W5500 Version Mismatched (TZ-2294)

[Clarktron]

Checklist

• Checked the issue tracker for similar issues to ensure this is not a duplicate
• Read the documentation to confirm the issue is not addressed there and your configuration is set correctly
• Tested with the latest version to ensure the issue hasn't been fixed

How often does this bug occurs?

always

Expected behavior

I expected the example project to work with the ethernet module attached

Actual behavior (suspected bug)

When connected to the dev board, I see: W5500 version mismatched, expected 0x04, got 0x0hx

Error logs or terminal output

ESP-ROM:esp32s3-20210327
Build:Mar 27 2021
rst:0xc (RTC_SW_CPU_RST),boot:0x8 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Saved PC:0x4037bcb5
SPIWP:0xee
mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fce2820,len:0x15c8
load:0x403c8700,len:0xce4
load:0x403cb700,len:0x2f40
entry 0x403c8920
I (24) boot: ESP-IDF v5.5.2 2nd stage bootloader
I (24) boot: compile time Jan 11 2026 11:42:57
I (24) boot: Multicore bootloader
I (24) boot: chip revision: v0.2
I (24) boot: efuse block revision: v1.3
I (25) boot.esp32s3: Boot SPI Speed : 80MHz
I (25) boot.esp32s3: SPI Mode       : DIO
I (25) boot.esp32s3: SPI Flash Size : 8MB
I (25) boot: Enabling RNG early entropy source...
I (25) boot: Partition Table:
I (26) boot: ## Label            Usage          Type ST Offset   Length
I (26) boot:  0 nvs              WiFi data        01 02 00009000 00006000
I (26) boot:  1 otadata          OTA data         01 00 0000f000 00002000
I (27) boot:  2 phy_init         RF data          01 01 00011000 00001000
I (27) boot:  3 ota_0            OTA app          00 10 00020000 00200000
I (27) boot:  4 ota_1            OTA app          00 11 00220000 00200000
I (28) boot:  5 web_storage      Unknown data     01 82 00420000 00032000
I (28) boot:  6 rcp_fw           Unknown data     01 82 00452000 000a0000
I (29) boot: End of partition table
I (29) esp_image: segment 0: paddr=00020020 vaddr=3c0e0020 size=4c6bch (313020) map
I (85) esp_image: segment 1: paddr=0006c6e4 vaddr=3fc95d00 size=03910h ( 14608) load
I (88) esp_image: segment 2: paddr=0006fffc vaddr=40374000 size=0001ch (    28) load
I (88) esp_image: segment 3: paddr=00070020 vaddr=42000020 size=d56c0h (874176) map
I (243) esp_image: segment 4: paddr=001456e8 vaddr=4037401c size=11c28h ( 72744) load
I (259) esp_image: segment 5: paddr=00157318 vaddr=50000000 size=00020h (    32) load
I (266) boot: Loaded app from partition at offset 0x20000
I (266) boot: Disabling RNG early entropy source...
I (267) cpu_start: Multicore app
I (276) cpu_start: Pro cpu start user code
I (276) cpu_start: cpu freq: 160000000 Hz
I (277) app_init: Application information:
I (277) app_init: Project name:     esp_ot_br
I (277) app_init: App version:      v1.3-2-g2339923
I (277) app_init: Compile time:     Jan 11 2026 11:42:47
I (277) app_init: ELF file SHA256:  b589a25ab...
I (277) app_init: ESP-IDF:          v5.5.2
I (277) efuse_init: Min chip rev:     v0.0
I (278) efuse_init: Max chip rev:     v0.99
I (278) efuse_init: Chip rev:         v0.2
I (278) heap_init: Initializing. RAM available for dynamic allocation:
I (278) heap_init: At 3FCA7298 len 00042478 (265 KiB): RAM
I (278) heap_init: At 3FCE9710 len 00005724 (21 KiB): RAM
I (279) heap_init: At 3FCF0000 len 00008000 (32 KiB): DRAM
I (279) heap_init: At 600FE000 len 00001FE8 (7 KiB): RTCRAM
I (280) spi_flash: detected chip: generic
I (280) spi_flash: flash io: dio
I (281) sleep_gpio: Configure to isolate all GPIO pins in sleep state
I (281) sleep_gpio: Enable automatic switching of GPIO sleep configuration
I (282) main_task: Started on CPU0
I (292) main_task: Calling app_main()
I (352) mdns_mem: mDNS task will be created from internal RAM

