Data Sheet

iEthernet

W5200

5.2.4 MACRAW

The MACRAW communication is based on Ethernet MAC, and it can flexibly use upper

layer protocol to suit the host’s needs.

The MACRAW mode can only be used with a SOCKET. If the user uses the SOCKET in

MACRAW mode, not only can it use the SOCKET1~7 in the ‘Hardwired TCP/IP stack’,

but it can also be used as a NIC (Network Interface Controller). Therefore, any

SOCKET1~7 can be used with ‘Software TCP/IP stack’. Since the W5200 supports

‘Hardwired TCP/IP stack’ and ‘Software TCP/IP stack’, it calls ‘Hybrid TCP/IP stack’. If

user wants more SOCKETs beyond the supported 8 SOCKETS, the SOCKET in which the

user wants high performance should be utilizing the ‘‘Hardwired TCP/IP stack’, and

the others should be using ‘Software TCP/IP stack’ by MACRAW mode. So it overcomes

the limited capacity of 8 SOCKETS. The SOCKET of MACRAW mode can process all

protocols except using in SOCKET1~7. Since the MACRAW communication is pure

Ethernet packet communication (there is no other processing), the MACRAW designer

should use the ‘Software TCP/IP stack’ to process the protocol. The MACRAW data

should basically contain the 6bytes of ‘Source hardware address’, 6bytes of

‘destination hardware address’ and 2bytes of ‘Ethernet type’ because it is based on

Ethernet MAC.

Figure 16 MACRAW Operation Flow