I am willing to run 4 stepper motors (NEMA 17) at the same time and at the same speed. However, I need 2 motors to run clockwise and the other 2 to run anticlockwise.
Is it possible to connect each stepper motor to its own Big Easy Driver but to connect the wires that go from each driver to the arduino, to the same pins on the arduino? (E.g. all MS1 to pin 4, all MS2 to pin 5, etc.)
Then to make sure 2 motors run in the opposite direction of the other 2, I would reverse the way I plug in the coils. This way (at least in my head) the arduino would 'think' there is only one motor and each motor would run at the same time, same speed, but opposite directions.
Is this at all possible? If not, how would I achieve my goal of running multiple steppers at the same time, same speed and opposite directions? (In a smooth manner because I heard the accelstepper library may limit smoothness)
Is it possible to connect each stepper motor to its own Big Easy Driver
Of course. That is what you have to do.
but to connect the wires that go from each driver to the arduino, to the same pins on the arduino?
Yes, but, if you do that, all the motors will go the same direction. If you want to have two go one way and two go the other, you need to use three pins. The step pin can be shared by all 4 drivers. Each of the two direction pins are shared by two of the drivers.
Don't try to diddle with the way that the stepper is connected to the driver.