This repository contains the full Research and Development (R&D) cycle of a high-performance Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) designed for Three-Phase Brushless DC (BLDC) motors. Developed as a Senior Undergraduate Thesis in Electrical Engineering, this project bridges mathematical modeling, power electronics circuit design, and wireless embedded systems architecture.
⚠️ Project Status: Work in Progress (WIP) > The hardware design, power simulations, and mathematical modeling stages are complete. The project is currently transitioning into the embedded firmware development phase.
- Hardware & EDA: Altium Designer, EasyEDA
- Simulation & Modeling: LTspice, MATLAB/Simulink
- Target Architecture (Planned): C/C++, ESP32 Microcontroller, Bluetooth Core
- Documentation: LaTeX
├── Docs/ # LaTeX source files for the thesis monograph and academic documentation
├── Hardware/ # Altium Designer schematics, PCB layouts, Gerber files, and BOM
├── Simulation/ # MATLAB/Simulink plant models and LTspice power stage simulations
└── Firmware/ # (Planned) Embedded C++ source code for the ESP32 microcontroller
Before physical layout development, the BLDC motor dynamics and switching characteristics were modeled mathematically.
- Simulink Models: Used to evaluate back-EMF behavior, rotor position estimation, and control loop stability.
- Control Strategy: Theoretical foundations for vector control and electronic commutation routines were validated to ensure optimal torque and speed efficiency.
To prevent hardware failures during high-power switching events, critical sections of the circuit were simulated using LTspice.
- Transient analysis of power MOSFET switching characteristics.
- Validation of gate driver circuit performance and bootstrap capacitor sizing.
- Thermal and overcurrent protection threshold evaluation to ensure circuit robustness under power loading.
The physical hardware was developed with a focus on power density, thermal dissipation, and signal integrity.
- Schematic Capture: Rigorous component specification targeting high efficiency and low noise figures.
- PCB Layout: Advanced routing using Altium Designer, featuring optimized power paths to minimize parasitic inductance and separation between high-current power stages and low-voltage digital control signals.
- Fabrication: Initial prototyping layouts generated via CNC routing for rapid laboratory bench testing.
The next phase focuses on the execution of embedded firmware development and wireless hardware validation:
- Firmware Architecture Setup: Structuring the core C++ application using ESP-IDF/PlatformIO.
- Commutation Lobbies: Implementing hardware interrupts for precise phase switching based on sensor/sensorless feedback.
- IoT & Wireless Connectivity: Developing a Bluetooth communication layer for wireless remote control and real-time telemetry monitoring (speed, current, and temperature indexes).
- Laboratory Bench Testing: System debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and signal generators to validate torque response and telemetry accuracy under real load conditions.
If you have questions regarding the hardware architecture, LTspice simulation models, or embedded IoT design, feel free to reach out.