ProjectEureka seeks to streamline the intricate design of robot systems, including communication, cable arrangements, and synchronization, by integrating several motor drivers (up to four) with a single microcontroller (DSP2837xD). This can also be utilized as a testing platform for bearingless motor or any other kind of AC motors. For access to example codes, please visit the following link: here for cpu01 code, and here for cpu02 code. Displayed below is an image representing the previous version.
We have been shifting from Altium Designer to KiCAD.
Multi-board modulized design is adopted in Project Eureka!. Project Eureka! includes:
- Current sensor(LA55-P) 📂 PCBProject_SensorLEM
- DAC data collect board(MAX5725)📂PCBProject_SPI_MAX5307_DAC
- RS422/RS423 communication board 📂PCBProject_Encoder
- Inverters (FNC42060F) 📂PCBProject_InverterFNC42060F
- Auxiliary power supply 📂PCBProject_Power
- Mother board that connected all the boards above 📂PCBProject_Extension28377dBGA
- CAN/SCI/USB communication board📂PCBProject_Can_SCI_USB
- RS485 communication board 📂PCBProject_Happy485
This means:
- Convenient alternative for replacing one's own projects or addressing shortages of components.
- Utilize a single board design in their own design.
- Quick update and easy for collaboration (KiCAD 8 supports git now).
ProjectEureka can drive at most four AC motors. Thanks to the TMS320F28377D from TI, ProjectEureka can drive at most four AC motors by adding necessary inverter blocks and corresponding current sensors, which means:
- Facilitates communication and synchronization among motors.
- Suitable for organizing cables in a user-friendly manner.
GPLv3
Odrive and VESC are two famous projects that support the control of a three-phase motor. There are inverter designs that are compatible with them, see e.g., Axiom. Other similar but less known hardwares can also be found, see e.g., moteus-c1.
ProjectEureka! is, however, focusing on the more advanced topic of a complicated system that requires extendable hardwares. In this sense, there is indeed one similar purpose project that is based on Xilinx, i.e., the AMDC platform from the group of Prof. Eric L. Severson. See also its doc and its blog post.
As a comparison, ProjectEureka! currently only supports 28379D that has one CLB module of a very limited FPGA capability.