Thanks for your reply rpt007 ! That is really helpful stuff 
Im going to go with the DRV8825 driver. I will pick one up for the store tomorrow and probably barrage you all with questions then
If i can pull this off i ow you all a beer !
bellows:
Im going to go with the DRV8825 driver.
That is a poor investment for controlling a motor that requires 2 amps. Get a driver that can handle 3 or 4 amps so it has some headroom.
...R
@Robin2:
Basically I agree, but it all depends on the torque which the TO really needs for his application.
He seems to have not much experience with electronics and steppers, so he might just have bought "something" - a NEMA 23 sized stepper is already a very strong beast - if he really needs this device for his application, he must go with a much stronger driver.
But we are guessing around before we don't have the facts.
To start with stepper applications a A4988 or DRV8825 is not the worst idea as the loss of one device by having burnt it, just gives you a learning effect and doesn't ruin you ;-). And: it will also even drive a NEMA23, when it is stepping without or only little load.
First, one should learn what parameters in such an application are to be considered, learn how to get the whole thing step without losing steps and then go with a more expensive device like a DM542, GEKKO or so - just my personal opinion based on my experience when I started 2 years ago with Arduino and stepper motors from scratch.
rpt007:
He seems to have not much experience with electronics and steppers, so he might just have bought "something" - a NEMA 23 sized stepper is already a very strong beast - if he really needs this device for his application, he must go with a much stronger driver
While he was working with an A4988 that he already had I shared your approach - try what you have and see if it works OK.
But now that he is faced with spending money it seems silly not to buy a driver that can comfortably control the motor. AFAIK driver boards with TB6560 chips will be adequate and not outrageously expensive.
...R
Good Morning All
Cheers for all your input.
Ok i think i agree with robin on this one. I really should just buy exactly what i need for this project that will work without fault. As long as its not hundreds of dollars that is fine
He seems to have not much experience with electronics and steppers, so he might just have bought "something" - a NEMA 23 sized stepper is already a very strong beast - if he really needs this device for his application, he must go with a much stronger driver.
This is very true. When i went to the components store and i explained my project they gave me this and said better to be over powered than under powered so i just took it. They did have smaller stepper motors in there and i just asked for the A4988 because that was on the instructables i was following.
would it save me a lot of hassle to just buy a smaller motor?
I will be turning a small wheel on the motor to a bigger wheel , pulley style and from that bigger wheel a rope/wire will raise and drop the bellows i am making. So i will be need quite a bit of torque/power.
As far as the stepper driver for the job goes are these my options .
TB6560
DM542
Which would you recommend? and is there a online supplier that you all use ?
I am guessing also if i go with using a different stepper motor i will also need different code for my arduino?
I seriously appreciate how helpful and patient you have all been. Im hoping i will get there in the end .
The Leadshine driver will probably be better quality - but whether it is worth the extra money only you can decide. I would be content with the cheaper driver.
Buying a smaller motor is another option. But make sure you know how much torque your project needs before you go down that route.
Changing the motor or the driver is unlikely to affect the Arduino code. The Arduino just blindly outputs step and direction signals. Of course the program must take account of the capability of the motor to move without missing steps by using low speed or suitable accelerations.
...R
ok great thanks robin.
The TB6560 it is.
I will keep you all posted.
Thanks
Is there recommended supplier for the TB6560 driver? I am currently in Toronto Canada . All the places i see online are from china and will take over two weeks delivery !
I have no suggestion. I am in the UK.
...R
Thats cool Robin. Im usually based in the uk but out in Canada for a project. Everything is kinda new right now haha.
Have you ever come across the TB6600 ? Its a pretty good price and looks like it should do the job .
IMHO any driver that can provide enough current and can operate at the voltage you want will be suitable. I have no way of knowing whether this one or that one is built with better or worse quality control.
...R
Sure i get you.
I have gone with the TB6600 because i can get one delivered in a couple of days and should do the job.
