Stepper Motor Will not run when AccelStpper run(); method is called

Other Hardware Motors, Mechanics, Power and CNC
1

I am using the AccelStepper.h library to run a stepper motor using an Arduino Mega. I am trying to make the stepper motor go to the center of its range (11000 steps), and then oscillate back and forth 8 times. The issue is that the motor does not run at all when the Run(); command is called outside of the loop() function. I have posted the code below.

//accelstepper constant speed example has been altered and is being used
// not using default 4 wires setup, but instead using step, direction, and enable pins
// using TB6600 4A 9-42V stepper driver at 6400 pulses/rev (32 microsteps)

#include <AccelStepper.h>

// defines pins numbers
const int stepPin1 = 32;
const int directionPin1 = 34;
const int enablePin1 = 36;

const int stepPin2 = 22;
const int directionPin2 = 24;
const int enablePin2 = 26;


const int limitSwitch = 46;

// Define a stepper and the pins it will use
// 1 or AccelStepper::DRIVER means a stepper driver (with Step and Direction pins)

AccelStepper stepper2(AccelStepper::DRIVER, stepPin2, directionPin2);
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(19200);

  pinMode(limitSwitch, INPUT);



  stepper2.setEnablePin(enablePin2);
  stepper2.setPinsInverted(false, false, true);
  stepper2.enableOutputs();

  stepper2.setCurrentPosition(0);
  friction(750, 18000);
}

void loop()
{

  
}


void friction(int sampleWidthSteps, int speed){

  stepper2.setMaxSpeed(speed);
  stepper2.setAcceleration(10000);
  stepper2.moveTo(11000);
  stepper2.run();
  int left = 11000 - sampleWidthSteps/2;
  int right = 11000 - sampleWidthSteps/2;
  


  for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++){
    stepper2.moveTo(left);
    stepper2.run();
    stepper2.moveTo(right);
    stepper2.run();
  }


}

However the following code does run, and I don't know why.

//accelstepper constant speed example has been altered and is being used
// not using default 4 wires setup, but instead using step, direction, and enable pins
// using TB6600 4A 9-42V stepper driver at 6400 pulses/rev (32 microsteps)

#include <AccelStepper.h>

// defines pins numbers
const int stepPin1 = 32;
const int directionPin1 = 34;
const int enablePin1 = 36;

const int stepPin2 = 22;
const int directionPin2 = 24;
const int enablePin2 = 26;


const int limitSwitch = 46;

// Define a stepper and the pins it will use
// 1 or AccelStepper::DRIVER means a stepper driver (with Step and Direction pins)
AccelStepper stepper1(AccelStepper::DRIVER, stepPin1, directionPin1);

AccelStepper stepper2(AccelStepper::DRIVER, stepPin2, directionPin2);
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(19200);

  pinMode(limitSwitch, INPUT);


  // stepper1.setEnablePin(enablePin1);
  // stepper1.setPinsInverted(false, false, true);
  // stepper1.enableOutputs();
  // stepper1.setMaxSpeed(2150.0);
  // stepper1.setAcceleration(10000.0);
  // stepper1.setCurrentPosition(0);
  // stepper1.moveTo(5000);
    
  stepper2.setEnablePin(enablePin2);
  stepper2.setPinsInverted(false, false, true);
  stepper2.enableOutputs();
  stepper2.setMaxSpeed(18000.0);
  stepper2.setAcceleration(6000.0);
  stepper2.setCurrentPosition(0);
  stepper2.moveTo(11000);
}

void loop()
{

  

  stepper2.run();



}
2

It runs because You use AccelStepper the correct way.

3

Perhaps you expect stepper2.run() (run() reference) to work like Stepper2.runToPosition() (runToPosition() reference)?

4

This is it! Did not realize that the run() function needed to be called in a loop while runToPosition() function was blocking. Thanks!