I am attempting to use an Arduino DFRobot motor shield to run my 4 phase stepper motor. I've been fooling around with the wires and have gotten it to turn weakly.
Also, I think I am missing something. When I connect the ground (white cable), it seems to wobble, but as soon as I disconnect the ground, the wobble starts. The AFMotor.h code, however, doesn't seem to have any impact when I tell the motor to go forwards or backwards.
Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? I have a 12V, 1.5A power source connected.
What ground, can't see one.
What voltage are you getting across the coils, have you measured the coil current, have you got the coils in the right order (try swapping them about)
The label on the motor says 4 phase, and there seems to be 5 wires.
I will go ahead and check the current to each coil. Like I said, it does turn, and I have played around with the wires. I still don't' know how it's working if I don't plug in the white/ground wire.
The label on the motor says 4 phase, and there seems to be 5 wires.
OK so I think you will find you have the wrong sort of stepping motor controller, it looks like you have one for a bi-phase motor. The motors 3 should describe what you want with the common wire going to the +ve not ground.
Aha. I think you're right. The controller I have is actually a L293 Motor shield which I think is for regular DC motors.
Hmm. I'm wondering if I should just get a DC motor. The motor is just meant to drive a lazy suzan around for about 20 degrees, then stop for a picture, then start up again.
Yes but you can use it for driving bi-polar stepping motors but not the uni polar ones you seem to have. For a uni-polar motor you just need a simple on / off not the "current each way" that a H bridge will give you.