Thanks again.
Hello everyone!
So this is where i am at.... not very far. I ordered the tb6600 from the only place that could get it to me on time and it never arrived and i had a bad experience with customer service .
So if anyone is planning on ordering anything from https://abra-electronics.com/ i would think again.
So now time is not on my side at all and there is not much i could do .. so i decided i would jut have to get a DRV8825 and just hope that i dont burn it out .... but in the basement of a electronic store in Toronto i found this ..
Has anyone come across this VNH 2SP30 stepper driver before ?
It said 30A for Arduino on so i though amazing this must be the thing i need.
I cant seem to find any wiring diagrams of it ? It looks very similar to the Easy Driver but there is only one A and one B out puts for the stepper motor?? Does this mean it wont work ?? im guessing i cant just put both A pairs in the single A port ??
Does anyone have any experience with this driver ? or should i just ditch it now and try a different route and not waste my time on it .
Look forward to hearing what you all have to say
cheers
Jake
bellows:
It looks very similar to the Easy Driver
Most microchips look similar. That means nothing.
I think you have something like this Pololu driver
That is not a stepper driver. It is a H-bridge for a single DC motor. You would need two of them to drive a stepper motor and they would not be as effective as a specialized stepper driver. They will have neither micro-stepping nor a current-limiting capability - but they can certainly carry enough current to fry your stepper motor.
...R
That is a great device. Very flexible and almost indestructible. But it is in no way a stepper driver.
haha ok then. Il keep that little number for another project .
I have just grabbed one of these ... i know its not ideal but i gotta try something ..
The DRV8825 is a great chip. I'm sure that module will work well for any bipolar stepper except a big industrial one.
(But didn't Robin determine that you have a unipolar? That may have been another thread.)
This it what im trying to get spinning .
Its bipolar but i think i problem was that i would have to run it at 1.5A - 1.7A as i dont want to burn out the driver.. but thats cool .. if it works haha.
The thing im working out now .... is first how to use a multi meter haha and then to set the driver to run at the correct Amps..
Its all pretty confusing to me
So ... This is how i set up my multi meter to adjust the current setting on the driver.
When touching the red on the top of adjuster screw and the black on the GND i adjusted till i got a reading of 0.75 what as far as the Pololu website says i double it to get the Amp .. so i would be running the driver at 1.5A what i think is the max for the driver without putting to much strain on it ..
Have i done this correct ? ... am i even on the right setting on the multi meter??
I know this is real simple stuff i just wanted to double check before connecting my stepper motor as i didnt want to burn out the driver .... again (this is my second haha)
So i just went for it and plugged it in ... AND..... nothing ... the stepper motor didnt make a sound and didnt move.
I used Robin2 code
// testing a stepper motor with a Pololu A4988 driver board or equivalent
// on an Uno the onboard led will flash with each step
// this version uses delay() to manage timing
byte directionPin = 9;
byte stepPin = 8;
int numberOfSteps = 100;
byte ledPin = 13;
int pulseWidthMicros = 20; // microseconds
int millisbetweenSteps = 250; // milliseconds - or try 1000 for slower steps
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.println("Starting StepperTest");
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
delay(2000);
pinMode(directionPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(stepPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(directionPin, HIGH);
for(int n = 0; n < numberOfSteps; n++) {
digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(pulseWidthMicros); // this line is probably unnecessary
digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
delay(millisbetweenSteps);
digitalWrite(ledPin, !digitalRead(ledPin));
}
delay(3000);
digitalWrite(directionPin, LOW);
for(int n = 0; n < numberOfSteps; n++) {
digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);
// delayMicroseconds(pulseWidthMicros); // probably not needed
digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
delay(millisbetweenSteps);
digitalWrite(ledPin, !digitalRead(ledPin));
}
}
void loop() {
}
So either i have set the current from the driver wrong and too low or i fried the motor on my last tests.... any ideas ?