Low-side current sense FOC

Hello,

I am trying to implement a code that would run my BLDC motor using Low-side current sensing only. However, it seems like the FOC functions do not work unless I am using a sensor (hall effect / magnetic / encoder). Does anyone know if there is a way around this?

This is the code I have right now, it runs when I uncomment the hall effect sensors code but if I remove that and try to only use Low-side current sensing it prints the following.

Code:

#include <SimpleFOC.h>

unsigned long startMillis; //some global variables available anywhere in the program
unsigned long currentMillis;
const unsigned long period = 2000; //the value is a number of milliseconds

#define CSA 22
#define CSB 14
#define CSC 15

// BLDC motor & driver instance
BLDCMotor motor = BLDCMotor(11);
BLDCDriver6PWM driver = BLDCDriver6PWM(6, 9, 2, 3, 8, 7, 17);

// HallSensor sensor = HallSensor(23, 21, 20, 11);
// Interrupt routine intialisation
// channel A and B callbacks
// void doA(){sensor.handleA();}
// void doB(){sensor.handleB();}
// void doC(){sensor.handleC();}
// If no available hadware interrupt pins use the software interrupt
// PciListenerImp listenC(sensor.pinC, doC);

// instantiate the commander
Commander command = Commander(Serial);
void doTarget(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.target, cmd); }
void d_P(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_d.P, cmd); }
void d_I(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_d.I, cmd); }
void d_D(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_d.D, cmd); }
void q_P(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_q.P, cmd); }
void q_I(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_q.I, cmd); }
void q_D(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.PID_current_q.D, cmd); }
void q_F(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.LPF_current_q.Tf, cmd); }
void d_F(char* cmd) { command.scalar(&motor.LPF_current_d.Tf, cmd); }

// current sensor
// shunt resistor value
// gain value
// pins phase A,B, (C optional)
// InlineCurrentSense current_sense = InlineCurrentSense(0.0001f, 20.0f, CSA, CSB, CSC);

LowsideCurrentSense current_sense = LowsideCurrentSense(0.2f, 20, CSA, CSB, CSC);

// PhaseCurrent_s readCurrentSense(){
// PhaseCurrent_s c;
// // dummy example only reading analog pins
// c.a = analogRead(CSA);
// c.b = analogRead(CSB);
// c.c = analogRead(CSC); // if no 3rd current sense set it to 0
// return(c);
// }

// void initCurrentSense(){
// pinMode(CSA,INPUT);
// pinMode(CSB,INPUT);
// pinMode(CSC,INPUT);
// }

// GenericCurrentSense current_sense = GenericCurrentSense(readCurrentSense, initCurrentSense);

void setup() {
// driver init

driver.init();

// link the driver to the current sense
current_sense.linkDriver(&driver);

// for SimpleFOCShield v2.01/v2.0.2
// current_sense.gain_b *= -1;

Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.println(“Current sense ready.”);\

// initialize sensor hardware
// sensor.init();
// sensor.enableInterrupts(doA, doB, doC);
// software interrupts
// PciManager.registerListener(&listenC);
// link the motor to the sensor
// motor.linkSensor(&sensor);

// driver config
// power supply voltage [V]
driver.voltage_power_supply = 12;
motor.voltage_limit = 12;
// link driver
motor.linkDriver(&driver);

driver.pwm_frequency = 20000;

// link the current sense to the motor
motor.linkCurrentSense(&current_sense);

// set torque mode:
motor.torque_controller = TorqueControlType::foc_current;
// set motion control loop to be used
motor.controller = MotionControlType::torque;

// foc current control parameters
// Q axis
// PID parameters for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_q.P = 0.2f; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_q.I = 10; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_q.D = 0;
motor.PID_current_q.limit = motor.voltage_limit;
// motor.PID_current_q.ramp = 1000; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
// Low pass filtering for Teensy 4.0
// LPF_current_q.Tf= 0.01; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0

