In small automated production lines, precision positioning equipment and similar fields, stepper motors are widely adopted for their high torque at low speeds, simple control, and low cost. However, traditional open-loop steppers — lacking position feedback — commonly suffer from step loss under load fluctuations, torque degradation at high speeds, excessive heat from constant-current operation, and vibration/noise at low speeds. These pain points fall short of the high-precision, high-speed, and low-noise demands of smart manufacturing upgrades.
Closed-loop stepper systems, built on the core principle of real-time position feedback and dynamic error correction, fundamentally resolve the inherent flaws of open-loop control and have become the mainstream upgrade path. To address these industry pain points, Fortior Technology (SSE: 688279; HKEx: 01304) — leveraging its self-developed ME motor control core — has launched a closed-loop stepper driver-control integrated solution powered by FU7371Q.
I Closed-Loop Solution Architecture & Characteristics
1. System Architecture Principles
Fortior's complete closed-loop stepper motor solution adopts an integrated system architecture. By pairing the multi-pole magnet mounted on the motor shaft center with an MR magnetic sensor, it achieves high-precision real-time angle acquisition and builds a stable, reliable position closed-loop control system. Unlike traditional open-loop solutions, this position closed-loop control continuously monitors the motor's true operating state, ensuring zero step loss throughout operation and no accumulation of positioning error.
Stepper Motor
The chip compares the command position against the actual position in real time and dynamically adjusts motor winding current — resolving step loss and jitter at the root. Combined with sinusoidal micro-step driving, segmented power angle control, triple-loop coordinated regulation, and a proprietary sensor calibration algorithm, the solution balances the high rigidity of stepper motors with the high precision and high dynamic response of servo systems.
The solution also emphasizes a highly integrated driver-control-in-one design, significantly simplifying the device's motor control structure and reducing hardware stacking complexity. This effectively shortens product development cycles, lowers tuning difficulty, and addresses open-loop stepper performance shortcomings in one stop — providing equipment manufacturers with a high-integration, fully autonomous, easy-to-deploy China-based precision motion control upgrade solution.
Fortior Closed-Loop Solution System Architecture
2. Core Performance Advantages
In terms of operating performance and energy efficiency, the solution delivers four core advantages: high efficiency, low heat generation, high smoothness, and high precision.
Energy & Thermal: Supports load-adaptive real-time current regulation — dynamically regulates current based on actual equipment load. Under standstill conditions, the motor maintains minimal holding current, fundamentally reducing heat losses and improving overall system efficiency, while retaining full rated torque output capability to handle instantaneous load surges without performance degradation.
Motion Control: Powered by a magnetic encoder-based space-vector current control algorithm, the solution delivers excellent performance across the full speed range, gradually overcoming the industry pain points of low-speed resonance, vibration, and noise in traditional stepper motors — achieving smooth, quiet operation at low speeds.
Combined with high-speed-response servo control technology, it preserves the high-rigidity characteristics of stepper motors while comprehensively enhancing dynamic control precision. Both running and stationary lock modes achieve accurate positioning, perfectly suiting precision, low-noise smart manufacturing scenarios.
II Core Controller FU7371Q: Dual-Core Driver-Control Integrated Chip
FU7371Q is a high-performance servo control chip purpose-built by Fortior for two-phase closed-loop stepper motor applications. It features a dual-core architecture with a RISC-V general-purpose core and Fortior's self-developed motor engine (ME) core — FOC vector computation runs entirely without consuming main controller resources. The entire technology stack is fully self-owned and independent, with no dependency on overseas IP licensing, meeting equipment localization and China-based substitution requirements.
42-Size Two-Phase Stepper Motor
1．Core Chip Capabilities
(1) Rich Peripheral Set, Multi-Scenario & Multi-Protocol Compatibility: Built-in 64 KB Flash, 12 KB RAM; supports SPI, UART, CAN, and other multi-channel communication interfaces; compatible with both pulse direction and Modbus mainstream control modes; integrates programmable op-amps, filters, and a CORDIC trigonometric function module, dramatically simplifying peripheral sampling and control circuitry for the vast majority of precision motion equipment.
