STM32 FOC Motor Control Consulting | PI Tuning & Gain Scheduling

What we do

We help you ship rock-solid Field-Oriented Control (FOC) on STM32—with expertly tuned PI/PID controllers and gain scheduling that keeps your drive stable and responsive across the whole operating range. Germany-based team, fast turnaround, and clear engineering deliverables.

Outcomes we target

  • Fast, repeatable start-up (incl. sensorless) and stable low-speed torque

  • Higher current-loop bandwidth with minimal overshoot and anti-windup

  • Lower torque ripple and acoustic noise; smoother commutation

  • Better efficiency & thermal margins under varying load and DC bus voltage

  • Clean PWM/ADC timing and ISR budgeting that actually meets hard real-time

Services

  • System Audit & Code Review – MCSDK/HAL/LL, interrupt structure, PWM/ADC/DMA alignment, safety paths.

  • Plant Identification – Rs, Ld/Lq estimation, inertia/friction, back-EMF constant; step/sweep tests & data logging.

  • PI/PID Tuning – dq current loop and speed loop tuning (Ziegler-Nichols, loop-shaping, IMC), anti-windup & saturation handling.

  • AI-Assisted Gain Scheduling – data-driven maps or lightweight regressors that adapt to speed/torque/bus voltage/temperature.

  • Sensorless FOC – SMO/PLL/MRAS observers, start-up ramps, low-speed strategies, stall detection & recovery.

  • Space-Vector PWM & Timing – SVM sectoring, center-aligned PWM, dead-time compensation, shunt/OpAmp gain sanity.

  • Safety & Protection – overcurrent/overvoltage/thermal, brown-out handling, fault classification, graceful fallback.

  • HIL/SIL & Bench Validation – scripted tests, compliance to acceptance criteria, correlation reports.

  • Knowledge Transfer – engineer training, handover docs, and maintainable parameter sets.

Deliverables you receive

  • Tuning Report (PDF): target specs, identification data, Bode/step results, chosen gains & margins.

  • Parameter Sets: base gains + scheduled profiles (CSV/headers) with activation logic.

  • Code Changes: patches or branches (CubeIDE/MCSDK) for control loops, timers, and observers.

  • Test Assets: scripts, log analyzers, acceptance test checklist.

  • Handover Session: 60–90 min walkthrough for your team.

Technical stack we work with

  • MCUs: STM32F0/F1/F3/F4/F7, G4, H7, U5

  • SDK/Tools: X-CUBE-MCSDK, STM32CubeIDE, CubeMX, HAL/LL, FreeRTOS

  • Motor/Drive: PMSM/IPMSM & BLDC, incremental encoder/Hall/sensorless

  • Observers: SMO, Luenberger, MRAS, PLL

  • Peripherals: TIM1/8 advanced timers, ADC1/2/3 injected sampling, DMA, OPAMP/COMP

  • Math/Modeling: MATLAB/Simulink or Python for identification & post-processing

How an engagement works

  1. Discovery (free intro, 30 min) – goals, constraints, hardware overview.

  2. Data & Access – repo/firmware snapshot, schematics, motor/inverter datasheets, target KPIs.

  3. Audit & Plan – risks, test plan, success criteria, timeline.

  4. Tuning & Scheduling – identification → loop tuning → gain maps; weekly check-ins.

  5. Validation & Handover – bench/HIL tests, documentation, code merge & training.

What we need from you (checklist)

  • Motor specs (P, Rs, Ld/Lq if known, Ke/Kt), inverter schematic, shunt/OpAmp gains

  • DC bus range, PWM frequency, ADC windows, current/voltage sensing topology

  • Target range: speed/torque, ramp rates, ambient/thermal limits

  • Encoder/Hall details (CPR/poles), or sensorless requirement

  • KPIs: e.g., <5 % overshoot, settling <50 ms, ripple ≤ X %, efficiency ≥ Y %

Packages (example structure—set your own prices)

  • Audit & Plan  – full system review, risks, and a tuning plan with acceptance tests.

  • Tuning Sprint  – identification, PI/PID tuning, initial gain scheduling, validation report.

  • Production Readiness – robustness, corner-case faults, documentation, and team training.
    (Positioning tip: use “transparent, cost-effective pricing” or a clear price-match policy instead of “cheapest”.)

Example use cases

  • E-bikes & scooters – quieter starts, hill-hold torque without cogging

  • Drones/robotics/AGV – low-speed precision & fast transients

  • Pumps/Compressors – efficiency across wide duty cycles & supply variation

  • Fans/HVAC – acoustic comfort, EMI-aware timing

FAQ

Do you support pure HAL/LL without MCSDK? Yes—clean minimal loops with HAL/LL are often easier to maintain.
Can you do sensorless from standstill? We design start-up strategies (alignment, injection, ramps) suitable for your mechanics.
Do you work remote or on-site? Remote by default; on-site in Germany/EU as needed.
What about functional safety? We implement protections and fault handling; if you need certified safety, we align with your process and standards.