Introduction I find myself repeatedly typing similar replies to similar questions about the basics of stepper motors and I thought it would be useful to write this note as it will be a little more comprehensive than any individual reply. The information is presented under several different headings…

continued from previous Post .... Microsteps Most (but certainly not all) stepper motors do 200 full steps per revolution. By appropriately managing the current in the coils it is possible to make the motor move in smaller steps. The Pololu A4988 can make the motor move in 1/16th steps - or 3,200 s…

Hi Robin, Thanks that was very useful! I have had a little play with some old salveged steppers (EX printer, etc) and hope one day to build a bot using them for accurate movement and perhaps drawing, etc or as I suggested to someone the other day a Pantagraph? or drawing machine!! I have used the g…

"The nominal voltage is irrelevant for all practical purposes. The important figure is the rated current. " I disagree with this statement. the manufacture offers data for the end user to use for calculations. this statement is akin to saying that resistor wattage is irrelevant for all practical pu…

dave-in-nj: every motor has a maximum voltage rating. it is a disservice to dismiss a part of the calculations without describing why. I make no apology for keeping my material simple. And I did say "for all practical purposes" - meaning for all practical purposes for the people for whom the not…

What is of interest in motor voltage is that it leads to a maximum value of the power supply 32 * VL = VMAX The reason for this is iron losses (eddy currents) heating up the motor. But, this is almost academical since most stepper motors i encountered have motor voltages over 1,5V and supplies o…

nilton61: Ecellent text, and really needed. What could be added is that power supplies should be unregulated with a filter/reservoir capacitor with a value of: Thank you (and everyone else) for the kind words. I have noted your very useful views about power supplies elsewhere but I don't feel c…

The reason for advocating unregulated supplies is that regulated ones more often than not have quite small reservoir/filter caps. This has two negative effects The small caps cannot absorb the returning energy when deaccelarating The very transient currents can interfere with the voltage regulator …

nilton61: So the main issue is having large enough caps which should be stated. I've been thinking some more about the possibility of a text about power supplies and the problem is that I keep running into more questions which leads me to think that it needs an entire Thread of its own. For exa…

Stepper Motor Basics

Other Hardware Motors, Mechanics, Power and CNC

daniellyall December 11, 2014, 10:37am 3

bang on

good start for nobs

1 Like

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Stepper Motor Basics

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