Motor Control Framework Extension

A Simplicity Studio 6 SDK extension that brings the SimpleFOC motor control library to the Simplicity SDK (SiSDK). It provides a reusable framework component, board-specific configuration overlays, and ready-to-run examples for BLDC motor control on EFR32 radio boards.

Projects are created and configured in Simplicity Studio 6. Build and flash the generated project output with the toolchain and tools you select during project creation (for example GNU Make or CMake, and Simplicity Commander).

What is included

• Motor Control Framework component — Arduino compatibility layer, EFR32 driver/current-sense code, and vendored SimpleFOC library
• Four example applications — open loop, Hall sensor, sensorless, and current control
• Board overlays — pre-filled pin maps for supported radio boards (see overlays/README.md)

Requirements

Software

• Simplicity Studio 6
• Simplicity SDK 2025.12.0 installed in Studio (must match the extension version)
• ARM GCC toolchain (installed with the SDK)
• GNU Make or CMake + Ninja, depending on the target IDE chosen at project creation (included in Simplicity Studio 6)
• Simplicity Commander (for flashing)
• Git (for cloning and submodules)

Hardware

Item	Notes
Radio board	BRD4186C (EFR32xG24), BRD4120A (EFR32xG26) or BRD4401C (EFR32xG28)
Motor driver	TI BOOSTXL-DRV8305 BoosterPack
Motor	3-phase BLDC — reference motor: Nanotec DF45M024053-A2
Power	24 V supply for the motor stage
Debug	WSTK / debug adapter for programming; J-Link RTT Viewer for serial commands

A dedicated Motor Control Interface Board can also be used. Wiring details are in the User Guide.

Getting started

1. Clone the repository

git clone --recurse-submodules <repository-url>
cd devs-simplefoc-port

If you already cloned without submodules:

git submodule update --init --recursive

External dependencies

• SimpleFOC library
  • Located at motor_control_framework_extension/motor_control_framework/external/simplefoc/
  • Commit 2d78e7e
• ArduinoCore-API library
  • Located at motor_control_framework_extension/motor_control_framework/external/ArduinoCore-API/
  • Commit 0f4e57e

Note: All the dependencies and their licenses are listed in LICENSE.md.

2. Install the extension in Simplicity Studio 6

Install the parent Simplicity SDK first, then attach this extension to it. See the SSv6 SDK Extensions guide.

1. Open Settings from the left navigation bar.

2. Go to the SDKs section.

3. Select your installed Simplicity SDK 2025.12.0 entry and click Add Extension.

4. Browse to this folder in your clone:

   motor_control_framework_extension/
   

   Studio detects the extension from motor_control_framework.slce and the companion template metadata.

5. Check the extension in the list and click Finish.

6. When prompted, click Trust if you trust this source.

The examples and Motor Control Framework component appear after installation. You may need to click Refresh on the SDK entry before they show up in the example browser.

3. Create an example project

1. From HOME, start a new project (all projects & demos), or open Devices in the left navigation and select your kit or part.
2. Open the Example Projects & Demos tab.
3. Search or filter for Motor Control Framework and pick one of:
   • Open Loop Example
   • Hall Sensor Example
   • Sensorless Example
   • Current Control Example
4. Click CREATE on the example tile.
5. In Target Device, select your radio board (BRD4186C, BRD4120A or BRD4401C) or a compatible part. Use the Board filter if needed.
6. In Project Configuration, set the project name, location, and Target IDE (Makefile, VS Code, or CMake), then click Finish.

Studio generates the project and opens the Project Configurator (.slcp). When a supported board is selected, the pin map in config/motor_control_framework_config.h is filled automatically from the board overlay.

4. Build, flash, and run

Simplicity Studio 6 does not build or flash firmware. It configures the project and generates source and build files for your chosen target IDE. After any change in the Project Configurator, regenerate the project before building again.

1. Build using the generated output for your target IDE:
   • Makefile: from the project directory, run make -f <project_name>.Makefile
   • CMake: configure and build with the generated CMakeLists.txt
   • VS Code: open the project folder in VS Code and use the generated build tasks
2. Flash the .s37 artifact with Simplicity Commander.
3. Open J-Link RTT Viewer to interact with the SimpleFOC Commander interface.
4. After Motor ready! (or the sensorless startup sequence completes), send velocity targets with the M prefix, e.g. M30 for 30 rad/s.

Each example has its own readme with control-mode details and tuning notes:

Example	Readme
Open Loop	mc_open_loop_example/readme.md
Hall Sensor	mc_hall_sensor_example/readme.md
Sensorless	mc_sensorless_example/readme.md
Current Control	mc_current_control_example/readme.md
Anomaly detection and Voice Control	mc_anomaly_voice_example/readme.md

Repository layout

motor_control_framework_extension/
├── motor_control_framework.slce          # Extension descriptor
├── motor_control_framework.slsdk         # Studio metadata
├── motor_control_framework_extension_templates.xml
├── components/
│   └── motor_control_framework.slcc      # Framework component definition
├── examples/         # Specific project templates
│   ├── mc_open_loop_example/
│   ├── mc_hall_sensor_example/
│   ├── mc_sensorless_example/
│   ├── mc_current_control_example/
|   └── mc_anomaly_voice_example/
└── motor_control_framework/
    ├── config/                           # Generic config template
    ├── overlays/                         # Board-specific config overrides
    ├── common/                           # Arduino layer, drivers, observer
    └── external/simplefoc/               # SimpleFOC submodule

Documentation

• Simplicity Studio 6 User Guide — project creation and Project Configurator
• Install SDK Extensions (SSv6)
• User Guide — hardware assembly, wiring, RTT and BLE setup
• Board overlays — how board-specific config overrides work
• Simplicity Commander reference

Contributing

Please follow the contributing guidelines.

License

See LICENSE.md.

Disclaimer

The Motor Control Framework Extension supports development with Silicon Labs IoT SoC and module devices. Unless otherwise specified in the specific directory, all examples are considered to be EXPERIMENTAL QUALITY which implies that the code provided in the repos has not been formally tested and is provided as-is. It is not suitable for production environments. In addition, this code will not be maintained and there may be no bug maintenance planned for these resources. Silicon Labs may update projects from time to time.