STM32 Embedded Controller – RS-485 Motion & Encoder Control, PCB + FW
Budget: €10,000 – €20,000 EUR
Embedded HW & FW Engineer – RS-485 Motion Controller PCB (Camera + I/O)
Type: Fixed Price or Hourly
Location: EU preferred, remote possible
Language: English
Duration: Long-term cooperation expected
Project Description
We are looking for an experienced embedded hardware & firmware engineer (freelancer or small SME) to design a controller PCB and firmware for a positioning system with an industrial camera interface, auxiliary power outputs, IMU sensing, and external motion drivers.
The controller actively controls external motion drivers and must read and evaluate position feedback (encoders).
Low-level power stages are external, but driver control logic, encoder handling, IMU integration, safety supervision and state management are core parts of this project.
The system supports two fundamentally different motion control methods, requiring two separate firmware builds (shared codebase allowed).
This is a well-defined industrial control project, not research or a demo board.
Confidentiality & Documentation
Signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is mandatory before sharing detailed technical information.
System Requirement Specification (SRS) and Interface Control Document (ICD) are already prepared and will be provided after NDA execution.
The SRS and ICD clearly define:
system behavior and limits,
RS-485 protocol structure,
driver interaction,
safety and fault handling.
Motion Control Methods (Mandatory)
Control Method A – Step/Dir with encoder feedback
MCU directly generates STEP / DIR / ENABLE signals
External stepper drivers are controlled at signal level
MCU reads absolute encoder position directly (SPI or serial)
Encoder feedback is mandatory and used for:
position validation,
motion supervision,
fault detection and safety logic
Low-level motion control and supervision run inside the MCU
Control Method B – Intelligent driver control with feedback
MCU controls external intelligent motion drivers via RS-485
Motion control loops run inside the external drivers
MCU reads position and status feedback originating from encoders via the driver interface
MCU is responsible for:
command sequencing,
enable/disable logic,
fault detection and recovery,
continuous status and position supervision
Two distinct firmware builds are required.
Scope of Work
Firmware
RS-485 communication
slave towards host system
master/controller towards motion drivers
Encoder feedback handling (mandatory):
absolute position acquisition,
validation and plausibility checks,
safety supervision
IMU integration (mandatory):
TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P
SPI (preferred) or I²C interface
basic filtering, validation, and diagnostics
Driver control logic:
initialization,
enable/disable sequencing,
fault handling
Command & telemetry protocol (frames, CRC, timeouts, error handling)
Control of:
motion drivers,
MOSFET power outputs,
camera trigger / strobe signals
Deterministic state machine: INIT / IDLE / ENABLED / FAULT
Watchdog and fail-safe behavior
Clean, modular firmware architecture (RTOS not required)
Hardware
MCU controller board:
schematic,
PCB layout (4–6 layers),
BOM and manufacturing files
Power input range: 24–36 V DC
Interfaces:
RS-485,
Industrial camera connector Hirose HR10 (12-pin),
Galvanically isolated Trigger / Strobe / GPIO
Outputs:
3× MOSFET power outputs (≥1 A, 12–48 V),
1 output with autonomous temperature-controlled heating
Sensors:
IMU: TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P,
on-board PCB temperature sensor
Design for testability (SWD, test points, bring-up access)
Prototype
Manufacture and assembly of 1 fully functional PCB prototype
Basic functional verification
All costs included as a service (no separate material billing)
Camera Interface (Summary)
Isolated Trigger IN
Isolated Strobe / GPIO OUT
Configurable via RS-485
Compatible with standard industrial cameras (Hirose HR10, 12-pin)
Environmental & Reliability Requirements
Operating temperature: –40 °C to +85 °C
Low-pressure operation: reliable operation down to ~1 kPa
no reliance on convective cooling,
thermal design based on conduction and radiation,
conservative derating of MOSFETs and DC/DC converters
Industrial / automotive-grade design practices
Formal certification is not required.
Deliverables
Firmware source code (two motion-control builds)
PCB schematic and layout
BOM and manufacturing data
1× assembled prototype
Short technical documentation and test note
All intellectual property transfers to the client.
Proposal Requirements
Please include:
Short professional introduction
Relevant motion / robotics / industrial control references
Estimated cost or hourly rate
Rough timeline:
Firmware – Control Method A
Firmware – Control Method B
Hardware + prototype
Earliest availability
Confirmation of NDA acceptance and interest in long-term cooperation
Long-Term Cooperation
This engagement is intended as the start of a long-term collaboration, including:
firmware maintenance and extensions,
hardware revisions,
integration and support.
