ESP32-S3 Based Closed-Loop CAN Bus Stepper Motor Driver Board
Development Status • Overview • Hardware Features • PCB Preview • Sponsorship • License
Warning
Work In Progress (WIP): This project is currently in active schematic design & PCB layout stage. The board has NOT yet been physically manufactured or field-tested. The schematics and component placements may undergo further design revisions before initial prototype batch production and physical hardware validation.
CANBUS-Stepper is an open-source, high-performance smart stepper motor driver board built around the ESP32-S3 microcontroller. Designed specifically for 3D printer toolheads, robotic actuators, and CNC automation, this board integrates a native CAN Bus transceiver (TCAN1051V), magnetic position encoder feedback (AS5600), power regulation (TI LMR33630 36V/3A buck converter), and stepper motor driving into a compact NEMA 17 footprint.
- Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 (Dual-core Xtensa LX7 @ 240MHz, Native USB 2.0, TWAI / CAN Bus support).
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CAN Bus Transceiver: TCAN1051VDRBRQ1 5V CAN FD Transceiver with 3.3V
$V_{IO}$ logic interface (VSON-8 3mm x 3mm). - Power Management: TI LMR33630CRNXR High-efficiency 3.8V–36V / 3A step-down buck converter (VQFN-12 2mm x 3mm).
- Reverse Polarity Protection: Alpha & Omega AON7407 -30V/-30A P-Channel MOSFET (DFN 3mm x 3mm).
- Position Feedback: AS5600 Magnetic Rotary Encoder (I2C interface) for accurate absolute angle sensing and closed-loop control.
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Connectivity & I/O:
- USB Type-C receptacle for programming, flashing, and serial debugging.
- Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 & JST connectors for CAN Bus power/data and motor phase outputs.
- SPDT Slide switches for boot mode and power control.
Figure 1: CANBUS-Stepper PCB Component Layout Preview — Top Side (Left) & Bottom Side (Right)
To bring this open-hardware project from design files to physical prototype boards, test hardware, and community adoption, sponsorship and hardware support are warmly welcomed!
If you are a PCB manufacturing house, component supplier, or individual backer interested in supporting:
- 🛠️ Prototype PCB Fabrication & Assembly (PCBA)
- 🧪 Component Sourcing & Hardware Testing
- ☕ Developer Contributions & Project Funding
Please feel free to reach out, open an issue, or sponsor through GitHub Sponsors. Your support directly accelerates physical prototyping and open-source hardware validation!
CANBUS-Stepper/
├── README.md # Main project documentation
├── LICENSE # Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
├── .gitignore # Git ignore rules for KiCad and build outputs
├── docs/
│ └── assets/ # Board renders, diagrams, and documentation assets
├── pcb/ # KiCad PCB Hardware Design Files
│ ├── canbus-stepper.kicad_pro # KiCad Project file
│ ├── canbus-stepper.kicad_sch # Schematic diagram
│ ├── canbus-stepper.kicad_pcb # PCB Layout
│ ├── sym-lib-table # Symbol library table
│ ├── fp-lib-table # Footprint library table
│ ├── *.kicad_sym # Custom symbol libraries (AS5600, TCAN1051V, LMR33630, AON7407, etc.)
│ ├── CANBUS-Stepper.pretty/ # Custom footprint library
│ ├── 3dmodels/ # Component 3D STEP models for KiCad rendering
│ └── bom/ # Bill of Materials & Interactive HTML iBOM (ibom.html)
├── firmware/ # ESP32-S3 Stepper Driver Firmware
│ └── README.md # Firmware architecture & CAN bus protocol roadmap
└── step/ # Board 3D CAD STEP Files
└── README.md # Exported overall PCB 3D STEP model for mechanical integration
- Download and install KiCad 7.0 or later.
- Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/omrfrkmll/CANBUS-Stepper.git cd CANBUS-Stepper - Open
pcb/canbus-stepper.kicad_proinside KiCad. - To view the Interactive Bill of Materials, open
pcb/bom/ibom.htmlin any web browser.
Firmware development for the ESP32-S3 is structured under firmware/. Key roadmap milestones include:
- TWAI CAN Bus Protocol: Standardized command set for motor movement, status telemetry, and configuration.
- Closed-Loop Control: AS5600 encoder feedback loop for stall detection and precise step regulation.
This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
- 100% Free and Open: You are free to view, modify, build, and use this hardware design and code for personal projects, research, education, and non-commercial applications.
- Commercial Restriction: Producing, selling, or deriving commercial products from this design without explicit written authorization from the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.
- Dual Licensing: If you wish to manufacture, integrate, or sell boards based on this design commercially, please contact the repository owner to obtain a commercial license.