Example - H-Bridge

Hardware Assembly

Users should already have followed the instructions from the component assembly and example setups sections to setup their hardware for this example.

A graphical representation of the connections between the RedBoard Plus and a breadboard with the TMC6300 motor driver attached.

RedBoard Plus to TMC6300

Connect the following pins from the RedBoard Plus to the TMC6300.

RedBoard	`3`	`5`	`6`	`9`	`10`	`11`	`12`	`GND`
Motor Driver	`UL`	`WL`	`WH`	`VL`	`VH`	`UH`	`VIO`	`GND`

Connecting the DC Motor

If this was a H-bridge motor driver, the connections to the motor wouldn't matter. However, as there are three half-bridges, users will need to note which half-bridges the DC motor is connected to. These connections will dictate how the motor is driven by the software. For the example, connect the motor to the V and W output channels of the TMC6300 motor driver.

Powering the TMC6300

If users are unable to find a suitable power source, we have found that the 5V power output from the RedBoard Plus is sufficient to drive the gimbal motor, under a no load condition at low speeds.

RedBoard	`5V`	`GND`
Motor Driver	`VIN`	`GND`

Example Code

After installing and setting up the Arduino IDE and the Simple FOC Arduino library, users will need to upload the following example code to the RedBoard Plus. This code can be copied or downloaded below:

Download DC.ino Example Code

Example Code

DC.ino

    // BLDC driver standalone example
    #include <SimpleFOC.h>

    // BLDC driver instance
    BLDCDriver6PWM driver = BLDCDriver6PWM(5, 6, 9,10, 3, 11);

    void setup() {

      // pwm frequency to be used [Hz]
      // for atmega328 fixed to 32kHz
      // esp32/stm32/teensy configurable
      driver.pwm_frequency = 32000;
      // power supply voltage [V]
      driver.voltage_power_supply = 5;
      // Max DC voltage allowed - default voltage_power_supply
      driver.voltage_limit = 5;
      // daad_zone [0,1] - default 0.02f - 2%
      driver.dead_zone = 0.05f;

      // driver init
      driver.init();

      // enable driver
      driver.enable();

      _delay(1000);
    }

    void loop() {
        driver.setPwm(5,0,0);
        _delay(1000);

        driver.setPwm(0,5,0);
        _delay(1000);
    }

Running the Motor

Be default, the motor should spin automatically. However, if users wish to control the motor, they can modify lines 30 and 33 of code and reprogram the RedBoard Plus. These lines control the high and low-side MOSFETS of the H-bridge directly through pins 5, 6, 9, and 10.

Code Changes Highlighted

MOdify the following lines of code (30 and 33):

DC.ino

    // BLDC driver standalone example
    #include <SimpleFOC.h>

    // BLDC driver instance
    BLDCDriver6PWM driver = BLDCDriver6PWM(5, 6, 9,10, 3, 11);

    void setup() {

      // pwm frequency to be used [Hz]
      // for atmega328 fixed to 32kHz
      // esp32/stm32/teensy configurable
      driver.pwm_frequency = 32000;
      // power supply voltage [V]
      driver.voltage_power_supply = 5;
      // Max DC voltage allowed - default voltage_power_supply
      driver.voltage_limit = 5;
      // daad_zone [0,1] - default 0.02f - 2%
      driver.dead_zone = 0.05f;

      // driver init
      driver.init();

      // enable driver
      driver.enable();

      _delay(1000);
    }

    void loop() {
        driver.setPwm(5,0,0);
        _delay(1000);

        driver.setPwm(0,5,0);
        _delay(1000);
    }

The PWM voltage value driver.setPwm(voltage_value,0,0) affects the speed of the motor.
The position of this value inr elation to the PWM drive channel driver.setPwm(channel_v,channel_w,0) affects the direction.

Tip

Users may also be interested in the SimpleDC Motor library to drive DC motors with the Simple FOC Arduino library.