The last part of this series focuses on troubleshooting the electronics of step motors. To drive a stepper you need four main parts: a CPU, controller, sequencer, and a driver (figure 1). The CPU will ...

Step motors are a natural choice when design specs call for low-cost automation with accurate, open-loop control. But finding the right stepper for a given application can be a challenge. There’s a ...

Stepper motor systems are highly efficient when producing torque, but lack operational efficiency when not producing torque. Applied Motion Products offers insights on how to make a greener and more ...

A new design technique produces corrosion-proof and waterproof stepper motors, extending motor life in harsh outdoor conditions. Electric motors used outdoors are susceptible to temperature extremes ...

Frequently, when it comes to step motor selection, users will select a motor with the highest holding torque rating, assuming that it will give them optimal performance. However, it is an improper ...

Most stepper motor applications require smooth motion. To achieve extremely smooth movement, some engineers alter the voltage, current, and more often, the microstep ...

Stepper motors resemble servo motors in that both types are characterized by an ability to rotate a partial turn and then stop for any interval with or without holding torque. In addition, both motor ...

In a recent article, I wrote about step-motor system performance emphasizing key concepts that all engineers need to understand about this widely-used electro-magnetic-mechanical digital actuator. As ...

Increasingly elaborate Rube Goldberg schemes for controlling step-motors have developed over the years that try to pace stepping to avoid missteps. This direction of development is fundamentally ...

Sometimes less is more. Here, a quarter-step switching logic sequence for stepper motors offers several significant advantages over full-and halfstep modes—higher resolution, smoother drive, minimal ...

International certification minimizes the cost and time involved with gaining regulatory compliance for an OEM’s complete system. Approvals include ATEX and IECEx certifications for Class 1, Zone 1 ...

[Tobias Kuhn] had watched a YouTube video about a robot arm which used servo motors, and wanted to try making one himself. But he found it hard to get slow or smooth movements out of the servos. Even ...