BLDC Motor & Driver
Results at a glance
Solo Standout Project
Designed and built a functional sensor-based BLDC motor.
PIC18F4550 Embedded Control
Custom bare-metal firmware for precise commutation, real-time RPM calculation, and live LCD display.
Closed-Loop Optical Feedback
Flywheel with black/white stripes and reflective sensor for accurate rotor position and speed.
Smart Protection Logic
Reliable startup sequence from any position plus automatic 3-second stuck-rotor shutdown.
Overview
Designed and built entirely from scratch as the final project for my Electricity & Magnetism course, this Brushless DC motor and driver system showcases core mechatronics principles: electromagnetic theory, embedded control, power electronics, and closed-loop feedback — all integrated into a working prototype in a single semester.
Designed and built entirely from scratch as the final project for my Electricity & Magnetism course, this Brushless DC motor and driver system showcases core mechatronics principles: electromagnetic theory, embedded control, power electronics, and closed-loop feedback — all integrated into a working prototype in a single semester.
Using a PIC18F4550 microcontroller as the brain, the system drives a small permanent-magnet rotor (neodymium magnets) housed in a plywood stator. A reflective optical sensor reads black/white stripes on the flywheel to determine rotor position and calculate true RPM in real time, displayed live on an LCD. Custom firmware manages a reliable startup sequence so the motor begins rotation regardless of initial position, energizes the three phases via BJT transistor pairs with perfect timing, and illuminates RGB LEDs to visually indicate the active phase.
To ensure safety and longevity, I added intelligent protection: if the rotor stops for more than 3 seconds, the system automatically shuts down the drive stage, preventing coil or transistor damage. The result was a smooth-running BLDC motor that clearly outperformed every other project in the class — most students never attempted a brushless design.
Although developed as a rapid proof-of-concept (hence the raw plywood aesthetics), this project gave me invaluable hands-on mastery of BLDC commutation, sensor-based feedback, and bare-metal firmware that directly translates to modern applications in drones, EVs, robotics, and industrial automation. It remains one of my favorite demonstrations of turning textbook electromagnetism into a spinning, intelligent machine.