# Code to control two SparkFun 3-Phase BLDC motors with encoders AS5048A?

**URL:** <https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691>\
**Category:** Robotics\
**Created:** [October 9, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691 "2026-10-09T19:22:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@B](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/B)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691/1 "2026-10-09T19:22:18Z")

</div>

Hello,

I have written a code (in C language) to control two SparkFun 12V 3-Phase BLDC motors with encoders AS5048A [Gimbal Motor with Encoder - 12V, 467RPM - SparkFun Electronics](https://www.sparkfun.com/gimbal-motor-with-encoder-12v-587rpm.html) via two SparkFun 11V motor-drivers [SparkFun Brushless Motor Driver - 3-Phase (TMC6300) - SparkFun Electronics](https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-brushless-motor-driver-3-phase-tmc6300.html) that were connected to the SparkFun RedBoard Artemis ATP microcontroller board. After compiling and uploading the code successfully, the motors did not move. All the LED of the microcontroller board and motor-drivers were on. A battery was charged up to 7.91V. Could someone please specify what is wrong with the code? Here is my code:

/\*  
The following code was built based on the example SimpleFOC control  
code published on this webpage " [Position Control example | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/position_control_example) ",  
and other information published on these webpages " [Velocity Open-Loop | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/velocity_openloop) " ,  
" [Library Source | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/source_code) " by editing the example SimpleFOC control code.  
The short paper about SimpleFOC was published:  
SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling  
Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) and Stepper Motors. A. Skuric, HS. Bank, R. Unger,  
O. Williams, D. González-Reyes Journal of Open Source Software, 7(74), 4232,

> **[SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling Brushless...](https://joss.theoj.org/papers/10.21105/joss.04232)**
>
> Skuric et al., (2022). SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) and Stepper Motors. Journal of Open Source Software, 7(74), 4232, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.04232

\*/

#include \<SimpleFOC.h\>  
#include \<Arduino.h\>

// Setting Motor #1 and Motor #2 having 11 coil pairs

BLDCMotor motor1 = BLDCMotor(11);  
BLDCMotor motor2 = BLDCMotor(11);

// Initialize two 6PWM motor-drivers by assigning HIGH\_Side pins and LOW\_Side pins in sequence  
// ending with the motor-drivers En/VIO/STANDBY pins D17 and D1 appropriately

const int VIO\_PIN1 = D17;  
const int VIO\_PIN2 = D1;

BLDCDriver6PWM driver1 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D26, D19, D22, D4, D27, D23, VIO\_PIN1);  
BLDCDriver6PWM driver2 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D37, D18, D45, D44, D42, D43, VIO\_PIN2);

//Initialize variables for the PWM pins of the PWM wires of the encoders

const int PWM\_pin\_encoder1 = A12; // Connect to the AS5048A encoder #1 PWM pin  
const int PWM\_pin\_encoder2 = A13; // Connect to the AS5048A encoder #2 PWM pin

//Initialize variables for encoder #1 and encoder #2 by MagenticSensorPWM

//MagneticSensorPWM is applied because the encoders PWM pins are used

MagneticSensorPWM encoder1 = MagneticSensorPWM(PWM\_pin\_encoder1, 14, 936);  
MagneticSensorPWM encoder2 = MagneticSensorPWM(PWM\_pin\_encoder2, 14, 876);

// Build Setup() block

void setup(){

Serial.begin(115200);

//Setting drivers

driver1.voltage\_power\_supply = 7.4;  
driver2.voltage\_power\_supply = 7.4;

// initiate drivers

driver1.init();  
driver1.init();

// link motors to drivers

motor1.linkDriver(&driver1);  
motor2.linkDriver(&driver2);

// state voltage limit for each motor

motor1.voltage\_limit = 8.4;  
motor2.voltage\_limit = 8.4;

//setting control mode without all PID loops

motor1.controller = MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop;  
motor2.controller = MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop;

