Smooth Motor is specialized in high precision stepper motor and customized assembly for 30 years.
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Smooth Motor is specialized in high precision stepper motor and customized assembly for 30 years.
It's crucial to control the motion of robotics for some purposes. Read this article to know the Easiest Way to Control a Stepper Motor.
Among several leading technologies nowadays, stepper motors are highly efficient ones. These motors are a good choice for several manufacturing applications such as robotic components.
However, stepper motors require control systems that facilitate precise operational control. The goal is to achieve accurate and exact robotic movements. When an engineer designs these control systems, they completely focus on the controller’s design and the electrical enclosure box, containing the whole system.
Read the article to learn more about the stepper motor’s significance, the easiest way to control a stepper motor, and how to choose one based on important factors.
What Is a Stepper Motor?
A stepper motor is an electric motor so its main job involves converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. Its shaft turns in fixed steps and moves a certain number of degrees with each step.
This feature is possible due to the motor’s internal structure, and you get to know the shaft’s accurate angular position by counting the total steps performed. Moreover, you don’t need a sensor for that so because of this feature it is also the best choice for several applications.
Stepper motors are DC-powered brushless motors. A major difference between brushed and brushless motors is that brushed motors use their electrical contacts known as brushes for transferring current to an armature wound containing metallic coils. However, a brushless motor utilizes several stator electromagnets that are in a ring surrounded by a magnetized rotor.
Why Are Stepper Motors Significant?
What are some reasons behind stepper motors being a favourite when it comes to robotic applications? Here are some of the reasons that make stepper motors perfect for robotics:
1. They provide you with precise control over your motor’s movement and its positioning.
2. Stepper motors require less maintenance as compared to the brushed motors.
3. They're highly reliable and efficient in their operation at different speeds and loads.
4. Stepper motors occupy less space than several brushed motors.
5. These motors produce less electrical noise and heat as compared to brushed motors.
How to Control a Stepper Motor?
The easiest way to control a stepper motor is to energize and de-energize the coils around its gear in a specific sequence. However, the major ways to control a stepper motor are as follows:
1. Wave Drive/Single Phase:
Activate each coil one by one because that’s the simplest method of operating a stepper motor and leads to the lowest resolution.
2. Full Step:
Activate two coils simultaneously to position the rotor’s poles between each coil. This mode will enhance the motor’s torque and speed. However, it won’t increase your motor’s resolution since the number of steps is the same.
3. Half Step:
Activate one coil and then afterwards two simultaneously. As a result, the rotor moves half a step due to the directly aligned position with one active coil to split alignment with two active coils. This method adds additional steps in the motor’s rotation, significantly enhancing its resolution.
4. Microstep:
Activate coils using sine wave pulses in a sequence so the motor can start moving in small steps. This approach will provide the highest resolution amongst the major ways mentioned above to control a stepper motor. It will divide the rotor’s full steps into 256 steps. Microstepping will ensure the smooth and consistent movement of the rotor, minimizing noise, vibration, and wear on motor parts. Due to these advantages, micro stepping is the most known activation mode for stepper motors nowadays amongst contemporary applications.
Increase the number of coils and poles to maximize a stepper motor’s resolution. Professional engineers use stepper motors with a large number of coils that provide approximately 200 steps before they get started with micro stepping.
Choosing a Stepper Motor
A stepper motor’s driver circuit is connected to a microcontroller. Thus, it allows the motor's operator to control the voltage pulses transmitted to the coils. You’ll find different kinds of stepper drive circuits in the market such as ready-made stepper controllers, and programmable microcontrollers such as Arduino Uno which you can program using its open-source stepper control library.
When it’s time to choose a stepper motor driver circuit you can trust Smooth Motors since we offer stepper motors. Also, always consider these four basic elements:
1. Voltage:
The driver must have a broad voltage range to accommodate various voltage levels, as you’ll need to experiment with different voltages to determine the best optimal voltage for your stepper motor.
2. Current:
The driver must have a rating of at least 1.4 times the maximum current rating of the stepper motor.
3. Microstepping:
The driver must offer several step resolution options to enable experimentation with multiple micro stepping settings.
4. Maximum Step Pulse:
The driver must be rated for generating a sufficient number of step pulses. It is significant for rotating the rotor at the desired speed of your application.
Wrap Up
Stepper motors are important technologies that offer precise control and reliability for various applications, especially robotics. With features like less maintenance, size, and reduced noise, stepper motors are the tools to cater to your diverse industrial needs.
Now you have an idea about stepper motors, the easiest way to control it, and how to choose one. So, you’re sorted for your next project.
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