// D axis
// PID parameters for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_d.P = 0.2f; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_d.I = 10; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
motor.PID_current_d.D = 0;
motor.PID_current_d.limit = motor.voltage_limit;
// motor.PID_current_d.ramp = 1000; // Adjusted for Teensy 4.0
// Low pass filtering for Teensy 4.0
motor.LPF_current_q.Tf = 0.01;
motor.LPF_current_d.Tf = 0.01;

// use monitoring with serial
Serial.begin(115200);
// comment out if not needed
motor.useMonitoring(Serial);

// initialize motor
motor.init();

current_sense.init();

// skip alignment procedure
// current_sense.skip_align = true;
// align sensor and start FOC
motor.initFOC();

// add target command T
command.add(‘T’, doTarget, “target current”);
command.add(‘P’, d_P, “d__P”);
command.add(‘I’, d_I, “d__I”);
command.add(‘D’, d_D, “d__D”);
command.add(‘J’, q_P, “q__P”);
command.add(‘K’, q_I, “q__I”);
command.add(‘L’, q_D, “q__D”);
command.add(‘F’, q_F, “q__F”);
command.add(‘G’, d_F, “d__F”);

startMillis = millis(); //initial start time

Serial.println(F(“Motor ready.”));
Serial.println(F(“Set the target current using serial terminal:”));
motor.useMonitoring(Serial);
_delay(1000);
motor.monitor_variables = _MON_CURR_Q | _MON_CURR_D | _MON_VEL | _MON_ANGLE;
motor.monitor_downsample = 10000; // default 10
motor.monitor();
}

void loop() {

PhaseCurrent_s currents = current_sense.getPhaseCurrents();
float current_magnitude = current_sense.getDCCurrent();
DQCurrent_s current = current_sense.getFOCCurrents(_electricalAngle(motor.shaft_angle, motor.pole_pairs));




currentMillis = millis();  //get the current "time" (actually the number of milliseconds since the program started)
// if (currentMillis - startMillis >= period)  //test whether the period has elapsed
// {
//   Serial.print(current.d*1000); // milli Amps
//   Serial.print("\t");
//   Serial.println(current.q*1000);  // milli Amps
//   // Serial.print("\t");
//   // Serial.println(current_magnitude*1000); // milli Amps

  
//   startMillis = currentMillis;  //IMPORTANT to save the start time of the current LED state.
// }


// main FOC algorithm function
motor.loopFOC();

// Motion control function
motor.move();


// user communication
command.run();

// motor.monitor();

}

Serial monitor:

11:54:57.735 → Current sense ready.

11:54:57.735 → MOT: Monitor enabled!

11:54:57.735 → MOT: Init

11:54:58.200 → MOT: Enable driver.

11:54:58.731 → TEENSY-CS: Configuring low side current sense!

11:54:58.731 → TEENSY-CS: Syncing low side current sense!

11:54:58.731 → TEENSY-CS: Syncing to FlexPWM: 2, Submodule: 2

11:55:00.730 → MOT: No sensor.

11:55:00.730 → MOT: Init FOC failed.

11:55:00.730 → Motor ready.

11:55:00.730 → Set the target current using serial terminal:

11:55:00.730 → MOT: Monitor enabled!

What you are asking for isn’t possible in SimpleFOC yet. It is called Sensorless FOC. If you really want it, you can try VESC, ODrive or STM32 MCSDK which supports this.

There are some experimental sensorless branches of simplefoc. Check out the sensorless channel in the simplefoc discord

Yup, we currently have great support for stm32 and experimental(^2) support for esp32. The teensy can easily support hfi, but I haven’t ported it to that platform yet.

A quick shout out to you and the other guys working on the sensorless stuff, youre doing gods work. I genuinely think that feature is possibly the most important to be added to simplefoc given that it makes simplefoc an absolute no brainer compared to less flexible or closed source alternatives. Many thanks for the effort you guys have put in

2 Likes

Do you have any suggestions for what I can do now?

You could try @Candas1’s flux observer, otherwise it’s sorta wait for the HFI stuff to get ported to the teensy.

https://community.simplefoc.com/t/motor-runs-extremely-loud/5139/17?u=copper280z