Flagship embedded platform / public technical project

Dual-Core Optical
Motion Testbed.

A complete embedded motion-control and measurement platform built around the STM32H747 dual-core architecture.

Herder Elektronische Systemen completed the embedded firmware, inter-core communications, shared-memory telemetry, host software, automated data acquisition, characterization tooling, electrical integration and customer-facing engineering documentation for an operational precision-motion research platform.

Operational system · Verified architecture · Reproducible test records · Customer-facing documentation

STM32H747400 / 200 MHzOPENAMP / RPMSGAXI-SRAM RINGSTEP / DIR

Engineering across
the complete system.

This project required more than writing firmware for a microcontroller. The completed platform connects real-time motion sequencing, dual-core coordination, deterministic data movement, physical interfaces, host-side acquisition, fault supervision and repeatable engineering analysis.

The resulting system provides a documented path from commanded motion to timestamped records, live visualization, saved datasets and post-test characterization.

400 MHzCortex-M7 execution
200 MHzCortex-M4 execution
100 HzTimestamped transfer
64 bytesMotion record size

Control traffic and measurement data
follow separate paths.

Detailed STM32H747 dual-core architecture diagram showing Cortex-M7 motion sequencing, Cortex-M4 telemetry, OpenAMP RPMsg coordination and an AXI-SRAM ring buffer
STM32H747 architecture separating low-rate OpenAMP/RPMsg coordination from the shared-memory motion-data path.

The Cortex-M7 performs motion sequencing, sample production, shared-ring management and supervisory requests. The Cortex-M4 operates the remote OpenAMP endpoint, consumes shared-memory records, tracks sequence integrity and transfers validated telemetry to the host application.

OpenAMP/RPMsg is reserved for bounded coordination messages, while high-rate motion records move through a dedicated AXI-SRAM ring buffer. This prevents routine measurement traffic from competing with heartbeat, status and fault communication.

Firmware, host software
and physical interfaces.

Embedded platform

STM32H747 Cortex-M7 at 400 MHz and Cortex-M4 at 200 MHz; OpenAMP/RPMsg inter-core command and status transport; AXI-SRAM shared-memory ring buffer; explicit cache and MPU handling; timestamped 64-byte motion records; sequence-gap, overflow, dropped-record and protocol accounting; per-core heartbeat and fault reporting; STEP/DIR and differential encoder integration.

Host and validation software

Live telemetry and motion visualization; structured CSV logging with run metadata; malformed-row and incomplete-run detection; partial-run recovery; static and dynamic motion tests; step-response processing; low-speed tracking analysis; Allan deviation analysis; and closed-loop frequency-response characterization.

The platform was inherited as a multidisciplinary research system and completed as an operational engineering product.

The final delivery unified embedded firmware, dual-core communication, high-rate data transfer, physical motion interfaces, host software, automated acquisition, characterization workflows, PCB documentation and reproducible engineering evidence.

The built system
in the lab.

The project is presented as a complete physical platform, not only a firmware diagram. The released evidence shows the assembled motion mechanism, the mechanical stack, the controller and the test setup used for characterization.

Demonstrations
coming soon.

The recorded platform and host-interface demonstrations are being prepared for external video hosting. The local source masters are retained separately and are not included in the Cloudflare Pages deployment.

Physical platform demonstrationExternal video hosting required

The local demonstration master is retained outside the Pages deployment because it exceeds the Cloudflare per-file limit.

Host interface demonstrationExternal video hosting required

The local demonstration master is retained outside the Pages deployment because it exceeds the Cloudflare per-file limit.

From prototype hardware
to a testable platform.

System behavior

Operational dual-core system

Both processor cores coordinate through bounded messaging and shared-memory transfer.

Data integrity

Traceable motion data

Timestamped records include sequence and integrity information suitable for automated verification.

Characterization

Low-speed testing

Controlled testing covers approximately 0.002–0.010 deg/s motion rates.

Acquisition

Repeatable workflows

Static and dynamic routines produce structured datasets with metadata and completion checks.

Electrical

Documented interface

The public package includes encoder and STEP/DIR schematic, interface definition and PCB evidence.

Release package

Customer-facing records

Firmware, electrical records, release notes, checksums, FRDs and repository structure are published together.

Engineering records that
carry the work forward.

Dual-core firmware metrics summary

Dual-Core Firmware and Host Engineering Report

Architecture, interfaces, telemetry, validation and implementation evidence.

Open firmware / host FRD ↗
Preview of the custom encoder and STEP DIR interface schematic

Platform Electrical Engineering Report

Controller interfaces, encoder path, motor-control connections and PCB integration.

Open electrical FRD ↗
Custom interface PCB render

Encoder and STEP/DIR Interface Schematic

Public electrical record for the custom differential interface board.

Open schematic ↗

Inspect the
implementation.

The public repository preserves the release structure, firmware and host documentation, electrical records, architecture diagrams, measured results, source excerpts and checksums used to make the platform understandable and reproducible.

Need a difficult embedded platform completed?

Bring the
whole system.

We support R&D teams that need firmware, instrumentation, host software, electrical integration and technical evidence brought together into one understandable and testable system.

Start a technical discussion

Or write directly: [email protected]