit comes with male header pins that you must solder yourself to connect power, the serial programmer, or external sensors.

13. What are the exact dimensions of the board? The board measures 59mm in length, 28mm in width, and 11mm in height (at the RJ45 jack).

14. What logic voltage do the GPIO pins use? Like all ESP32 microcontrollers, the GPIO pins operate strictly on 3.3V logic. Supplying 5V directly to a logic pin will destroy the chip.

15. Is there an RTC (Real-Time Clock) on this board? No, there is no dedicated RTC chip. You should pull time data via NTP over the Ethernet connection.

16. Are there any physical buttons? Yes, the board features a Boot button (IO0) and a Reset button, allowing you to manually enter download mode when connected to a serial programmer.

17. What do the LEDs on the RJ45 jack indicate? Typically, the LEDs indicate Link status (a physical connection is established) and Activity (data is actively transmitting/receiving).

18. Can I use the MicroSD card slot and Ethernet at the same time? Yes. They use separate SPI buses or chip select pins, allowing both to function concurrently without data collision.

19. Does this board support auto-MDIX? Yes, the W5500 supports auto-MDIX, meaning you can use either a straight-through or a crossover Ethernet cable to connect it to your switch.

20. Why did LILYGO remove the USB port? Removing the USB-to-Serial chip and port saves physical space on the PCB and reduces the overall cost and power consumption for permanent, embedded deployments where USB access is rarely needed after the initial firmware flash.