Electrical Designer: Kenny Na
Description
BLDC motor controller compatible with 3S systems. Will initially be standalone, connecting to 12V -> 5V @ 4A Buck Converter + ELRS Board externally and then later physically integrated into another board revision for an all-in-one fixed wing solution.
Depending on the cost and performance of the board, it may be integrated elsewhere.
Documentation inspired by 12S ESC.
Requirements
Should be powered by a 3S (12V) battery input.
In the context of integrating with the ELRS board, an XT60 connector should be provided, and additional PWM input from a header pin should placed.
Must use the AM32 open-source firmware for motor control. (https://am32.ca)
This uses a sinusoidal algorithm to control the BLDC. (no FOC)
Has a strict MCU compatibility list (we would preferably use a smaller ST chip)
Components
Microcontroller Selection
Compatibility with AM32
AM32 provides a list of supported microcontrollers in their GitHub repository’s README file. Additionally, there is an MCU “target compatibility list” that can be found inside of the code.
Comparison Table
Microcontroller | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Name | STSPIN32F0 | STM32L431 | STM32F051 |
Price/unit | $4.34 | $5.20 | $5.59 |
Pros | Integrated MCU with STM32F031, DC-DC, LDO, and gate driver for BLDC applications. Price can’t really be compared to other options. Physical design would be very compact since gate driver is integrated. | Previous ESC design from WARG, might be overkill | |
Cons |