Applications and Implications
Individual assignment:
- Plan a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered, answering:
- What will it do?
- Who's done what beforehand?
- What sources will you use?
- What will you design?
- What materials and components will be used?
- Where will come from?
- How much will they cost?
- What parts and systems will be made?
- What processes will be used?
- What questions need to be answered?
- How will it be evaluated?
This assignment covers the selection of the masterpiece on the project which is E-bike motor controller. Below is the detailed project breakdown for motor controller PCB masterpiece that aligns with the required units and showcases your full technical competency.
E-Bike motor controllerMotor Controller PCB for Final Project Masterpiece
What Will It Do?
- Throttle-controlled motor speed
- Overcurrent protection
- Soft start and regenerative braking
- Real-time monitoring via LCD
- 5V output to power microcontroller
- Bafang, Kelly, and VESC offer commercial motor controllers.
- Open-source projects like VESC and SimpleFOC provide firmware and hardware design examples.
- Makers on GitHub and YouTube have built brushed/BLDC motor drivers with Arduino and STM32.
- Datasheets: NE555G, 2SC5200, LM7805, etc.
- KiCad documentation for PCB design
- IEEE papers and YouTube for gate driver design, current control
- VESC firmware, open-source controller schematics, Elcircuits
- Fab Academy tutorials on electronics production, 3D modeling
- Custom 1-layer motor controller PCB
- 3D-printed or CNC-cut motor mount and battery enclosure
- Microcontroller circuit for monitoring and connecting sensors
- Monitoring display box
| Component | Type | Source | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Transistor | 2SC5200 | Digikey | |
| Voltage Regulator IC | LM7805 | Digikey | |
| Volatage and temperature Sensors | 24V | Digikey | |
| Microcontroller | ESP32C3 | Digikey | |
| Capacitors | Bulk X 9 | Digikey | |
| Resistors/Diodes | Assorted pack | Digikey | |
| PCB | Custom fab (1-layer, F4 copper) | Online | |
| Heat Sink | Aluminum | online | |
| Battery | 3.7V X 12 Li-ion | Online | |
| LCD Display | 16x2 I2C / OLE | Online | |
| Motor | 24V, 20A, 300rpm | Online | |
| Throttle | 5V output signal | Online |
- Custom PCB (motor driver, microcontroller pcb)
- Software (monitoring, sensor feedback)
- Enclosure (3D printed or CNC-milled)
- Motor mount
| Unit | Process Used |
|---|---|
| 2D/3D Design | Enclosure and mount in SolidWorks |
| Additive Fabrication | 3D printing for enclosures |
| Subtractive Fabrication | CNC milling for metal sheet mount |
| Electronics Design | KiCad schematic + PCB layout |
| Production | PCB milling |
| Embedded Programming | C++ with Arduino IDE (ESP32C3) |
| Interfacing | Throttle, sensors, LCD |
| System Integration | Full wiring and mechanical assembly |
- Will it use PWM for motor speed control?
- Will it support both brushed and BLDC motors?
- Can the microcontroller handle real-time monitoring and control?
- What kind of failsafe and recovery strategy will be implemented?
| Evaluation Metric | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Functional Testing | Smooth throttle control, no overheating |
| Safety | Current limits enforced |
| Design Integration | Clean, compact layout; 3D-printed case |
| Embedded Logic | Sensor response, overvoltage/overtemp logic |
| Aesthetics and Packaging | Finished housing and mounted connectors |
| Documentation | Full BOM, schematics, code, photos, videos |
The following files are included as part of the project: