When driving stepper motors open loop, there is no feedback to ensure that the motor is operating as expected. To ensure the stepper motor behaves as expected, open-loop drives use pulse and direction commands. Pulse commands are signals sent to a stepper motor by the drive. They are “pulses” of current that cause the motor […]
Stepper Drives
OMD18 stepper motor drive and controller mounts easily
The OMD18 is an integrated stepper motor drive and motion controller in one. Through a simple RS485 communications interface the engineer can control a stepper motor with exceptional control and accuracy. Selectable acceleration ramps at velocities up to 2M steps/sec. Selectable step size resolution from full up to 1/16 fractional step. The drive’s small design lets engineers mount […]
STR3 miniature stepper drive solves vibration, size problems
The STR3 miniature stepper drive from Applied Motion Products solves two problems in one: The step motor drive addresses the problem of slow step motors that vibrate too much … … and it addresses space-constrained applications where bulkier drives just won’t fit. The STR3 utilizes a proprietary current control algorithm that optimizes motor performance, providing smooth […]
What’s the difference between servo and closed-loop stepper motors?
Servo and stepper motors have similar construction and share the same fundamental operating principle. Both motor types incorporate a rotor with permanent magnets and a stator with coiled windings … and both are operated by energizing or applying a dc voltage to the stator windings, which then causes the rotor to move. However, this is […]
FAQ: What do DIP switches on stepper drives do, and what are alternatives?
Dual in-line package or DIP switches are manual electronic switches that, along with other switches in one package, form one unit. They usually mount on printed circuit boards through pins. Some common types of DIP switches include rotary, slider and rocker switches. Through them, end users configure circuit boards or controllers for the application at […]
FAQ: What are motion-control systems on a chip (SoCs) for stepper motor control?
A system on a chip is an integrated circuit that contains all the components of a computer. That is everything from processors, memory and power regulation to external inputs such as USB. For stepper drives, this means one chip combines all the stepper components that are traditionally separate parts. More specifically, the drive, indexer, computer, […]
FAQ: How do engineers typically integrate stepper drives?
Engineers can implement stepper motor drives in numerous ways. Companies often produce pre-packaged drives that can run with a variety of microprocessors and motors. This means that that drive is prefabricated and the engineer has many decisions on where and how to use it. Beyond this, some companies even offer complete off-the-shelf boards. These combine […]
FAQ: What are stepper drives and how do they work?
A stepper drive is the driver circuit that controls how the stepper motor operates. Stepper drives work by sending current through various phases in pulses to the stepper motor. There are four types: wave drives (also called one-phase-on drives), two-phase on, one-two phase-on drives and microstepping drives. Wave or one-phase-on drives work with only one […]
Trio Motion launches new concept Motion Coordinator
Trio Motion’s MC4N-Mini EtherCAT master is a new concept for its high performance Motion Coordinator series motion and machine controllers. The EtherCAT dedicated controller can handle up to 32 axes of servo or stepper drives and 1024 machine I/O points. The MC4N-ECAT’s built-in expandable library of the market leading EtherCAT digital drives and I/O modules […]
New DMC-30016 Pocket Motion Controller from Galil
Galil Motion Control is announcing their latest drive option for the DMC-30000 Pocket Motion Controller Series. The new DMC-30016 combines a single-axis motion controller with a 1.4A/phase stepper drive in a compact unit. DMC-30016 v2“The DMC-30016 joins the growing family of drive options for the DMC-30000 Pocket Motion Controller Series which includes the previously released […]