(2) Single-Chip Integration, Simplified Design & Shortened Development Cycles: A full suite of functional modules, including 8 channel NMOS pre driver outputs, MR magnetic sensors, and multiple LDO power regulators. Combined with the driver-control integrated system architecture, it eliminates the need for complex peripheral components and simplifies overall hardware design. Packaged in a compact 8x8 mm QFN64, it enables a 40x40 mm micro driver board design while reducing peripheral component count by 80% — effectively streamlining PCB layout, significantly lowering BOM cost, and greatly shortening product R&D and time-to-market cycles.
(3) Exclusive Closed-Loop Features, Low Tuning Barrier: Equipped with full-time position closed-loop control, built-in step-loss and stall prevention protection mechanisms, and vibration-free standstill state. Out-of-the-box preset parameters directly adapt to most operating conditions, eliminating manual complex parameter tuning. Supports adaptive dynamic current regulation — current approaches zero under no-load and standstill conditions, significantly reducing heat and energy consumption, while providing 25%-50% short-time overload capability, eliminating the need to reserve motor torque headroom. Hardware-integrated trapezoidal (T-curve) and S-curve acceleration/deceleration profiles; S-curve start/stop is smooth and jerk-free, perfectly suited for high-precision, high-stability operation scenarios.
2．Measured Performance Leap
Schematic
Under identical motor conditions, the maximum stable operating speed of a traditional open-loop stepper motor falls below 1,000 rpm, while the closed-loop stepper solution powered by FU7371Q achieves a stable speed of over 2,390 rpm — completely addressing the torque degradation issue at high speeds and effectively doubling reciprocating machining and positioning efficiency. The solution comes with the dedicated Fortior Tech Studio 2 host-side debugging software, supporting visual motion waveform monitoring and one-click automatic parameter tuning, drastically reducing equipment development and debugging cycles.
III Core Advantages & Values
(1) Full-spectrum Performance Upgrade, Enhancing End-Product Competitiveness: Zero step loss throughout operation, no cumulative positioning error; low vibration and low noise across the entire speed range; sufficient torque output at high speeds. With intelligent overload protection, the solution effectively reduces workpiece rejection rates and significantly improves equipment operational stability and finished-product yield.
(2) Highly Integrated Design, Optimized Hardware Cost: A single chip integrates the full suite of driving, analog, and sensing peripherals, enabling an ultra-compact electronic control board footprint. No need for oversized, overrated motors — simplifying overall heat dissipation and mechanical structure design — with notable optimization in total material and production costs.
(3) Streamlined Development, Accelerated Time-to-Market: Complete motor control algorithms are hardware-accelerated, eliminating the need for manufacturers to assemble a specialized algorithm team. Fortior provides complete hardware schematics, low-level driver source code, and mature debugging tools. Supported by multiple branch offices in China and the R&D center in Singapore, Fortior offers dedicated one-on-one technical support throughout the project, ensuring rapid deployment and mass production.
IV Mature Application Scenarios
The closed-loop stepper motor solution powered by FU7371Q features compact size, wide voltage range, high reliability, and competitive cost performance, and has already been deployed in certain industry applications.
(1) Industrial Automation Precision Production Lines: Compatible with standard 12-36 V factory power supply and various PLC pulse and Modbus communication protocols. Widely applied in small dispensing machines, electronic component inspection, micro-assembly, and light-duty conveying & positioning stations. The driver-control integrated module simplifies production-line electronic control layout and runs silently at low speeds, suitable for cleanroom precision production environments.
(2) Extended Application Scenarios: Flexibly adaptable to laboratory precision positioning platforms, micro engraving machines, medical micro dosing equipment, optical focusing mechanisms, and other specialized devices with stringent requirements for quiet operation, high precision, and zero step loss.
The shift from open-loop coarse control to closed-loop precise control represents the core iterative trend in the stepper motor motion control industry. Fortior Technology, with its fully self-developed ME core and the highly integrated closed-loop stepper motor controller powered by FU7371Q at the center, complemented by a streamlined and efficient closed-loop control architecture, provides a one-stop solution to performance shortcomings of traditional open-loop stepper motors.
Going forward, Fortior Technology will continue to deepen its presence in the high-performance motor driver-control chip arena. With independently controllable core technologies, systematic solutions, and full-lifecycle technical services, Fortior is committed to helping global equipment manufacturers achieve product upgrades and local substitution — powering high-quality development in smart manufacturing through precise, stable, and efficient motion control technologies.