// Initialize motors

motor1.init();  
motor2.init();

//Initialize encoder #1 and encoder #2

encoder1.init();  
encoder2.init();

//delay(??);

}

//SimpleFOC requires to declare loop() to state all other functions:

void loop(){

// Setting both rotors at their initial positions

encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();

// the .getAngle() function should output angles in radians

float initial\_angle\_rotor1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
float initial\_angle\_rotor2 = encoder2.getAngle();

// Build if-statements to set both rotors at their initial positions  
float updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1;  
float updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2;  
// build the if-statement to get Rotor #1 at its initial position

if (initial\_angle\_rotor1 != 0){  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 = initial\_angle\_rotor1;  
while(updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 \> 0){  
motor1.move(2); // value of the motor #1 velocity is chosen to be positive  
delay(1);  
encoder1.update();  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
}  
// encoder #1 default zero position (zero radian) is Rotor #1 initial position  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 == 0){  
motor1.move(0);  
}  
}

// build the if-statement to get Rotor #2 at its initial position

if (initial\_angle\_rotor2 != (PI/2)){  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 = initial\_angle\_rotor2;  
while(updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \> (PI/2) || updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \< (PI/2)){  
motor2.move(-2); // value of the motor #2 velocity is chosen to be negative  
delay(1);  
encoder2.update();  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
}  
// encoder #2 default zero position (zero radian) is not the Rotor #1 initial position  
// Rotor #/2 initial position is (0 + pi/2) radians  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 == (0 + PI/2)){  
motor2.move(0);  
}  
}  
delay(20000);  
// Initialize a variable for a number of cycles (one cycle is 360 degrees)

int num\_cycles = 3; // number of cycles is set arbitrarily

// Build a loop to iterate a number of cycles

for (int c = 0; c \< num\_cycles; c++){  
float i = 0;  
float angle1 = 0;  
float angle2 = 0;  
float speed1 = 0;  
float speed2 = 0;

// Build loop to update encoder1 input angle and calculate a total angle passed by Rotor #1

// This loop also moves both rotors for one cycle  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 == 0 && updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 == (0 + PI/2)){  
for (i = 0; i \<= PI;){

//update input values of encoders

encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();

//Make i as the average angle of two angles. If both rotors move almost synchronically, it should work out,  
i = (angle1 + (angle2 - PI/2))/2;

// Make speed functions for two 3-Phase BLDC motors so that their speeds increase incrementally  
// 250 RPM (Rotations Per Minute) is about 26.18 Radians Per Second (Rad/s)  
// about 120 milliseconds needed to pass 180 degrees (pi radians) at the speed 26 rad/s  
// rotors require more time to pass 180 degrees because they reach about 26.18 rad/s incrementally  
speed1 = (26.18 / PI); // every iteration set constant speed value to prevent excessively fast growth of speed1  
speed2 = (26.18 / PI); // every iteration set constant speed value to prevent excessively fast growth of speed2  
speed1 = speed1 + (2/3) \* (i \* 26.18 / PI); // Rotor #1 speed increases incrementally  
speed2 = speed2 + (2/3) \* (i \* 26.18 / PI); // Rotor #2 speed increases incrementally  
motor1.move(speed1); // value of the motor #1 velocity is chosen to be positive  
motor2.move(-speed2); // value of the motor #2 velocity is chosen to be negative  
//delay(1); // delay is set to give motors some time to accelerate  
[//command.run](https://command.run)();  
delay(1); // delay is set to give motors some time to accelerate and to iterate the loop  
}

