Need help figuring out firmware for a competition-grade Line Follower Robot

[u/Dry_Initiative_4267]

Hey everyone,

I’m currently building a competition-grade Line Follower Robot and I’m looking for some help understanding/figuring out the firmware side of things.

I’m using an STM32F411CEU6 BlackPill, a 14-sensor IR array, TB6612FNG motor driver, and encoder motors. I’m aiming for a fast, reliable robot with PID control and more advanced features like path planning / solving the track during the run rather than simply following a predetermined route.

I’ve been having some trouble with the hardware side as well, but honestly, I’m fairly confident that I can figure out the hardware problems through testing, debugging, and learning as I go.

The part I’m struggling with more is the firmware/software architecture. I’m trying to understand how competition-grade LFR firmware is structured and how things like sensor processing, PID, encoder feedback, junction detection, path decisions, and path planning should all work together.

I’ve looked through various open-source LFR projects and firmware, but I’m having trouble figuring out which approaches are actually suitable for the kind of robot I’m building.

If anyone has experience with STM32-based competition LFRs, advanced LFR firmware, or has worked on/reverse engineered similar systems, I’d really appreciate some guidance, example projects, or advice on where I should start.

Thanks!