Central Control Board for Teleoperated Mobile Robot

Overview

I designed the S2 Controller Board, a custom PCB that consolidates control logic, sensor communication, and power distribution for our university’s Competitive Robotics team. It replaced a fragile, disorganized perfboard setup with a single professional-grade unit capable of scaling with future subsystems.

Problem

Our existing control system was unreliable and difficult to debug. Multiple interconnected breadboards with fragile wire connections broke frequently and couldn’t accommodate new sensors. We needed a unified, production-quality solution that could handle competitive robotics demands.

What I built

• Unified PCB replacing multiple breadboards and perfboards
• ESP32 microcontroller with native Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Onboard MPU-6050 accelerometer for positional feedback
• CAN bus communication for motor and auxiliary controller coordination
• Four I2C and four SPI ports for flexible sensor connectivity
• OLED display for real-time system diagnostics
• Status LEDs and buzzer for visual and audio feedback
• Exposed ESP32 pins for future modular expansion

Tech stack

• Microcontroller: ESP32 with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• PCB design: EasyEDA
• Communication: CAN bus, I2C, SPI, UART
• Sensors: MPU-6050 accelerometer
• Power: Barrel jack and USB input with 5V regulation
• Diagnostics: OLED display, status LEDs, buzzer
• Layout: Professional PCB design with proper power distribution

Results

Successfully replaced an unreliable setup with a modular PCB that improved system reliability significantly and reduced debugging time. The board now operates flawlessly in the S2 chassis and scales easily for future subsystems.

Link

GitHub repository: https://github.com/ShayonKhaled/S2-Controller-Board

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