}  
// Build a loop to move Rotor #1 and Rotor #2 through their inertial zones to their initial positions  
float inertial\_zone\_angle1 = PI;  
float inertial\_zone\_angle2 = (3\*PI/2);  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle1 \< (2 \* PI) && inertial\_zone\_angle1 \> ( PI) && inertial\_zone\_angle2 \< (PI / 2) && inertial\_zone\_angle2 \> (3\*PI / 2)){  
for (float n = PI; n \<= (2 \* PI);){  
encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
inertial\_zone\_angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
inertial\_zone\_angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
//Make i as the average angle of two angles. If both rotors move almost synchronically, it should work out,  
n = (inertial\_zone\_angle1 + (inertial\_zone\_angle2 - PI/2))/2;  
motor1.move(0.01); // slowly move Rotor #1 to its initial position through inertial zone  
motor2.move(-0.01); // slowly move Rotor #2 to its initial position through inertial zone  
delay(1); // delay is  
encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
inertial\_zone\_angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
inertial\_zone\_angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle1 == 0){  
motor1.move(0);  
delay(10);  
}  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle2 == (0 + PI/2)){  
motor2.move(0);  
delay(5);  
}  
}  
}  
//delay(10); // this delay is between cycles  
// buld a loop in case one updated\_initial\_  
//if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 == 0 && updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 == 0)

}  
while(1){delay(100);} //forever being executed without starting loop() again  
//return; // start loop() again  
}

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@B](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/B)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691/2 "2026-10-10T01:20:27Z")

</div>

Hi. I am sorry. I forgot to link the encoders to the motors. I also set a tolerance with which the code should work better. Here is the updated code:

/\*  
The following code was built based on the example SimpleFOC control  
code published on this webpage [Position Control example | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/position_control_example) ,  
and other information published on these webpages [Velocity Open-Loop | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/velocity_openloop) ,  
[Library Source | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/source_code) by editing the example SimpleFOC control code.  
The short paper about SimpleFOC was published:  
SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling  
Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) and Stepper Motors. A. Skuric, HS. Bank, R. Unger,  
O. Williams, D. González-Reyes Journal of Open Source Software, 7(74), 4232,

> **[SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling Brushless...](https://joss.theoj.org/papers/10.21105/joss.04232)**
>
> Skuric et al., (2022). SimpleFOC: A Field Oriented Control (FOC) Library for Controlling Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) and Stepper Motors. Journal of Open Source Software, 7(74), 4232, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.04232

\*/

#include \<SimpleFOC.h\>  
#include \<Arduino.h\>

// Setting Motor #1 and Motor #2 having 11 coil pairs

BLDCMotor motor1 = BLDCMotor(11);  
BLDCMotor motor2 = BLDCMotor(11);

// Initialize two 6PWM motor-drivers by assigning HIGH\_Side pins and LOW\_Side pins in sequence  
// ending with the motor-drivers En/VIO/STANDBY pins D17 and D1 appropriately

const int VIO\_PIN1 = D17;  
const int VIO\_PIN2 = D1;

BLDCDriver6PWM driver1 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D26, D19, D22, D4, D27, D23, VIO\_PIN1);  
BLDCDriver6PWM driver2 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D37, D18, D45, D44, D42, D43, VIO\_PIN2);

//Initialize variables for the PWM pins of the PWM wires of the encoders

const int PWM\_pin\_encoder1 = A12; // Connect to the AS5048A encoder #1 PWM pin  
const int PWM\_pin\_encoder2 = A13; // Connect to the AS5048A encoder #2 PWM pin

//Initialize variables for encoder #1 and encoder #2 by MagenticSensorPWM

MagneticSensorPWM encoder1 = MagneticSensorPWM(PWM\_pin\_encoder1, 14, 936);  
MagneticSensorPWM encoder2 = MagneticSensorPWM(PWM\_pin\_encoder2, 14, 876);

// Build Setup() block

void setup(){

Serial.begin(115200);

//Initialize encoder #1 and encoder #2

encoder1.init();  
encoder2.init();

// Link encoders to motors

motor1.linkSensor(&encoder1);  
motor2.linkSensor(&encoder2);

//Setting drivers

driver1.voltage\_power\_supply = 7.4;  
driver2.voltage\_power\_supply = 7.4;

// initiate drivers

driver1.init();  
driver2.init();

