FroBoard Development Board

 Check out the spingarage blog for some details on the FroBoard, this board packs a ton of features onto the single compact board. If you are interested in making one for yourself all of the board details are available here.

The FroBoard includes all of the hardware necessary to drive the power section of a brushless motor controller. A functional controller can be built with nothing more than a FroBoard, 6 MOSFETs or IGBTs, and a little ingenuity. Here’s what’s on the board:

• A PIC18F4431 processor, clocked at 20 MHz. Check out the datasheet, it’s a beast.
• 3 FAN7390 half-bridge drivers, capable of driving everything from IRF510s all the way up to big IGBT modules. All wired up to the power-control PWM module in the PIC. They’re also fully isolated through optocouplers and isolated power supplies, so they’re suitable for high voltage systems requiring isolation.
• 6 logic level PWM outputs, configurable as complementary PWMs, for driving small transistor power sections or for debugging with an oscilloscope.
• A MAX232 chip wired up to the EUSART of the PIC for easy interfacing to pretty much anything (a computer, for instance) through the on-board DB-9 connector.
• 18 programmable I/Os (including 9 which are configurable as analog inputs) wired up to 3-pin headers for easy access.
• Two relays hooked up to the PIC. We use ‘em to control big contactors (through a secondary, larger relay) in EV drive systems.
• Two debugging LEDs wired up to the PIC. They’re blue, which is awesome.
• A standard 6-pin programming interface for programming with any standard PIC programmer.
• A voltage regulator to allow use with 9-18V DC power supplies.