Stepper Motor ?

Development Boards Arduino
1

I have a Pololu 1205 stepper motor http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1205/faqs and a SparkFun EasyDriver board V4.4 along with an Arduino. I am really new to using stepper motors, but I hooked it up and used some code I found on the Internet and while it works, it is a bit jerky and I had to take the external supply way over the motor spec for it to do anything at all. I don’t want to damage anything so I thought I would ask and hopefully anyone who knows more than I do will give me a few pointers on how to do this.

Setup:

Arduino Gnd, Digital I/O pins 12, 13 hooked to Gnd, Step, Dir.

M1 and M2 tied to high or low.

Ext. suppy set to 8-20v, needs to be above ten to do anything.

Motor spec says 3.8V

adjusted current adjust, did not seem to do anything.

Use this site as sort of a guide.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- … /?ALLSTEPS

the code works, but is a bit jerky so I am not sure if it is my setup, the code, or what. Any ideas.

:?

2

They take a lot of current, how much does your supply deliver?

3

leon_heller:
They take a lot of current, how much does your supply deliver?

They do? 650mA is not all that much to me. My supply is a variable supply 0-50V, 0-3A.

4

Give the EasyDriver 24V. The driver chip will limit the current - ignore the voltage rating of the motor. You should be able to get somewhat smoother motion. Also, send out a 100Hz pulse train and then play with the current adjustment pot on the EasyDriver for the smoothest operation. Use 1/8 microstep mode. You should be able to get your motor very smooth.

*Brian

5

EmbeddedMan:
Give the EasyDriver 24V. The driver chip will limit the current - ignore the voltage rating of the motor. You should be able to get somewhat smoother motion. Also, send out a 100Hz pulse train and then play with the current adjustment pot on the EasyDriver for the smoothest operation. Use 1/8 microstep mode. You should be able to get your motor very smooth.

*Brian

Okay thanks. I guess I need to figure out how to set it to 100KHz pulse and 1/8 microstep mode now.

6

Z.K.,

I doubt anything useful or attractive will happen if you try to run your motor at 100 kilohertz. :wink:

As a fringe benefit, generating the suggested 100 hertz pulse train should be a bit more straightforward.

Eric