Stepper motor controller question

Other Hardware Motors, Mechanics, Power and CNC
1

I have an IGT Price is Right slot wheel.

Pictures here:

http://home.comcast.net/~cmjb13/wheel1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~cmjb13/wheel2.jpg

A friend of mine was able to get the lights to chase and the wheel to spin using a stepper motor controller with two separate switches. However, he is unable to make the wheel slow down or stop (aside from yanking the power). He says using the encoder, this will not be possible.

I throw it out to people that know about this stuff more than me.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

2

I think you need to clarify something. Is this thing running firmware on the control board ?

3

He's using a stepper motor controller, but don't know much more than that.

"We just were able to get the wheel to turn with a stepper motor controller. At this point we can either just turn on the lights, chase the lights and make the motor spin the reel. It is sort of up to you but to make it stop on a number using the encoder will not be possible."

4

Please answer the question. Is it running code ? It is a yes or no question.

5

No

6

Let's clear something up. If your friend was able to turn the wheel with a stepper motor driver but not able to make it start slowly or slow down gradually, it is only because either he doesn't know how to or the driver he was using does not provide that feature.
You can get a stepper motor driver that does provide that feature for $5. Is that something you would be interested in ?

7

Yes

8

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A4988-RAMPS-Pololu-StepStick-stepper-motor-driver-with-heatsink-Prusa-Mendel-/201084529309?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120

9

Maybe the first step in helping you would be for you to provide a link to the stepper motor driver that your friend is using since he is able to make the stepper spin and maybe there is no need to buy another one.

10

Can you explain how you were able to run the lights without running any code on that controller board ?

11

It looks like you have been playing around with this for awhile.

Do explain what has been done so this does not become a "why didn't you say so at first" type of post.

12

@Justone,
Good detective work Kolumbo,
Just one more question...

13

Just for your info the name's Plisskin not Columbo with a "K"

14

Just for your info the name's Plisskin not Columbo with a "K"

Ok, Mr. Plisskin,
Just for your info, the Columbo remark was a compliment. He was famous in my day. I should have called you Monk but you might have thought I meant you were obsessive compulsive.
My name is Robert , but I don't care what any one calls me because what's in a name ? A horse by any other name is ....."

15

Cmjb13:
No

I don't understand.

It's just not possible to run a stepper motor without code or something equivalent to code.

This Thread all seems to be a complete waste of time without a detailed description (including code, part numbers etc) of how the stepper motor is working now.

...R

16

@OP,
Since you have stated that your friend is not running any of the code inside the controller board in the photo that we can assume that what your friend was doing was taking a piece of junk and connecting his own hardware and software to it to animate a dead
arcade game using his own code , motor driver , power supply etc. , like an arcade frankenstien ?