EasyController3
Update Feb 23, 2024 - The EasyController 3.2 has been released, which has been more thoroughly tested than the 3.0. Further tutorial videos and build guides are coming!
The EasyController3 is the next evolution of the successful EasyController2. The new version is cheaper, more efficient, and uses well-stocked components.
Improvements over the EasyController2
- Reduced BOM cost from $70 to $43
- Uses more efficient synchronous PWM. Greater efficiency under partial throttle operation
- Improved from duty-cycle control to torque-control, improving controllability and reducing current spikes
- Added regenerative braking
- Lowered quiescent power from 960 mW to 280 mW in a typical installation
- Based on Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller
- Uses more widely available surface-mount components
Getting Started
For a comprehensive guide on how to build your own EasyController, please see the getting started guide.
Background
The EasyController3 is a a simple brushless (BLDC) sensored motor controller (also known as an ESC, motor inverter, or motor drive). It is intended to power vehicles such as electric bikes, skateboards, or Eco-Marathon vehicles in the 50-1000 watt range. It is designed for hobbyists to assemble at home.
The EasyController family was built to to fill a gap in publicly released motor controller designs. It is designed to be simple yet still highly functional. It deliberately omits more complex features such as sensorless or field-oriented control, however these features can be added with modification. This project is meant as a learning tool and a foundation to potentially build more complex designs from.
Specifications
- 8v-60v operation
- 20A continuous current, 40A burst (more with heatsinking)
- Large surface mount components designed to be hand-soldered by hobbyists
- Socket for automotive fuse
- Automatic hall sensor identification
- Simple, well-documented code. <400 lines with comments
- Torque or duty-cycle control
- Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, compatible with Windows/Mac/Linux
- DGD2304 gate drivers
- IRFB7730 MOSFETS
- BOM cost of $43 USD
- Open source under MIT License
Schematic
Board
Software Used
- PCB layout: Eagle
- Compiler: RP2040 C SDK (see chapter 9)
Other Related Controller Designs
There are several other open-source motor controller designs worth mentioning:
- The VESC is a highly capable design, and is well suited for vehicle applications. However, due to the complexity and poorly written code, it is difficult to modify.
- The Simple FOC project is an open-source library for FOC commutation. However, due to the hardware-agnostic code, it is low-performance and suited for gimbal motors, not vehicle applications.
- The ODrive is a modular controller built for robotics applications. However, the hardware is closed-source.
The EasyController3 is most suitable for people who want to design, build, and understand their own motor controller. If you'd just like to purchase something off-the-shelf, we recommend the VESC, which is around $100 USD.
Contact Us
This controller was designed by Patrick Grady, formerly with Duke Electric Vehicles. If you have a question that other users may also have, please open a GitHub issue. Alternatively, the best way to reach me is by email, at (first name).(last name)@outlook.com.