CAN2BLDC Family

In our work with present customers, we struggled to identify a generic motor drive which could operate across a wide variety of input voltages, and which could be controlled as a slave unit over, for example, a CAN bus.

So we designed one.

We knew we had developed a stable software base for field-oriented motor control algorithms based on the STM32F722 MCU, and that was the natural choice for this new controller.

Our problem was that we knew the 722 is not qualified for use in automotive applications - so we needed a suitable alternative.

So we found one.

We received the controllers in June 2019, and immediately placed two of them controlling opposing motors back-to-back on our test rig.

This setup allows us to load one motor against the other - this relatively small fixture provides us with a full recommended load test. 

We're pleased to report all was well. We've developed a complete set of low-level software to support the other I/O. Pre-determined CAN frames give the user full control of the BLDC drive and access to the status of the other control unit I/O - speeds, voltages, frequencies - everything.

We support datalogging and calibration via the XCP protocol. We use commerically-available development tools to directly connect with the unit when it is running executable code.

Software upgrades are possible over USB by using the bootloader code resident in all STM32 devices.

If you're interested in the unit - talk to us!

Can you spot the difference?

We chose the NXP S32K144 MCU for the automotive version, kept the analogue and digital I/O the same and took advantage of the CAN bus gateway capability of the K144.

We added a gate driver with enhanced diagnostics over SPI. An added bonus is that one of the CAN peripherals on this device supports CAN-FD.

Aside from that - all the critical components are the same and in the identical locations. The same enclosure therefore fits both versions of the controller.

We received the controllers in July 2019. There are some limitations to the core motor control algorithms compared to the STMF722 version of the code owing to the lower core performance of the NXP device - however - the board does function.

We've developed a complete set of low-level software to support the other I/O. Just like the STMF722 version, pre-determined CAN frames give the user control of the drive and access to the other I/O.

We have enhanced routines to make use of the CAN gateway capability that this unit has. 

We support datalogging, calibration and re-programming via the XCP protocol. We use commerically-available development tools to directly connect with the unit when it is running executable code.

For our chosen use case for the unit, when evaluated as a safety-element out-of-context we consider this unit in isolation to be suitable in systems rated at ASIL-B.

With other appropriate external components in the system, this unit can participate in systems requiring higher safety-criticality.

If you're interested in the unit - talk to us!