Need Suggestions for a Power Supply

Good Morning All, Thanks for clicking.

I’m working on a motorized camera rig that will have 7 axes powered by stepper motors ((5) 200 Steps/Rev, 42x48mm, 4V, 1200mA, (2) 200 Steps/Rev, 20x30mm, 3.9V, 600mA) each powered by EasyDriver Stepper Motor Driver.

I’m wondering what DC power supply would be recommended for this project. I’m sure this is a simple answer for most, but I’m still very new at this and any answer would be very much appreciated.

Thanks so much for your time!

To get an idea of what I’m doing click the link (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rcvnyA7Qtw

Hello,

Your power supply should provide a voltage within the operating range of your stepper drivers. The current capability you need depends on a few factors, such as how many motors you want to run at once, what you set the drivers’ current limits to, and what voltage you choose (since current limiting will cause the motor to receive power for a smaller proportion of time with higher voltages).

I would recommend a power supply that can provide at least a few amps in your case, whether it is a battery pack, bench supply, or a wall adapter like this one.

By the way, is there any particular reason you are using the EasyDriver instead of our A4988 stepper driver carrier?

- Kevin

Thank you so much Kevin for the reply! I really truly appreciate the recommendation. I plan on powering up all of the motors at the same time but the number of them that will be in use at any given time could very. Basically what I am doing is creating a camera rig specific for stop frame animation that will be powered by Dragonframe / Arduino board. So if you still think that power supply would be suitable for my needs I’ll be ordering as soon as I order the motors.

The reason I went with EasyDriver was the lack of knowledge that Pololu had one available, but at least I know now for future projects.

Thanks again so much for your help! You have won a customer for life with this exceptional service.

(ps, I’ve had great service from your site before, but I feel this adds a bit of a personal touch, thanks)

After thinking about it a little more, I would say this 12V 3A adapter (or something like this 12V 5A one, although it is out of stock at the moment) should give you a better margin above the drivers’ minimum voltage, and the drivers should draw less at 12V than at 9V with the same coil current limit setting.

When you get started, I recommend that you gradually add more motors to your system instead of trying them all at once, and keep an eye on the current being drawn from the adapter with a multimeter.

I am glad to hear that you have had a good experience with us! Thanks for the kind words.

- Kevin