SimpleFOC Boards
One of the goals of the SimpleFOCproject is to develop low-cost easy to use BLDC driver boards compatible with the SimpleFOClibraryand completely open source! Therefore, SimpleFOC team members have developed a set of boards, designed specifically for ease of use, to help you kickstart your FOC journey. In addition to being easy to use, the goal of these boards is serve as a reference design for the community to build upon. And finally, even though some of these boards are available in our shop, our docs provide a lot of documentation and step-by-step guides on how to fabricate the boards yourself.
The SimpleFOC board range includes Arduino-compatible shields, compact driver boards, and boards with an integrated microcontroller. The table below is a quick guide; follow the board links for full specifications, setup, and fabrication information.
| SimpleFOCShield | SimpleFOC DriveShield | SimpleFOCMini | SimpleFOC-microspora | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board |  |  |  |  |
| Format | Arduino shield | Arduino shield | Compact driver | Integrated controller |
| Key hardware | DRV8313, inline current sensing | DRV8320H, inline current sensing | DRV8316, three-phase low-side current sensing | STM32G431, DRV8316, MT6701 encoder, CAN |
| Intended use | Low-power FOC with an external MCU (R3 headers) | Higher-current applications with an external MCU (R3 headers) | Small BLDC or stepper setups with an external MCU | Compact standalone BLDC and stepper control |
| Find out more | Find out more | Find out more | Find out more |
Other compatible boards are listed in the supported hardware guide, and community designs can be found on the SimpleFOC forum.
Shield boards
These boards are designed to be compatible with the Arduino UNO R3 headers, enabling an easy to start experience with the SimpleFOClibrary and the Arduino IDE. The boards can be used with any board with the standard Arduino headers, such as the Arduino MEGA, STM32 Nucleo boards, Adafruit Metro, ESP32 D1 R3, Arudino UNO R4 and many others. This format enables user to easily exchange the microcontrollers and find the best solution for their application. The boards are fully open-source and the fabrication files are available in the respective repositories, as well as detailed guides on how to fabricate the boards yourself.
| Feature | SimpleFOCShield v3.2 | SimpleFOC DriveShield v1.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Board | | |
| Motor driver | DRV8313 | DRV8320H gate driver with BSZ0904NSI MOSFETs |
| Current sensing | ACS712 inline sensor; ±5A measurement range | INA240 inline sensor; ±40A measurement range |
| Maximum current | 2A continuous; 3A peak | 20A continuous; 30A peak measured |
| Maximum input voltage | 35V | 30V |
| Onboard regulator | 8V regulator | 8V regulator (v1.8+) |
| Stackable | Yes | Yes |
| Encoder/Hall pullups | 3.3kΩ, configurable | 3.3kΩ, configurable |
| I2C pullups | 4.7kΩ, configurable | 4.7kΩ, configurable |
| Configurable pinout | Soldering pads | Soldering pads |
| Arduino headers | UNO, MEGA, STM32 Nucleo, and compatible boards | UNO, MEGA, STM32 Nucleo, and compatible boards |
| Additional connectors | - | STEMMA QT and SPI |
| Board size | 56 x 53 mm | 56 x 53 mm |
| Open-Source | GitHub | GitHub and fabrication files |
| Available: | - | Makerfabs |
For currents above 15A, the DriveShield may need a heatsink or thicker PCB copper. See its thermal measurements.
Read more about SimpleFOC Shield board
Mini boards
This is a set of miniature boards designed to be small, low-cost, and easy to use. They are intended for low power applications and are designed to be compatible with the SimpleFOClibrary. The boards are created as minimal working examples and are intended to be used as a reference design for the community to build upon. The boards are fully open-source and the fabrication files are available in the respective repositories, as well as detailed guides on how to fabricate the boards yourself.
SimpleFOCMini v2.3 - Find out more
Compact BLDC driver board fully compatible with the SimpleFOClibrary. Version 2 redesigned the board around the DRV8316 and added current and supply-voltage sensing while retaining the v1.1 PWM and enable pinout.
Features
- Plug & play: In combination with Arduino SimpleFOClibrary
- DRV8316 based - datasheet
- Power supply: 5-35V
- Max current: 8A
- 3-PWM mode
- Sensing: Three-phase low-side current sensing and supply-voltage sensing
- 3.3V LDO: Onboard, up to 20mA output
- Small size: 24x25 mm
- Fully open-source:
- Available from: Makerfabs
Additional Mini board: SimpleFOC StepMini v1.0 - See on GitHub
Small package, low-cost Stepper driver board fully compatible with the SimpleFOClibrary
Features
- Plug & play: In combination with Arduino SimpleFOClibrary
- DRV8844 based - datasheet
- Power supply: 8-35V
- Max current: 2.5A per phase
- Onboard 3.3V LDO
- up to 10mA
- Can power a sensor like AS5600 or CUI AMT102
- Small size: 26x21 mm
- Fully open-source:
- EasyEDA link
- Project and fabrication files: Github
- Low-cost:
- JLCPCB production cost ~3-5€
- Will be available in the shop 10-15€
Integrated controller boards
SimpleFOC-microspora v1.7 - Find out more
SimpleFOC-microspora combines a motor driver and microcontroller on one compact board. It is designed for low-power BLDC and stepper projects that benefit from an integrated controller, onboard magnetic encoder, and CAN connectivity.
- MCU: STM32G431CBU6
- Motor driver: DRV8316, 5-35V supply, up to 8A
- Sensing: MT6701 magnetic encoder, three-phase current sensing, and supply-voltage sensing
- Connectivity: CAN daisy-chain connectors, SPI, and a multi-purpose I2C/encoder/GPIO connector
- Size: 33 x 34 mm
- Open hardware: EasyEDA project
- Firmware and examples: SimpleFOC Microspora firmware
- Availability: Makerfabs
Read more about the Microspora board