About

Welcome

Welcome to Motor Control Lab, a technical resource for engineers working with motor drives, power electronics, and industrial automation systems.

This blog is created primarily for myself to document what I learn and know in the field of motor controls, power electronics, and automotive systems. Anyone is welcome to use it for reference or inspiration.

As technology evolves, so does the content creation process. Most of the newer posts on this site are written with the assistance of AI tools and coding agents. While the content is reviewed and curated, please use these posts as a reference and a valid starting point for your own research. Always verify critical implementation details, especially for production systems.

About the Author

I'm Snehal Shinde, a Senior Motor Controls Engineer specializing in developing and validating advanced electric machine control systems for next-generation electric vehicles. With over 9 years of experience in automotive controls, electric machine modeling, and power electronics, I've contributed to cutting-edge projects across the electric vehicle industry.

Professional Background

Currently at Lucid Motors (4+ years), I develop comprehensive test environments for EV products, validate stator Field-Oriented Controllers (FOC), and collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate advanced position sensors. My work encompasses motor control calibration, dynamic modeling of electric machines, and thermal analysis—contributing directly to vehicle efficiency and performance optimization.

Prior to Lucid, I held senior engineering roles at Lordstown Motors and TAE Technologies, where I developed motor control algorithms, conducted Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using tools like Altair Flux, Ansys Maxwell, and Motor-CAD, and implemented sensorless control techniques. My early career at Tata Consultancy Services focused on Model-Based Development (MBD) for hybrid electric vehicles, where I improved fuel efficiency by 8% through optimized control strategies.

Education & Expertise

I hold a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (Automotive Systems and Controls) from Michigan Technological University, where I also served as a Teaching Assistant for Electric Circuits and Microcontroller Applications. My technical expertise spans:

  • Electric Machine Modeling & Simulation — PMSM, induction motors, loss analysis, thermal modeling
  • Motor Control Algorithms — Field-Oriented Control (FOC), sensorless control, torque vectoring
  • Power Electronics & Converters — Bi-directional DC-DC converters, inverter control
  • Model-Based Development (MBD) — MATLAB/Simulink, embedded code generation, HIL testing
  • Control Systems Engineering — PI/PID tuning, Bode analysis, cascaded control loops
  • FEA Tools — Altair Flux, Ansys Maxwell, Motor-CAD

Philosophy

I believe in combining rigorous theoretical foundations with hands-on practical guidance. Every post on this blog is designed to help practicing engineers—whether you're commissioning a VFD, tuning a servo system, diagnosing encoder noise, or implementing functional safety features. My goal is to bridge the gap between academic control theory and real-world industrial applications.

What You'll Find Here

This blog covers:

  • Field-Oriented Control (FOC) — Current loops, Park/Clarke transforms, and advanced control techniques
  • Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) — Commissioning workflows, parameter tuning, and troubleshooting
  • Servo Systems — Position control, velocity loops, Bode analysis, and system integration

Philosophy

Every post on this site follows a structured format that includes:

  • Theory and conceptual foundations
  • Mathematical derivations (with KaTeX rendering)
  • Block diagrams and flowcharts (using Mermaid)
  • Real-world scenarios and practical examples
  • References to standards, datasheets, and application notes
  • Key takeaways and FAQs

The goal is to provide deeply technical yet accessible content that engineers can reference during design, commissioning, and troubleshooting.

Connect

I'd love to hear from you: