The serves as the blueprint for one of the most widely used open-source, high-performance Field Oriented Control (FOC) dual-axis motor controllers in robotics history. While officially designated as "Not Recommended for New Designs" (NRND) by ODrive Robotics in favor of the newer Pro, S1, and Micro ecosystems, the v3.6 hardware remains highly relevant. It is heavily utilized in custom DIY builds, quadruped robots, CNC conversions, and commercial clones like the Makerbase MKS ODrive and Flipsky ODESC .
RDS(on)cap R sub cap D cap S open paren o n close paren end-sub
The ODrive v3.6 is not just a motor driver; it's a programmable control hub. The schematic details the pinouts for:
The gate driver turns the actual power switches on and off. These switches are called .
The schematic breaks out multiple I/O ports to make the ODrive highly versatile: odrive 3.6 schematic
The location of these resistors is the same as on the v3.5 board, so those drawings can be used as a reference.
The schematic contains two primary grounds: and PGND (Power Ground) . Keep these planes physically isolated on your layout.
The ODrive 3.6 schematic can process continuous currents exceeding 60 Amps per phase under proper cooling.
Upgrades these components to 60V or 75V rated MOSFETs, accompanied by higher voltage-rated ceramic and electrolytic smoothing capacitors. Dual-Shunt Current Sense Circuitry The serves as the blueprint for one of
: The board is available in 24V and 56V variants. The primary difference in their schematics lies in the voltage ratings of the electrolytic capacitors and power MOSFETs. ODrive Community Key Interfaces & Connectivity
Processes telemetry, encoder data, and control algorithms.
Unlike many commercial motor drivers, the ODrive v3.6 is an open-source hardware project. Its schematics, PCB layout files, and firmware are freely available. The primary repository for these design files is on GitHub ( ODriveHardware ). This commitment to openness has spurred innovation, enabled custom modifications, and fostered a large, collaborative community around the board.
The tiny voltage drop across these shunts is routed via differential pairs back to the DRV8301's internal current sense amplifiers, which output an analog voltage proportional to the phase current directly to the STM32's ADCs. Power Regulation (Buck & LDO) The board requires several voltage domains: Motor Power ( VBUScap V sub cap B cap U cap S end-sub ), 5V for peripherals, and 3.3V for the MCU and logic. 5V Rail: Generated directly from VBUScap V sub cap B cap U cap S end-sub RDS(on)cap R sub cap D cap S open
The schematic goes beyond simple connectivity; it reveals the intricate design decisions that make the ODrive such a robust controller.
Pins share hardware filters to allow direct attachment of brushless motor internal hall feedback lines for sensored control.
: For the 56V version, avoid exceeding 60V even for a moment, as this can cause avalanche breakdown in the chips. Using a pre-charge circuit or anti-spark connectors (like an XT90-S ) is highly recommended to prevent inrush current damage.