If I wanted to move an object connected to a stepper motor to a specified distance, what would happen if there was a force blocking the movement?
Would the stepper motor apply its maximum torque against the object, effectively pushing a constant force into the obstruction?
Then when the obstruction moves away, would the stepper eventually move to its instructed position? Essentially, does the stepper behave like a pneumatic cylinder, applying a constant pressure until extended?
Try it and see.
Yes.
No. The motor moves (or attempts to move) only when the driver is commanded to take a step.
It does not damage a stepper motor to stop the shaft from rotating.
Thanks for the reply.
For point 2. If the driver were to instruct the stepper to move say 10 steps but the shaft was stopped from rotating at say step 2, when the shaft is let go, will the stepper continue to move to step 10 afterwards?
Volume3k:
For point 2. If the driver were to instruct the stepper to move say 10 steps but the shaft was stopped from rotating at say step 2, when the shaft is let go, will the stepper continue to move to step 10 afterwards?
No. The 8 steps will be lost forever. The motor and the motor driver have no memory. Indeed the motor driver will not know that the motor has been unable to move.
The driver merely changes the way that current flows through the motor coils, one step at a time.
Google "Jones on steppers" for everything you ever wanted to know about them.