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ESCuino-X2 Hardware Overview

ESCuino-X2 is a compact, dual brushed motor controller with an integrated ATmega328P microcontroller. Designed to be both Arduino-compatible and rugged enough for high-current applications, this board brings together essential embedded features for robotics, R/C vehicles, and DIY electronics.

Microcontroller

ATmega328P-PN

  • 8-bit AVR MCU running at 16 MHz
  • 32 KB Flash / 2 KB SRAM / 1 KB EEPROM
  • Arduino Uno R3 pinout and bootloader compatible
  • Operates at 5V, with AVCC decoupled and filtered
  • Exposes UART, SPI, I²C, PWM, and ADC pins on 0.1" headers

Motor Drivers

DRV8245HQPWPRQ1 ×2

Two independent H-bridge motor drivers (one per motor):

  • Supply voltage (VM): 4.5V – 37V
  • Max continuous output current: 6.5A RMS
  • Peak output current: up to 10–14A (depending on cooling and duty cycle)
  • Integrated power FETs (no external FETs needed)
  • Control: PH/EN or PWM/PWM modes
  • Current sensing via IPROPI pin (proportional to output current)
  • Built-in protections: overcurrent, undervoltage, thermal shutdown, short-circuit

Note: Each motor channel can safely sustain ~6.5A continuous with proper PCB heat dissipation. Higher peak currents are possible for brief durations.

Power Regulation

MAX17502FATB+T

  • High-efficiency, synchronous step-down converter
  • Input range: 4.5V to 60V
  • Output: 5V regulated (used to power MCU and logic)
  • Internal compensation and soft-start
  • Integrated MOSFET, 500kHz switching frequency

Use case: Powers logic and USB devices from battery voltage.

USB-UART Interface

CP2102-GMR

  • USB to UART bridge
  • Full-speed USB 2.0
  • Supports onboard serial flashing of the ATmega328P
  • Works with Arduino IDE via standard USB CDC drivers

Connector: USB-C (HYCW445-USBC16-730B)

Power & Connectors

  • Power input range (VIN): 4.5V – 35V
  • Input capacitors: 390μF bulk + 100nF ceramic decoupling
  • Connectors:
  • 4.5V - 35V DC input via solder pads
  • Motor A and Motor B outputs via solder pads
  • USB-C for logic power and UART (cannot drive motors on USB-C Power)

Indicators

  • Power LED (Green)
  • TX/RX LEDs (White) for USB serial activity

GPIO & Expansion

Exposed I/O on 2.54mm headers:

Header Function
P1 Digital I/O (D2–D9)
P2 Analog I/O (A0–A5) + UART
P3 SPI, I²C, reset, and power lines
H4 Motor control pins (PH, EN, DRVOFF, IPROPI, NSLEEP) per driver

Protections

  • TVS Diode (D3): SMAJ36A for transient voltage suppression on VIN
  • Input filtering: Several MLCCs and RC snubbers
  • USB ESD protection: TPD2EUSB30ADRTR for DP/DM lines

Clock Signal

  • X1: 16 MHz crystal for ATmega328P with 22pF load capacitors

Core Components Summary

Part Function
ATmega328P-PN MCU
DRV8245HQPWPRQ1 Motor Drivers
MAX17502FATB+T 5V Buck Regulator
CP2102-GMR USB-UART Bridge

Designed in the Ozarks, USA. Built for the Frontier.