This project is a compact brushless MPPT controller designed to drive small BLDC motors directly from solar cells with maximum possible efficiency. It combines a three-phase brushless motor controller with integrated maximum power point tracking, so the electronics continuously adapt to the available solar power instead of wasting energy in fixed operating points.

The controller measures both current and voltage, allowing it to track the solar cell’s operating point and regulate motor power dynamically. By using eGaN power devices, the design achieves very low switching and conduction losses, enabling high-frequency operation, reduced heat generation, and a much smaller power stage than conventional silicon MOSFET designs.

I built this PCB because I could not find anything commercially available that was this small, this efficient, and this well suited to direct solar-powered brushless motor control. Existing solutions are usually larger, less optimized, or designed as either MPPT chargers or motor controllers, but not both in one tightly integrated system.

The second reason is simpler: because I can. Designing it was technically challenging, enjoyable, and a good opportunity to combine power electronics, firmware, solar tracking, and compact PCB design into one fun experimental controller.