Slot Racing Club

INF ESC Core is moving into a new generation.

The next release will be v2.0.0.

The past months have been unusually busy with work and university studies, and January hasn’t exactly been the easiest either. That said, my schedule is finally starting to open up, and based on the current outlook, INF ESC Core v2.0.0 should be released later this month.

What’s coming in v2.0.0?

The most significant change is that the entire software architecture has been redesigned. This affects both the internal structure and how different parts of the system interact. This is not a small refactor, but a structural rework, which is why the major version is bumped and the v1.x.x series is officially retired.

On a practical level, the new version introduces:

Brake control as a clean, first-class parameter. If the ESC board hardware supports it, the value can be adjusted directly through the user interface without any external tools or dedicated programming devices, unless the board itself genuinely requires them.

Additional tunable parameters, exposed directly at the Core level.

Support for 12-step commutation alongside the existing 6-step mode. 12-step offers finer control and smoother behavior, but it also places higher demands on the MCU. This was one of the main reasons the architecture had to be redesigned from the ground up.

In real driving terms, commutation directly affects how smoothly and predictably the car responds to throttle input. More precise commutation improves low-speed control, braking feel, and stability through corners, reducing the notchy or unpredictable behavior some setups suffer from. The difference is most noticeable when consistency and grip matter more than outright top speed.

With v2.0.0, the firmware can also be optimized for specific motor configurations, for example setups like 1105 / 6500 KV / 12 magnet or 1105 / 22000 KV / 6 magnet. This is not about chasing raw power, but about matching the control logic more closely to the motor itself. For the driver, this shows up as smoother throttle modulation, more predictable behavior, and a car that’s simply easier to drive, especially on technical sections of the track.

Developer note (preview):
If it fits cleanly within the final v2.0.0 scope, Core may also include an experimental dynamic advance mode. In this setup, advance-related behavior is adjusted based on effective operating voltage, allowing the motor to behave more torque-focused at lower voltages and shift toward a more free-revving character as voltage increases. The configuration uses simple voltage thresholds, requires no additional sensors or hardware, and can be fully disabled. This is an experimental feature intended to explore drivability improvements using a concept already familiar in slot racing through fixed advance anchors, but applied here dynamically in firmware.

Development environment and extensibility

The release will also include:

Docker-based development containers for different use cases, especially for improved desktop-level testing. These are tools I already use myself, now packaged in a publishable form.

Fully abstract MCU support: Core is no longer tied to specific microcontroller families. Any MCU family can be added as long as it implements Core’s internal API contract.

The ability to define and build your own ESC board, including MCU selection and MOSFET characteristics.

Build process and constraints

Issues in earlier releases that forced manual builds have been resolved. Going forward, the build system validates firmware size automatically and ensures the binary fits the target MCU family and ESC board configuration exactly.

As the overall feature set grows, it’s worth noting that the real challenge is often less about ideas and more about fitting everything into a very tight firmware footprint. At this level, the main battle is frequently with the compiler - structuring code and abstractions so they optimize cleanly and deterministically within limited flash and RAM. This is also where Core’s abstraction model matters: if you have the skills, you’re free to implement your own MCU and board definitions and squeeze every last bit out of your hardware. The flexibility is there, but so is the responsibility.

Final notes

INF ESC Core is a hobby project for me, developed alongside work, university studies (yes, multiple degrees), exam periods, and everyday life. And, of course, family time matters too. My wife has also made it clear that sitting at the computer from 6am to 9pm, every single day, is not considered a sustainable long-term plan.... 🫩

As a final developer-side note: I’ve also been working on a more aggressive codebase that pushes optimization even further. That work lives in a closed codebase, and for now remains experimental and exploratory in nature.

Thanks for your patience. More details will follow as the release gets closer.