DB25 won't send pulses to MicroStep Driver

Projects General Guidance
1

I am trying to control a few stepper motors using Arduino Due combined with a DB25 to act as a shield. I had 3 microstep drivers hooked up to the DB25. So far only pin 2 and 7 will pulse and move a motor. To make things simpler I used a multimeter and checked for pulses down the terminals on the DB25 while changing the pin definitions in the code. I don't understand why only pin 2 and 7 will pulse. Should I be using something else as a shield?

MY CODE:
const int feedBtn = 52;
const int rfeedBtn = 48;
const int spare = 50;
const int out_P_Z = 6;
const int out_D_Z = 7;

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600);

pinMode(feedBtn, INPUT);
pinMode(rfeedBtn, INPUT);
pinMode(spare, INPUT);
pinMode(out_P_Z, OUTPUT);
pinMode(out_D_Z, OUTPUT);

}

void loop() {

digitalWrite(out_D_Z, LOW);

Serial.print(digitalRead(feedBtn));
Serial.print(digitalRead(rfeedBtn));
Serial.print(digitalRead(spare));
Serial.println();

if(digitalRead(feedBtn)== HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(out_P_Z, LOW);
delay(1);
digitalWrite(out_P_Z, HIGH);
}
}

2

Hi, please post your sketch in code tags #, and can you post a circuit diagram, CAD or picture of hand drawn circuit in jpg, png or pdf format.
Also a picture of your project.
Have you got gnd of the arduino connected to the gnd of the drivers and how are you supplying power to the drivers and motors.

Hope to help.

Tom.... :slight_smile:

3

I cannot take a picture of the setup at the moment but I have a picture of the basic setup for now.
I don't know if I have the ground from the drivers connected to the ground of the arduino. I have the ground from the drivers going to the ground on the db25, which I assumed grounded to the arduino through the arduino uno C65.
Each driver has its own power supply.

Thanks. I'll be able to take a picture of the setup tomorrow if needed.

Setup.png
Setup.png1183×746 505 KB

4

What is the board at the bottom of your photo?
It looks like something that is intended to connect to the parallel port of a PC?

What is the board in the top left of your photo supposed to do?
Does it simply make the Arduino digital I/O pins appear as pins in the DB25 connector or does it contain some processing capability?

Please post a link to the specifications for both boards.

...R

5

Bottom photo is a DB25-1205. It does use a serial cable and could not find any documentation on it as far as its uses. The top left is a Arduino Uno C65 Expansion Board Rev2 which interfaces with the due and connects to the DB25. I originally thought that the DB25 connected the pins from the ardunio and did the switching at the DB25, but now I don't know. I will search more for documentation on the C65 and DB25 boards. Thanks

IMG_20140730_074210102.jpg
IMG_20140730_074210102.jpg4320×2432 2.33 MB

6

close up of the boards

IMG_20140730_074220621.jpg
IMG_20140730_074220621.jpg4320×2432 2.28 MB

7

I don't think you need either of those DB25 boards. I presume you have a stepper motor driver board that takes step and direction signals. If so that can be connected directly to the Arduino. The only issue is that a Due works at 3.3v rather than 5v so you may need some sort of adapter to convert the voltage if your stepper driver board only works with 5v.

...R

8

All I got is what is in the pictures. I thought the db25 would act as the 5V shield for pulse signals. What would a stepper motor driver board look like or labled? If I used a 5V controller could I just wire it strait to the drivers?

9

beedoebeedoe:
What would a stepper motor driver board look like or labled?

Looks like you have a fair bit of reading and study ahead of you. Google stepper motor driver.

This webpage about the Pololu A4988 stepper driver board will give you a good deal of information.

You haven't said what stepper motor you have so I don't know if the A4988 is suitable. You need to choose a stepper driver that can comfortably handle the current required by your motor. You also need a suitable power supply for your stepper motor. Most of the proper stepper motor driver boards can drive the motors with 20 or 30 volts or more.

...R