Embedded power electronics showcase for digital current control of proportional solenoid valves.
This repository is a compact public showcase of my master's thesis project: a custom high-current driver platform for proportional solenoid valves. The system was built to compare digital current-control strategies on real hardware and benchmark them against an analog reference.
| ⚡ Multi-Channel PWM Independent actuator channels with a wide usable frequency range |
🛡️ High-Side Power Stage LTC7001 gate driver with MOSFET output stage for solenoid loads |
🎯 Precision Current Sensing INA253A3 and MCP3565R measurement path for control and validation |
| 🧠 Bare-Metal Firmware STM32H7 service architecture without RTOS overhead |
🌐 Ethernet Telemetry Browser-based live dashboard for lab use and diagnostics |
💾 Persistent Calibration Stored correction data for repeatable current measurements |
| 🧲 Solenoid Profiles Parameter sets for actuator-specific behavior and test setup |
📈 Control Comparison Hysteresis, PID, and analog reference evaluated on the same hardware |
🔬 Measurement Workflow Prototype bring-up, calibration, test bench data, and result analysis |
| 🧰 Flash & Calibration Tooling Guided setup workflows for firmware deployment and device-specific calibration |
🚀 Application-Oriented Integration Support tooling that moves the platform beyond a pure lab prototype |
⚙️ Engineering Usability Designed for repeatable setup, validation, and practical handover |
- ⚡ A multi-channel digital driver for proportional magnetic actuators.
- 🧩 A custom KiCad PCB with MCU, Ethernet, measurement chain, and power stage.
- 🧠 Bare-metal STM32 firmware for PWM, ADC, control loops, calibration, and diagnostics.
- 🌐 A browser-based interface for live telemetry, parameterization, and test support.
- 🧰 A calibration script and guided flash tool to support practical device setup and application-oriented integration.
- 📈 Measurement workflows to compare hysteresis control, PID control, and an analog reference.
The web interface made the prototype practical in the lab: live values, control settings, calibration views, and diagnostic information were available directly from a browser. In this public repository, operational details are intentionally kept high-level.
An important part of the project was not only the control hardware itself, but also the tooling around it. A calibration script and a guided flash tool were used to make firmware deployment, parameter transfer, and device setup more application-oriented and easier to integrate into real engineering workflows.
Current hardware platform: Prototype P0.3 — final hardware revision.
 P0.3 top: STM32H7, Ethernet PHY, power stage, measurement path |
 P0.3 bottom: status LEDs and resistor network |
| Area | Implemented with | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Control MCU | STM32H750VBT6 | Real-time control, acquisition, and communication |
| Current feedback | INA253A3 + MCP3565R | Precise current measurement for control and validation |
| Power output | LTC7001 + AGM12N10A | High-side switching of proportional solenoid loads |
| Connectivity | LAN8742A Ethernet PHY | Telemetry, diagnostics, and browser-based interaction |
| Strategy | Main idea | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Hysteresis | Switch inside a defined current band | Fast, robust, simple behavior |
| PID | Closed-loop control with defined PWM behavior | Tunable response and fixed-frequency operation |
| Analog reference | Established non-digital baseline | Practical benchmark for evaluation |
- ✅ Hardware P0.1 (Nov 2025) and P0.2 (Jan 2026) manufactured
- ✅ Bring-up and validation of P0.1 (Jan 2026) and P0.2 (Feb 2026)
- ✅ Firmware baseline completed: HAL, PWM, ADC + DMA, Ethernet
- ✅ Control strategies implemented (hysteresis, PID, analog) - March 2026
- ✅ Measurement series recorded - March 2026
- ✅ Validation against the analog reference completed - April 2026
- ✅ Final revision P0.3 ordered - May 2026
- 🛠️ Integration into test bench systems
| Embedded C Bare-metal STM32H7 services |
PCB Design KiCad, power stage, sensing path |
Control Engineering Hysteresis, PID, actuator behavior |
| Measurement ADC chains, calibration, validation |
Networking Ethernet telemetry and web UI |
System Thinking Prototype, tooling, tests, documentation |
This is a public, documentation-focused portfolio repository. It summarizes the technical work without publishing the full private development repository, detailed internal tooling, or complete experimental data.
Master's thesis project at KIT IPEK in cooperation with Woodward L'Orange.