Description
Overview
The CH390H is an industrial-grade 10/100 Mbps Ethernet controller from WCH, integrating both an Ethernet MAC and PHY in a single IC. It provides an SPI host interface, allowing microcontrollers and embedded processors to add wired Ethernet connectivity with a compact external circuit.
The device supports 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX, automatic negotiation, Auto-MDIX, IEEE 802.3x flow control, and includes 16 KB of internal SRAM. The CH390H is particularly suitable for embedded Ethernet applications where a compact, SPI-connected Ethernet controller is required.
Key Features
- Integrated 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC + PHY
- SPI host interface
- SPI clock up to 72 MHz
- Supports 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX
- Auto-negotiation
- Auto-MDIX
- Integrated 16 KB SRAM
- Built-in unique Ethernet MAC address
- No external EEPROM required for the factory MAC address
- Supports IEEE 802.3x flow control
- Supports IPv4/IPv6 TCP/UDP checksum generation and checking
- Low-power Ethernet transceiver
- Built-in 50 Ω impedance matching resistor
- Integrated capacitors required for the crystal oscillator
- Flexible I/O voltage through dedicated VDDIO
- Compact QFN32 5 × 5 mm package
Technical Specifications
| Parameter |
Specification |
| Part Number |
CH390H |
| Manufacturer |
WCH (Nanjing Qinheng Microelectronics) |
| Device Type |
Ethernet Controller |
| Ethernet Speed |
10/100 Mbps |
| Ethernet Standards |
10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX |
| MAC |
Integrated |
| PHY |
Integrated |
| Host Interface |
SPI |
| Maximum SPI Clock |
72 MHz |
| SPI Modes |
Mode 0 and Mode 3 |
| Internal SRAM |
16 KB |
| Ethernet MAC Address |
Built-in unique address |
| Auto-Negotiation |
Yes |
| Auto-MDIX |
Yes |
| Flow Control |
IEEE 802.3x |
| Supply Voltage |
3.3 V |
| I/O Voltage |
1.2–3.3 V |
| Package |
QFN32-EP (5 × 5 mm) |
| Mounting |
Surface Mount (SMD) |
The CH390H is specifically the SPI variant of the CH390 family; the CH390F uses an 8-bit parallel interface, while the CH390H and CH390D use SPI.
Ethernet Interface
The integrated PHY supports:
- 10BASE-T
- 100BASE-TX
- Auto-negotiation
- Auto-MDIX
- CAT5/CAT6 twisted-pair Ethernet cabling
- Up to 120 m transmission distance under the manufacturer’s specified conditions
Host Interface
The CH390H connects to the host MCU through SPI and supports:
- SPI Mode 0
- SPI Mode 3
- Up to 72 MHz SPI clock
- Flexible MCU/MPU/DSP connectivity
The dedicated VDDIO supply allows the SPI interface to operate with 1.2 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, or 3.3 V logic, while the chip’s main supply is 3.3 V.
Power & Programming
The CH390H is not a programmable microcontroller. It operates as an Ethernet peripheral controlled by an external MCU, MPU, or other host processor through SPI.
Typical architecture:
Suitable host platforms include:
- ESP32
- STM32
- Arduino-compatible MCUs
- Other SPI-capable microcontrollers
- Embedded processors
For example, Espressif provides a CH390H/D Ethernet driver for ESP-IDF.
Applications
- Embedded Ethernet interfaces
- ESP32 Ethernet expansion
- STM32 Ethernet connectivity
- Industrial controllers
- IoT gateways
- Network-enabled sensors
- Remote monitoring systems
- Automation equipment
- Robotics
- Data acquisition systems
- Ethernet-enabled development boards
- Custom embedded networking products
What’s Included
- 1 × WCH CH390H Ethernet Controller IC
- Package: QFN32-EP (5 × 5 mm)
Notes
- The CH390H integrates both the Ethernet MAC and PHY, so a separate external Ethernet PHY is not required.
- CH390H is an Ethernet controller/peripheral, not a standalone TCP/IP microcontroller. Network protocol handling is performed by the host system/software.
- The chip provides a built-in unique Ethernet MAC address, eliminating the need for an external EEPROM solely for MAC-address storage.
- The QFN32-EP package is 5 × 5 mm.
- WCH provides the official CH390 datasheet (CH390DS1) for detailed electrical characteristics, pin configuration, and reference circuitry
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