Applicants must be willing to sign an NDA and support the project beyond initial delivery.
Type: Fixed Price or Hourly
Location: EU preferred, remote possible
Language: English
Duration: Long-term cooperation expected
Project Description
We are looking for an experienced embedded hardware & firmware engineer (freelancer or small SME) to design a controller PCB and firmware for a positioning system with an industrial camera interface, auxiliary power outputs, IMU sensing, and external motion drivers.
The controller actively controls external motion drivers and must read and evaluate position feedback (encoders).
Low-level power stages are external, but driver control logic, encoder handling, IMU integration, safety supervision and state management are core parts of this project.
The system supports two fundamentally different motion control methods, requiring two separate firmware builds (shared codebase allowed).
This is a well-defined industrial control project, not research or a demo board.
Confidentiality & Documentation
Signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is mandatory before sharing detailed technical information.
System Requirement Specification (SRS) and Interface Control Document (ICD) are already prepared and will be provided after NDA execution.
The SRS and ICD clearly define:
system behavior and limits,
RS-485 protocol structure,
driver interaction,
safety and fault handling.
Motion Control Methods (Mandatory)
Control Method A – Step/Dir with encoder feedback
MCU directly generates STEP / DIR / ENABLE signals
External stepper drivers are controlled at signal level
MCU reads absolute encoder position directly (SPI or serial)
Encoder feedback is mandatory and used for:
position validation,
motion supervision,
fault detection and safety logic
Low-level motion control and supervision run inside the MCU
Control Method B – Intelligent driver control with feedback
MCU controls external intelligent motion drivers via RS-485
Motion control loops run inside the external drivers
MCU reads position and status feedback originating from encoders via the driver interface
MCU is responsible for:
command sequencing,
enable/disable logic,
fault detection and recovery,
continuous status and position supervision
Two distinct firmware builds are required.
Scope of Work
Firmware
RS-485 communication
slave towards host system
master/controller towards motion drivers
Encoder feedback handling (mandatory):
absolute position acquisition,
validation and plausibility checks,
safety supervision
IMU integration (mandatory):
TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P
SPI (preferred) or I²C interface
basic filtering, validation, and diagnostics
Driver control logic:
initialization,
enable/disable sequencing,
fault handling
Command & telemetry protocol (frames, CRC, timeouts, error handling)
Control of:
motion drivers,
MOSFET power outputs,
camera trigger / strobe signals
Deterministic state machine: INIT / IDLE / ENABLED / FAULT
Watchdog and fail-safe behavior
Clean, modular firmware architecture (RTOS not required)
Hardware
MCU controller board:
schematic,
PCB layout (4–6 layers),
BOM and manufacturing files
Power input range: 24–36 V DC
Interfaces:
RS-485,
Industrial camera connector Hirose HR10 (12-pin),
Galvanically isolated Trigger / Strobe / GPIO
Outputs:
3× MOSFET power outputs (≥1 A, 12–48 V),
1 output with autonomous temperature-controlled heating
Sensors:
IMU: TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P,
on-board PCB temperature sensor
Design for testability (SWD, test points, bring-up access)
Prototype
Manufacture and assembly of 1 fully functional PCB prototype
Basic functional verification
All costs included as a service (no separate material billing)
Camera Interface (Summary)
Isolated Trigger IN
Isolated Strobe / GPIO OUT
Configurable via RS-485
Compatible with standard industrial cameras (Hirose HR10, 12-pin)
Environmental & Reliability Requirements
Operating temperature: –40 °C to +85 °C
Low-pressure operation: reliable operation down to ~1 kPa
no reliance on convective cooling,
thermal design based on conduction and radiation,
conservative derating of MOSFETs and DC/DC converters
Industrial / automotive-grade design practices
Formal certification is not required.
Deliverables
Firmware source code (two motion-control builds)
PCB schematic and layout
BOM and manufacturing data
1× assembled prototype
Short technical documentation and test note
All intellectual property transfers to the client.
Proposal Requirements
Please include:
Short professional introduction
Relevant motion / robotics / industrial control references
Estimated cost or hourly rate
Rough timeline:
Firmware – Control Method A
Firmware – Control Method B
Hardware + prototype
Earliest availability
Confirmation of NDA acceptance and interest in long-term cooperation
Long-Term Cooperation
This engagement is intended as the start of a long-term collaboration, including:
firmware maintenance and extensions,
hardware revisions,
integration and support.
Applicants must be willing to sign an NDA and support the project beyond initial delivery.