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I (432) RCP_UPDATE: RCP: using update sequence 0
esp32s3> I (432) OPENTHREAD: Host connection mode none
I (432) uart: ESP_INTR_FLAG_IRAM flag not set while CONFIG_UART_ISR_IN_IRAM is enabled, flag updated
I (432) OPENTHREAD: spinel UART interface initialization completed
I(442) OPENTHREAD:[I] P-SpinelDrive-: co-processor reset: RESET_POWER_ON
E(442) OPENTHREAD:[C] P-SpinelDrive-: Software reset co-processor successfully
I(482) OPENTHREAD:[I] CslTxScheduler: Set frame request ahead: 26605 usec
I(482) OPENTHREAD:[I] ChildSupervsn-: Timeout: 0 -> 190
I(502) OPENTHREAD:[I] Settings------: Read NetworkInfo {rloc:0xa800, extaddr:2a7d8bf8142e0a27, role:router, mode:0x0f, version:5, keyseq:0x0, ...
I(502) OPENTHREAD:[I] Settings------: ... pid:0x1aba6403, mlecntr:0x72a0, maccntr:0x986b, mliid:00f59034f337071d}
I (522) OPENTHREAD: OpenThread attached to netif
> I (522) ot_rcp_update: Running RCP Version: openthread-esp32/30aaf64524-36b14d3ef; esp32h2;  2026-01-10 18:02:08 UTC
I (522) ot_rcp_update: Internal RCP Version: openthread-esp32/30aaf64524-36b14d3ef; esp32h2;  2026-01-10 18:02:08 UTC
I (532) main_task: Returned from app_main()
E (632) w5500.mac: W5500 version mismatched, expected 0x04, got 0x0hx
E (632) w5500.mac: emac_w5500_init(883): verify chip ID failed
E (632) esp_eth: esp_eth_driver_install(250): init mac failed
ESP_ERROR_CHECK failed: esp_err_t 0x10a (ESP_ERR_INVALID_VERSION) at 0x4201b144
file: "/IDF/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/eth_connect.c" line 156
func: eth_start
expression: esp_eth_driver_install(&config, &s_eth_handle)

abort() was called at PC 0x4037bb1f on core 0


Backtrace: 0x4037bb61:0x3fcb41e0 0x4037bb29:0x3fcb4200 0x40383056:0x3fcb4220 0x4037bb1f:0x3fcb4290 0x4201b144:0x3fcb42c0 0x4201b2d1:0x3fcb4400 0x4201ad3f:0x3fcb4420




ELF file SHA256: b589a25ab

Rebooting...

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Followed the steps here https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-thread-br/en/latest/dev-guide/build_and_run.html

Performed a fullclean prior to building

My menuconfig options:
Under ESP Thread Border Router Example:

Option	Setting
Enable the automatic start mode in Thread Border Router	True
Enable the web server in Thread Border Router	True

Under Config for OpenThread Examples:

Option	Setting
Enable the automatic start mode of Thread network	True

Under Example Connection Configuration:

Option	Setting
connect using WiFi interface	False
connect using Ethernet interface	True
emac_rx task stack size	2048
Ethernet Type	W5500 Module
SPI Host Number	2
SPI SCLK GPIO Number	21
SPI MOSI GPIO Number	45
SPI MISO GPIO Number	38
SPI CS GPIO Number	41
SPI clock speed (MHz)	36
Interrupt GPIO number	39
PHY Reset GPIO number	40
PHY Address	1

Project release version

latest

System architecture

Intel/AMD 64-bit (modern PC, older Mac)

Operating system

Windows

Operating system version

Windows 10

Shell

CMD

Additional context

Previously I was getting a very similar error, specifically the same as these 2 other issues:
#117
espressif/esp-idf#13808
I had followed the resolution steps exactly but it did not fix the issue.

[tanyanquan]

Thanks @Clarktron for sending in this issue, we've tried to reproduce the error but we were unable to do so. To further diagnose the issue you've faced, could you make sure that the following lines exist in examples/basic_thread_border_router/sdkconfig which you are using?

CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_HOST=2
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_SCLK_GPIO=21
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_MOSI_GPIO=45
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_MISO_GPIO=38
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_CS_GPIO=41
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_CLOCK_MHZ=36
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_SPI_INT_GPIO=39
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_PHY_RST_GPIO=40
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_PHY_ADDR=1

It seems like the options under Example Connection Configuration may not have taken effect - instead of modifying it by hand via menuconfig could we suggest trying the following steps:

In addition to a fullclean, could you try using a fresh copy of the example, add the following lines to the end of examples/basic_thread_border_router/sdkconfig.defaults:

CONFIG_EXAMPLE_CONNECT_WIFI=n
CONFIG_EXAMPLE_CONNECT_ETHERNET=y
CONFIG_OPENTHREAD_BR_AUTO_START=y
CONFIG_OPENTHREAD_BR_START_WEB=y
CONFIG_OPENTHREAD_NETWORK_AUTO_START=y

Then run idf.py set-target esp32s3, followed by idf.py -p ${PORT_TO_BR} flash monitor without changing the options via menuconfig?

[Clarktron]

I did not see any CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ETH_* lines in examples/basic_thread_border_router/sdkconfig. After re-cloning github.com/espressif/esp-thread-br and adding those options to the end of sdkconfig.defaults, I can now see that the correct settings appear in examples/basic_thread_border_router/sdkconfig, however I was still getting the same issue (W5500 version mismatched).

After swapping out the Ethernet module to a second one I have, I no longer get the W5500 version mismatch error using the new Ethernet module. Perhaps the Ethernet module I was using became bricked somehow? How can I get the original Ethernet module to work again?

[tanyanquan]

Thanks for giving it a try - it does seem like something isn't right with your original Ethernet module. Could you check that the mode switches are all aligned to "OFF":

[Clarktron]

I can confirm that all three switches are (and have always been) in the off position

[tanyanquan]

If you've verified that the module has been attached correctly, but the original one does not work compared to the second one (without changing anything else), that unfortunately means that the original Ethernet module needs replacement.

[zwx1995esp]

Hi @Clarktron it seems the issue should be related to the HW of the Ethernet module. I will close this issue, but feel free to reopen if you encounter any issues.