// link motors to drivers

motor1.linkDriver(&driver1);  
motor2.linkDriver(&driver2);

// state voltage limit for each motor

motor1.voltage\_limit = 8.4;  
motor2.voltage\_limit = 8.4;

//setting control mode without all PID loops

motor1.controller = MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop;  
motor2.controller = MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop;

// Initialize motors

motor1.init();  
motor2.init();

//delay(??);

}

//SimpleFOC requires to declare loop() to state all other functions:

void loop(){

// state a tolerance variable

float tolerance = 0.02; // defined in radians is 1.145916 degrees

// Setting both rotors at their initial positions

encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();

// the .getAngle() function should output angles in radians

float initial\_angle\_bolt1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
float initial\_angle\_bolt2 = encoder2.getAngle();

// Build if-statements to set both rotors at their initial positions  
float updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1;  
float updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2;  
// build the if-statement to get Rotor #1 at its initial position

if (initial\_angle\_rotor1 \> tolerance){  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 = initial\_angle\_rotor1;  
while(updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 \> tolerance){  
motor1.move(2); // value of the motor #1 velocity is chosen to be positive  
//delay(1);  
encoder1.update();  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
}  
// encoder #1 default zero position (zero radian) is the Rotor #1 initial position  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 \<= tolerance){  
motor1.move(0);  
}  
}

// build the if-statement to get Rotor #2 at its initial position

if (initial\_angle\_rotor2 \> (PI/2 + tolerance) && initial\_angle\_rotor2 \< (PI/2 - tolerance)){  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 = initial\_angle\_rotor2;  
while(updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \> (PI/2 + tolerance) || updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \< (PI/2 - tolerance)){  
motor2.move(-2); // value of the motor #2 velocity is chosen to be negative  
//delay(1);  
encoder2.update();  
updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
}  
// encoder #2 default zero position (zero radian) is not the Rotor #1 initial position  
// Rotor #2 initial position is (0 + pi/2)  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \< (PI/2 + tolerance) && updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \> (PI/2 - tolerance)){  
motor2.move(0);  
}  
}  
delay(20000);  
// Initialize a variable for a number of cycles (one cycle is 360 degrees)

int num\_cycles = 3; // number of cycles is set arbitrarily

// Build a loop to iterate a number of cycles

for (int c = 0; c \< num\_cycles; c++){  
float i = 0;  
float angle1 = 0;  
float angle2 = 0;  
float speed1 = 0;  
float speed2 = 0;

// Build loop to update encoders input angles and calculate a total angle passed by Rotor #1 and Rotor #2  
// This loop also moves both rotors for one cycle  
if (updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor1 \< tolerance && updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \< (PI/2 + tolerance) && updated\_initial\_angle\_rotor2 \> (PI/2 - tolerance)){  
for (i = 0; i \<= PI;){

//update input values of encoders

encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();

//Make i as the average angle of two angles. If both rotors move almost synchronically, it should work out,  
i = (angle1 + (angle2 - PI/2))/2;

// Make speed functions for two 3-Phase BLDC motors so that their speeds increase incrementally  
// 250 RPM (Rotations Per Minute) is about 26.18 Radians Per Second (Rad/s)  
// about 120 milliseconds needed to pass 180 degrees (pi radians) at the speed 26 rad/s  
// rotors require more time to pass 180 degrees because they reach about 26.18 rad/s incrementally  
speed1 = (26.18 / PI); // every iteration set constant speed value to prevent excessively fast growth of speed1  
speed2 = (26.18 / PI); // every iteration set constant speed value to prevent excessively fast growth of speed2  
speed1 = speed1 + (2/3) \* (i \* 26.18 / PI); // Rotor #1 speed increases incrementally  
speed2 = speed2 + (2/3) \* (i \* 26.18 / PI); // Rotor #2 speed increases incrementally  
motor1.move(speed1); // value of the motor #1 velocity is chosen to be positive  
motor2.move(-speed2); // value of the motor #2 velocity is chosen to be negative  
//delay(1); // delay is set to give motors some time to accelerate

