Bipolar stepper motor vibrating, not turning

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello,

I have a bipolar stepper motor with following specs:

Voltage: 12V
Current: 1.5A
Wires: 4

I am providing it 12V directly from a PC power supply. But the motor is not running.

Then I have tried running it from easydriver, but it is only vibrating according to the code and not moving. Here is the code:

[ltr][color=#313334][color=#808080]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]
[color=#808080]//©2011 bildr[/color]
[color=#808080]//Released under the MIT License - Please reuse change and share[/color]
[color=#808080]//Using the easy stepper with your arduino[/color]
[color=#808080]//use rotate and/or rotateDeg to controll stepper motor[/color]
[color=#808080]//speed is any number from .01 -> 1 with 1 being fastest - [/color]
[color=#808080]//Slower Speed == Stronger movement[/color]
[color=#808080]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]


[color=#808080]#define DIR_PIN 2[/color]
[color=#808080]#define STEP_PIN 3[/color]

[color=#f63333]void[/color] setup[color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#66cc66])[/color] [color=#66cc66]{[/color] 
 [color=#000066]pinMode[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]DIR_PIN, [color=#000000][b]OUTPUT[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]pinMode[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]STEP_PIN, [color=#000000][b]OUTPUT[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
[color=#66cc66]}[/color] 

[color=#f63333]void[/color] loop[color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#66cc66])[/color][color=#66cc66]{[/color] 

 [color=#808080]//rotate a specific number of degrees [/color]
 rotateDeg[color=#66cc66]([/color]360, 1[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delay[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]1000[color=#66cc66])[/color];

 rotateDeg[color=#66cc66]([/color]-360, .1[color=#66cc66])[/color]; [color=#808080]//reverse[/color]
 [color=#000066]delay[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]1000[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 


 [color=#808080]//rotate a specific number of microsteps (8 microsteps per step)[/color]
 [color=#808080]//a 200 step stepper would take 1600 micro steps for one full revolution[/color]
 rotate[color=#66cc66]([/color]1600, .5[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delay[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]1000[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 

 rotate[color=#66cc66]([/color]-1600, .25[color=#66cc66])[/color]; [color=#808080]//reverse[/color]
 [color=#000066]delay[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]1000[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
[color=#66cc66]}[/color]



[color=#f63333]void[/color] rotate[color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#f63333]int[/color] steps, [color=#f63333]float[/color] speed[color=#66cc66])[/color][color=#66cc66]{[/color] 
 [color=#808080]//rotate a specific number of microsteps (8 microsteps per step) - (negitive for reverse movement)[/color]
 [color=#808080]//speed is any number from .01 -> 1 with 1 being fastest - Slower is stronger[/color]
 [color=#f63333]int[/color] dir = [color=#66cc66]([/color]steps > 0[color=#66cc66])[/color]? [color=#000000][b]HIGH[/b][/color]:[color=#000000][b]LOW[/b][/color];
 steps = [color=#000066]abs[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]steps[color=#66cc66])[/color];

 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]DIR_PIN,dir[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 

 [color=#f63333]float[/color] usDelay = [color=#66cc66]([/color]1/speed[color=#66cc66])[/color] * [color=#ff33ff]70[/color];

 [color=#a1a100]for[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#f63333]int[/color] i=[color=#ff33ff]0[/color]; i < steps; i++[color=#66cc66])[/color][color=#66cc66]{[/color] 
 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]STEP_PIN, [color=#000000][b]HIGH[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delayMicroseconds[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]usDelay[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 

 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]STEP_PIN, [color=#000000][b]LOW[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delayMicroseconds[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]usDelay[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#66cc66]}[/color] 
[color=#66cc66]}[/color] 

[color=#f63333]void[/color] rotateDeg[color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#f63333]float[/color] deg, [color=#f63333]float[/color] speed[color=#66cc66])[/color][color=#66cc66]{[/color] 
 [color=#808080]//rotate a specific number of degrees (negitive for reverse movement)[/color]
 [color=#808080]//speed is any number from .01 -> 1 with 1 being fastest - Slower is stronger[/color]
 [color=#f63333]int[/color] dir = [color=#66cc66]([/color]deg > 0[color=#66cc66])[/color]? [color=#000000][b]HIGH[/b][/color]:[color=#000000][b]LOW[/b][/color];
 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]DIR_PIN,dir[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 

 [color=#f63333]int[/color] steps = [color=#000066]abs[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]deg[color=#66cc66])[/color]*[color=#66cc66]([/color]1/0.225[color=#66cc66])[/color];
 [color=#f63333]float[/color] usDelay = [color=#66cc66]([/color]1/speed[color=#66cc66])[/color] * [color=#ff33ff]70[/color];

 [color=#a1a100]for[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color][color=#f63333]int[/color] i=[color=#ff33ff]0[/color]; i < steps; i++[color=#66cc66])[/color][color=#66cc66]{[/color] 
 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]STEP_PIN, [color=#000000][b]HIGH[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delayMicroseconds[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]usDelay[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 

 [color=#000066]digitalWrite[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]STEP_PIN, [color=#000000][b]LOW[/b][/color][color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#000066]delayMicroseconds[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]usDelay[color=#66cc66])[/color]; 
 [color=#66cc66]}[/color] 
[color=#66cc66]}[/color][/color][/ltr]

Regards

2

That usually means that the wires are not connected from the driver to the motor in the right order.

3

I have detected the coils by lighting an LED, so am connecting them in order.

I have used this tutorial to drive the motor directly from the supply, but in vain.


4

These links may be useful
Stepper Motor Basics
Simple Stepper Code

And please post code properly - use the code button </>

so your code looks like this

and is easy to copy to a text editor. See How to use the Forum

...R

5

Capri2794:
I have detected the coils by lighting an LED, so am connecting them in order.

I have used this tutorial to drive the motor directly from the supply, but in vain.

youtube

Just corrected your link

...R

6

I don't have the patience to watch 4 minutes of video. I can't imagine what value there is in trying to run a stepper motor without a driver.

An Easydriver can only provide 750mA. You need a BigEasydriver or a Pololu A4988 or (slightly better than them) the POlolu DRV8825 for your 1.5amp motor.

...R

7

Thank you Robin. That was a great help.

8

Are you sure your motor does 200 steps per rev? You might be pulsing too fast. It's not clear from the code that you are actually 8x micro-stepping. Show a schematic and reference the motor, and driver please.

The LED test tells you which wires are on which coils. At the end of the video the dude says there are 4 ways to hook up the wires. Did you try them all?

Capri2794:
I have detected the coils by lighting an LED, so am connecting them in order.

I have used this tutorial to drive the motor directly from the supply, but in vain.

[

[/quote]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEcQW5rCbSQ)

9

ps, the 'direct-to-transformer' method only works with AC, or at best half-wave rectified current(with an appropriate voltage divider.) Is your 12V power supply DC?

Well, that, and it turns an expensive stepper motor into an expensive AC motor. Probably ideal for a geared clock, but wastes the control that a normal stepper affords. If that's what you are after, why not use a synchronous motor.