I am a newbie to Arduino and just got a Geekcreit Uno & Sennsor kit.
The ULN2003 Stepper driver board seems different than others I have seen with respect to the Power Connections.
Most pictures show 4 pins with a jumper in use. My Product has space for 4 pins but nothing (i.e. no pin) in the first position then would appear to have - in the second, + in the third and and no marking by the 4th pin.
I have uploaded the details to the wordpress blog below. I am correct to assume this is fine and I should just connect my - (black) to pin 2 and + (Red) to pin 3?
I also seem to have a problem with a breadboard PSU that appears not to deliver more than about 3.6v on the 5v jumper setting. I need to resolve this issue before I can continue with using the stepper motor and driver board.
Not sure if images uploaded correctly - 3 pics on blog page
Apologies for the 'beginner type question'
Any help appreciated
It's hard to tell which plug position is for 5v and which is for 12V. Have you determined this ?
If so have you tried it with 12V power ?
Most pictures show 4 pins with a jumper in use. My Product has space for 4 pins but nothing (i.e. no pin) in the first position then would appear to have - in the second, + in the third and and no marking by the 4th pin.
I'm sorry, I'm not following what you are saying here. Can you draw a sketch on a sheet of blank printer paper and
take a photo of it and upload it ?
Well, that's an oddball board, on the "typical" ULN2003, the far left pin connects to the power supply -, ULN2003 pin 8 and Arduino GND, 2nd pin to power supply +, 3rd to 2nd, 4th to motor common (red wire) and ULN2003 pin 9, usually a Berg jumper from 3 to 4 so you can optionally remove it and connect a switch or Ammeter. Do you have a DMM (Digital Multi Meter) to test connections?
Flip the board up - is the left hand pin of the power connector the Gnd plane of the board? If yes, you need to add a pin there for the power supply -/Gnd to connect to.
Many thanks for all the responses.
I have attached further photos with drawing showing pins and labelling.
The first PIN position (on left|) doesn't appear to have pin or even a hole going through board for any connection
JCA34F:
Well, that's an oddball board, on the "typical" ULN2003, the far left pin connects to the power supply -, ULN2003 pin 8 and Arduino GND, 2nd pin to power supply +, 3rd to 2nd, 4th to motor common (red wire) and ULN2003 pin 9, usually a Berg jumper from 3 to 4 so you can optionally remove it and connect a switch or Ammeter. Do you have a DMM (Digital Multi Meter) to test connections?
Not quite sure I understand.
The board only has power if I connect the leads and I am not sure which leads to connect.
As previous my Breadboard PSU doesn't seem to be giving me 5V at the moment so I need to resolve both issues.
I sort of thought maybe this was the problem initially (i.e. the connections to this driver board) then looking further with a DMM I could only see about 3.6v on the 5v side of the breadboard
CrossRoads:
Flip the board up - is the left hand pin of the power connector the Gnd plane of the board? If yes, you need to add a pin there for the power supply -/Gnd to connect to.
Hi, You'll see from photos below there is no pin on the left hand side, no hole , no solder
Post a better picture of the bottom of the board. There is a cap there - surely one leg of the cap goes to Gnd, and one of the leads from the power pins connects to Gnd also.
Thanks again. Tried to improve the shots but really looks like the plastic block to hole 4 pins is off set by 1 pin - hence no hole on the left and a hole on the right with no pin
Seems a manufacturing fault.
The machine has inserted the 4-pin pinstrip in the wrong place, and thus has lost one pin in the process.
Just solder a single new pin, cut from a pinstrip, in the hole that's now covered with solder.
Leo..
If you are careful, you should be able to ease the strip of plastic off the pins and then re-seat it correctly (I've done this in the past to correct similar faults, and 4 pins should be easy enough).
Definitely a manufacturing goof for it to end up like that... the 'extra' pin was likely pushed up and fell out later.
Crossroads: On the board you showed, it looks like there are lead trimmings hanging off the pins, both on the connector you highlighted and the header on the left. Might want to clean them off before a bit comes loose and ends up where it shouldn't.
Many thanks everyone who has responded.
Hadn't expected anything like this and thought I was missing something.
Do I need any jumpers? I'll look this up during the day
