One key aspect of using brushless motors for precise control is the need for an external position sensor, known as an "encoder". The ODrive uses an encoder not just for controlling the motor’s position and velocity, but also for commutation: the actual control to make the motor spin. However, requiring an encoder can increase your project’s cost and size.

To help your ultra-small designs, we integrated an encoder with the ODrive Micro. On the back, in the dead center of the board, is a high-resolution magnetic encoder IC.

The magnetic encoder IC is designed to sense the rotation of a diametrically polarized magnet — a special type of polarization, where the magnetic field rotates as the magnet does. In fact, the ODrive Micro comes with such a magnet, and all you need to do is clamp or glue the magnet to your motor’s shaft and mount the ODrive Micro right above it. Now the ODrive Micro can sense the motor’s position and velocity without any additional hardware at all!

This lets you mount the ODrive Micro right on the back of a motor, creating a performant actuator in an ultra small form factor:

The onboard magnetic encoder can sense a motor speed of up to 60,000 RPM, at 12-bit resolution — that’s 0.09°! And if this isn’t enough, the ODrive Micro can additionally utilize an external quadrature or SPI encoder to give your project an extra level of precision.

By integrating the encoder, the ODrive Micro streamlines your setup, reducing the need for additional components and simplifying the overall design process. Whether you’re developing compact robotics, drones, or other precision machinery, the ODrive Micro’s space-saving design features and precise control makes it the perfect choice.

Don’t forget to visit our campaign page to get your own Odrive Micro!