AMAX Advanced Systems — Synapse EBC

Automotive Digital Boost Controller & Embedded Closed-Loop Pressure Management System

Project Overview

The Synapse EBC is a custom-engineered electronic boost controller designed to deliver precise, closed-loop manifold pressure regulation for high-performance forced-induction applications. Built to bridge the gap between expensive motorsport-grade standalone units and generic open-loop manual controllers, the system combines robust automotive-grade power protection circuitry with a high-performance microcontroller architecture and real-time firmware.

Key Features & Capabilities

• Closed-Loop Control Algorithm: Utilizes real-time pressure sampling to dynamically adjust duty cycle to target boost curves efficiently while mitigating overshoots and compressor surge.

• Automotive Power Conditioning: Designed with robust transient voltage suppression (TVS), reverse polarity protection, and a regulated power supply capable of withstanding harsh automotive electrical environments (load dumps, alternator noise, and voltage drops).

• Local User Interface: Features integrated display rendering and hardware input handling for real-time target adjustment and monitoring.

• Modular Firmware Architecture: Written in C++ utilizing modern embedded frameworks for efficient task scheduling, PWM generation, and sensor polling.

Hardware Architecture & PCB Design

The hardware centers around a custom printed circuit board designed from the schematic up to meet tight spatial and electrical constraints in an automotive engine bay.

• Microcontroller Unit: Powered by an ESP32-S3 dual-core processor, providing ample processing overhead for real-time control loops, wireless telemetry logging, and rich display rendering.

• Schematic & Layout: Engineered using EasyEDA Pro, featuring strict separation between noisy high-current switching circuits (solenoid driver stages) and sensitive analog sensor inputs to maintain signal integrity.

• Fabrication & Assembly: Custom multi-layer PCB layout incorporating dedicated ground planes, surface-mount passive components, and robust header connections for MAP sensors and high-frequency solenoid valves.

Firmware & Software Stack

• Development Environment: Built in C++ using PlatformIO for streamlined dependency management, cross-compilation, and unit testing.

• Display & Graphics Pipeline: Utilizes optimized display libraries (TFT_eSPI) paired with custom color-conversion and graphics optimization routines (including 2D Bayer pattern dithering for smooth UI gradients on resource-constrained embedded displays).

• Sensor Integration: Low-latency polling of analog manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensors with digital filtering to eliminate pressure spike noise.

Current Development Status

Phase: Hardware Validation & Bench Testing

The project has successfully cleared schematic capture, PCB fabrication, and initial board bring-up. Current development is focused on:

• Validating thermal performance and power supply stability under simulated engine-bay conditions.

• Tuning the closed-loop PID control loop response curves against bench pneumatic pressure rigs.

• Finalizing enclosure integration and harness pinout verification prior to real-world vehicle installation.

Categorised in: Portfolio

This post was written by amax