Thesis: Single-Cable Technology-Further Development and Validation of the Feedback Interface

Summer Semester 2027 – fixed term of 3–6 months

Single-cable technology is a modern approach to drive systems that transmits both power and motor feedback through a single motor cable. This eliminates the need for a separate encoder cable, reducing cabling and installation effort, space requirements and costs.

At the heart of the technology is a fully digital, interference-resistant feedback interface that reliably transmits position and speed data from the motor feedback system to the motor controller in real time. Various hardware platforms can be used to implement this interface, including FPGAs, ASICs and microcontrollers. Each approach has its own advantages and limitations. In addition, protecting communication against modern cybersecurity threats is becoming increasingly important.

In this thesis, you will investigate different implementation approaches and develop concepts for securing communication.

YOUR TASKS:

• Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of single-cable technology, including the protocol, system architecture, and safety and security concepts of the underlying feedback interface.
• Analyze existing implementations and investigate how the interface can be implemented on different hardware platforms.
• Develop concepts for securing communication and implement selected cryptographic measures in a proof of concept.
• Evaluate your results based on criteria such as performance, resource requirements and security, and compare different approaches.
• Document your findings and derive recommendations for further development.

YOUR PROFILE:

• Degree studies in electrical engineering, (technical) computer science or a comparable field
• Good programming skills, ideally in C/C++; experience in embedded software development is an advantage
• Basic knowledge of low-level hardware development, such as FPGA/VHDL or microcontrollers, is an advantage
• Experience or interest in cybersecurity and cryptography is an advantage
• Interest in digital communication interfaces and low-level hardware development
• Independent, structured and analytical working style, with an interest in tackling complex technical topics

Contact: Sarah Disch