Crowdfunding Page History

This page is an archive of the original crowdfunding campaign for this project. It may not be up-to-date with the latest updates and product availability.
Return to the current project page.

Silicognition LLC
Power Management
Feather

PoE FeatherWing

Ethernet FeatherWing with 4 W of PoE power and globally unique MAC

$9,296 raised

of $4,000 goal

232% Funded! Order Below

Funding ended on Aug 20, 2020 at 04:59 PM PDT.

Recent Updates

You'll be notified about news and stock updates for this project.

Adafruit provides an Ethernet FeatherWing peripheral board for its popular Feather ecosystem of development boards—a valuable option for IoT and automation projects. But it has its limitations. The Feather still needs to be powered separately, and no built-in globally unique MAC address is provided for the user, making deployment hard.

What if we could fix these issues? What if there was a drop-in replacement that would not only provide Ethernet, but also power your Feather, and give you a globally unique MAC? And still be 100% compatible in size, connections and software support? Enter the PoE-FeatherWing!

Features

Simple Ethernet + Power for Your Feather Projects!

Arduino and CircuitPython example code is available on GitHub. This code includes examples like Arduino "Web Client Repeating", which allows you to make repeated HTTP requests using DNS, as well as others.

Ethernet FeatherWing running Arduino demo code

Specifications Compared

PoE FeatherWingAdafruit Ethernet FeatherWingwESP32
ManufacturerSilicognition LLCAdafruit IndustriesSilicognition LLC
Ethernet systemWIZnet W5500WIZnet W5500LAN8720A + ESP32
Ethernet throughput~13 Mbps~13 Mbps~90 Mbps
Ethernet MACGlobally unique - provided by 24AA02E48Manually appliedProvided by ESP32
PoE power4 W0 W13 W
Output voltage4~5 V0 V12 V or 5 V + 3.3 V
Form factorFeatherWingFeatherWingCustom
PCB size55.9 x 22.9 mm55.9 x 22.9 mm75 x 40 mm
CPUFlexible, off-boardFlexible, off-boardESP32, on-board
Price$29 (shipping included)$19.95 (shipping not included)$55

Early Bird Rev 2 Board

Testing of the initial 100 units showed a few small things that could use improvement. Most users would never notice a difference in normal use, so we are offering 100 early bird boards at a discount price, and they will ship shortly after the campaign ends.

Here is an explanation of the small differences in the early bird boards:

Rev 2 UnitsRev 3 Units
Minimum voltage under load4 V4.3 V
TransformerLink-PP with higher EMIHanrun with lower EMI
Max output power*3 W4 W

*A USB-powered Feather only supports 2.5 W, so both 3 W and 4 W are just fine.

Manufacturing Plan

I have again partnered with my trusted manufacturing partner KingTop Technology to produce these boards. We have received an initial run of 100 pieces, which have been used for testing and validating the design, and development of a test fixture. The fixture is on its way to KingTop, and they will use it to produce and test another 900 pieces to support the campaign.

Project development logs can be found at the Hackaday.io project page.

Fulfillment & Logistics

As in my previous campaigns, I will use Crowd Supply as my fulfillment service for this campaign as well. Details on Crowd Supply fulfillment can be found in their guide page on ordering, paying, and shipping.

Risks and Challenges

Most risks and challenges have already been dealt with prior to the launch of the campaign. The biggest risk was getting a PoE design to work in such a small footprint, and the design has already been proven. Another risk is component lead times, but KingTop already has all components in their possession. KingTop themselves are also pre-vetted, as they’ve manufactured several other Silicognition LLC products. The only remaining risk is shipping and import issues due to pointless trade wars started by people who have nothing better to do than stroke their egos. Should any issues arise that would set back the shipping date, backers will be informed through project updates.

In the Press

Clive Maxfield High-Tech Consulting

"Well, I for one am very impressed. It always amazes me when someone like Patrick looks at something like an Ethernet FeatherWing and says to themselves, “Hmm, not bad, but I can do better.”"


Produced by Silicognition LLC in Longmont, Colorado.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

Early Bird PoE Featherwing

Rev 2 board with minimal technical differences versus main production Rev 3. These boards will ship shortly after the campaign ends. Headers are included, but not soldered.

$25 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

PoE FeatherWing

A FeatherWing that provides Ethernet, up to 4 W of power, and a globally unique MAC to your Feather. Headers are included, but not soldered.

$29 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

5-pack of PoE Featherwings

Five production PoE FeatherWings. Headers are included, but not soldered.

$135 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

10-Pack of PoE Featherwings

Ten production PoE FeatherWings. Headers are included, but not soldered.

$249 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.

About the Team

Silicognition LLC

 · 

Silicognition LLC is an electronic design services company that focuses on deeply embedded, IoT and low power systems.

Patrick Van Oosterwijck
 xorbit

See Also

Subscribe to the Crowd Supply newsletter, highlighting the latest creators and projects