Feedback-equipped stepper motors are not a complete substitute for servomotors, but they can provide a reliable alternative for many real-world applications. These motion-design solutions improve machine performance without breaking the bank. By Jim Stevens • Product Specialist | POSITAL Inc. Stepper motors are a top choice for many motion and position control applications. They’re available […]
Stepper Drives
New AllMotion EZ4Axis17XR-ST four-axis stepper motor controller driver
AllMotion now offers a new EZ4Axis17XR-ST highly compact controller driver measuring only 1.65 x 1.65 in. with six encoder inputs and 16 I/O connections. This 1/32nd step device operates from 8V to 30V and allows adjustment of the motor current up to 0.5A per motor. The compact board-level controller + driver was designed to allow […]
Trinamic now offers ultra-silent stepper motor driver with step/direction interface
Trinamic Motion Control now sells TMC2226 stepper motor drivers for two-phase bipolar stepper motors providing up to 2.8 A (peak) and supply voltages ranging from 4.75 to 29 V. Programmable using single-wire UART and featuring some of Trinamic’s latest-generation technologies, the TMC2226 driver is suitable for design upgrades with compatible drivers. The TMC2226 uses StealthChop2 […]
High bus voltage stepper drives and motors from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added a high voltage ac drive and compatible high torque motors to its stepping system motion control product offering. The ac stepper drive is powered from 90 to 240 Vac and is intended for use with step motors designed to handle a high bus voltage of 340 Vdc. MTRAC motors are specially designed […]
Leadshine 2-phase digital stepper drives from AutomationDirect
Leadshine 2-phase digital micro-stepping drives with micro-stepping motor movement and anti-resonance for optimal torque, provide extra smooth motion, low motor heating and noise. These drives accept a wide range of input voltages (12 to 110 Vdc, 18 to 80 Vac) and provide over-voltage and overcurrent protection, motor auto-configuration on power up and Soft-start at power […]
What is a constant voltage drive for a stepper motor and when is it used?
There are two fundamental types of stepper motor drives: constant voltage drives, which supply a fixed voltage to the motor, and constant current drives, which manipulate voltage to ensure that a constant current is delivered to the motor. Stepper motor electrical basics The most fundamental equation governing the behavior of a stepper motor is Ohm’s law, […]
New harmonic gearing on 1.8° flat PKP series stepper motors from Oriental Motor
Oriental Motor now sells a new PKP Series stepper motor. The offering includes a 51-mm (2.0-in.) frame size harmonic gearhead for the 42-mm (1.65-in.) PKP Series 2-phase Flat Type motor. This new combination compliments the 60 mm (2.36 in.) PKP Series Flat Type which is available with a Harmonic gearhead or round shaft. Both frame […]
Six common mistakes to avoid when specifying and using step motors
The mistakes we outline here have been corrected countless times by thousands of step-motor users around the world. Avoid these mistakes with the presented solutions — and make your next application a successful one. By Eric Rice • National Marketing Director | Applied Motion Products Step motors offer the automation industry a cost-effective and simple […]
TRINAMIC TMC2209 stepper driver for silent desktop machines
TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG now sells the TMC2209 stepper driver IC — a motor driver that enables silent operation, intelligent stall detection, and lower cost for 3D printers, office and home automation equipment, and other applications using two-phase stepper motors. The TMC2209 is pin-compatible with earlier TRINAMIC devices, as well as some […]
Galil’s EDD EtherCAT slave drives now offers TwinCAT Support
The EDD-3701x EtherCAT slave drive (part of Galil’s EtherCAT Family of products) now communicates seamlessly with any TwinCAT EtherCAT master — as well as with Galil’s DMC-500×0 and DMC-52xx0 EtherCAT master drives. The EDD-3701x drives have the ability to control either brushed or brushless servo motors, steppers, and microstepping motors. The EDD-3701x is also equipped […]