[//command.run](https://command.run)();  
delay(1); // delay is set to give motors some time to accelerate and to iterate the loop  
}  
}  
// Build a loop to move Rotor #1 and Rotor #2 through their inertial zones to their initial positions  
encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
float inertial\_zone\_angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
float inertial\_zone\_angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle1 \< (2 \* PI) && inertial\_zone\_angle1 \> PI && inertial\_zone\_angle2 \< (PI / 2) && inertial\_zone\_angle2 \> (3\*PI / 2)){  
for (float n = PI; n \<= (2 \* PI);){  
encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
inertial\_zone\_angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
inertial\_zone\_angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
//Make i as the average angle of two angles. If both rotors move almost synchronically, it should work out,  
n = (inertial\_zone\_angle1 + (inertial\_zone\_angle2 - PI/2))/2;  
motor1.move(0.01); // slowly move Rotor #1 to its initial position through inertial zone  
motor2.move(-0.01); // slowly move Rotor #2 to its initial position through inertial zone  
delay(1); // delay is  
encoder1.update();  
encoder2.update();  
inertial\_zone\_angle1 = encoder1.getAngle();  
inertial\_zone\_angle2 = encoder2.getAngle();  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle1 \< tolerance){  
motor1.move(0);  
delay(10);  
}  
if (inertial\_zone\_angle2 \< (PI/2 + tolerance) && inertial\_zone\_angle2 \> (PI/2 - tolerance)){  
motor2.move(0);  
delay(5);  
}  
}  
}

}  
while(1){delay(100);} //forever being executed without starting loop() again  
}

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@B](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/B)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691/3 "2026-10-12T18:07:05Z")

</div>

Hello. Today I have tried to check just one motor without the encoder and PID-control by using _ **MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop** _. However, the motor (motor #1) did not move at all. Could someone please advise what might be wrong with the code? Here is my code:

/\*  
The following code was built based on the example SimpleFOC control  
code published on this webpage [Position Control example | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/position_control_example),  
and [Library Source | Arduino-FOC](https://docs.simplefoc.com/source_code) by editing the example SimpleFOC control code.  
\*/

#include \<SimpleFOC.h\>  
#include \<Arduino.h\>

// Setting Motor #1 and Motor #2 having 11 coil pairs  
BLDCMotor motor1 = BLDCMotor(11);  
//BLDCMotor motor2 = BLDCMotor(11);

// Initialize two 6PWM motor-drivers  
const int VIO\_PIN1 = D17;  
//const int VIO\_PIN2 = D1;  
BLDCDriver6PWM driver1 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D26, D19, D22, D4, D27, D23, VIO\_PIN1);  
//BLDCDriver6PWM driver2 = BLDCDriver6PWM(D37, D18, D45, D44, D42, D43, VIO\_PIN2);

float target\_velocity = 12.0; // radians per second

void setup() {  
driver1.voltage\_power\_supply = 7.4;  
driver1.init();  
motor1.linkDriver(&driver1);

motor1.voltage\_limit = 7.4;  
motor1.controller = MotionControlType::velocity\_openloop;

motor1.init();  
}

void loop() {  
motor1.loopFOC();  
motor1.move(target\_velocity);  
}

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbspfn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@jbspfn](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/jbspfn)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 6:59am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/code-to-control-two-sparkfun-3-phase-bldc-motors-with-encoders-as5048a/69691/4 "2026-10-13T06:59:29Z")

</div>

> [@B](#):
>
> // initiate drivers
> 
> driver1.init();  
> driver1.init();

I am not sure but seems to me based on the above 2 calls that you are not initializing properly.

driver1.init() is called twice while driver2.init() is not called, leaving it uninitialized.

It should be

driver1.init();

driver2.init();