/G431-Servo

BLDC Servo controller based on B-G431B-ESC1 board

Primary LanguageCMIT LicenseMIT

Development repository for Smart Brushless Servo

PID/FOC Custom Firmware for B-G431B-ESC1 board.

Follow us on Hackaday.io : https://hackaday.io/project/177578-b-g431b-esc-brushless-servo-controller

Characteristics

  • 16KHz motor PWM
  • Open-loop and closed-loop FOC algorithm (16KHz)
  • FOC with CSVPWM algorithm
  • FOC with Field-Weakening (work in progress)
  • Torque and Flux control (P only), with current limiter
  • Position control with min/max position limiter (4KHz)
  • Velocity control with max velocity limiter (4KHz)
  • Torque and Flux feed-forward
  • Auto-calibration of electrical angle and motor rotation
  • USB control interface : dynamixel like protocol allowing full-access to control (RAM) and configuration (EERPOM)
  • CAN control interface : variable-size control frames (RX) and feedback frames (TX), with fail-safe on bus time-out
  • Power supply voltage monitoring, with min/max operating voltage (user configurable)
  • Position sensor monitoring, with fail-safe on system error and bus time-out
  • Temperature monitoring, with fail-safe on maximum temprature (user configurable)
  • GUI Tool for configuration and test

1. Hardware (commercial off the shelf)

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Product page : https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/b-g431b-esc1.html

Cost: approx. 18$ per unit.

2. Wiring

As mentioned in the user manual, the B-G431B-ESC1 Discovery kit is equipped with a USB connector and different pads for communication, such as:

  • U4 USB port for programming and debugging
  • J1 for CAN port
  • J2 for SWD-STM32F103 (reserved)
  • J3 for PWM/UART/BECout input/output signal
  • J4 for SWD-STM32G431 debug/programming port (without daughterboard)
  • J5/J6 for Lipo battery (30V or 6S max)
  • J7 for motor
  • J8 for motor sensor (Hall or encoder)

alt text

The USB interface is provided on the daughterboard and it allows to program and debug the main board. It provides also the supply voltage to the STM32G431CB MCU in case of no voltage on the bus (J5 and J6 not connected to the LiPo battery).

For proper operation of the FOC firmware, the J1, J5, J6, J7, an J8 solder pads should be connected. The J2, J3, J4 solder pads may be left unconnected.

For J8, the firmware accept two types of position sensor :

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3. Uploading firmware

A full erase of the Chip is strongly recommended, to insure proper initialisation of the default configuration (the last Flash page stores PID/FOC configuration).

The release configuration of the PID/FOC firmware should be built with CubeIDE, and then uploaded using the USB port of the board.

A hard-coded setting must be adjusted by user, according its hardware configuration :

At lines 40+ of main.c,

// Position sensor type :
//    "AS5600_I2C"
//    "AS5048A_PWM"
#define SENSOR_TYPE AS5048A_PWM

4. Local user interface

4.1. Red STATUS LED

The Red STATUS LED is normally OFF.

When an hardware error occurs, the LED is ON.

User may set the LED ON through USB interface.

4.2. Button

A short press on the button starts the calibration sequence. It last a few seconds and the motor turns slowly. Rotor should be free to get a good calibration.

Notice : The number of pole pairs should be configured before starting the calibration sequence. User may set the pole pairs by connecting the ESC to a computer through USB and running the GUI tool.

5. CAN protocol

The controller accepts CAN frame identifier = 000h + its own ID (user configurable ID).

The controler repies with CAN frame identifier = 010h + its own ID (user configurable ID).

5.1. Control frame formats

At start-up (power-on reset), the controller is in IDLE state (motor brake). The position and velocity set-points, the current feed-forward and the Kp and Kd are reset (=0).

In order to arm the controller, a full control frame with a 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF payload should be sent. The velocity set-point, the current feed-forward and the Kp and Kd are reset (=0). The position set-point is set to the present rotor position.

To disarm the controller, a full control frame with a 0x000000000000000 payload should be send. The position and velocity set-points, the current feed-forward and the Kp and Kd are reset (=0).

The controller disarms it-self automatically, when a CAN bus time-out occur (no control frame received for one second). The position and velocity set-points, the current feed-forward and the Kp and Kd are reset (=0).

For 16-bit fields, low byte first position, high byte second position.

5.1.1. Full control frame

A full control frame has a 64-bit payload.

Field Length Value
Position 16b Position set-point in 1/10 degrees
Velocity 16b Velocity set-point in degrees per second
Torque 16b Torque current feed-forward in mA
Kp 8b Position control
Kd 8b Velocity control

Warning : A high value of Kp or Kd may damage the actuator.

5.1.2. Shortened control frames

A 48-bit control frame contains :

Field Length Value
Position 16b Position set-point in 1/10 degrees
Velocity 16b Velocity set-point in degrees per second
Kp 8b Position control
Kd 8b Velocity control

A 32-bit control frame contains :

Field Length Value
Position 16b Position set-point in 1/10 degrees
Velocity 16b Velocity set-point in degrees per second

A 16-bit control frame contains :

Field Length Value
Torque 16b Torque current feed-forward in mA

5.2. Feedback frame formats

A 32-bit feedback frame contains :

Field Length Value
Position 16b Present position in 1/10 degrees
Torque 16b Present torque current in mA