Hi, I’m just getting started in electronics, but want to do a portable pan/tilt project with accurate positioning and open rotation.
Can a stepper motor like the 1205 (3.8V, 0.67A) , be run from a 3.7V Lipo Battery, using the DVR8834 Driver?
I have seen posts elsewhere where they say the power voltage should be higher than the stepper rated voltage due to the internal dynamics of a stepper. Is this true?
Would I be better off running them with a 3S Lipo (11.1V) and a different driver like the A4988 or DVR8825?
I know there are alot of factors, but is there an easy calculation to know how long a stepper will run based on a particular battery voltage and capacity?
Or maybe a way to calculate the number of total steps expected from a particular battery?
(I plan on using worm gears and hope to be able to disable power to the stepper when not needed)
Thanks so much…
Hello.
In general, it is good to supply power at a higher voltage than the rated stepper motor voltage, so long as the stepper motor driver can handle voltages that high, and you are appropriately current limiting. You can learn more about that in the first FAQ under the “FAQs” tab of the DRV8834’s product age. So, if you want to supply a higher voltage like a 3S LiPo, then you are right; the A4988 or DRV8825 would be more appropriate stepper motor drivers.
It is hard to answer your battery life question the way you phrased it, which is to find the total steps you would get from a battery. Stepper motors draw their rated current when energized, so you could drain an entire battery without making a single step. If you have a multimeter, you might try averaging how much current the stepper motor draws during a certain amount of time that your stepper motor is performing how it needs to for your intended application. You could then divide that average current into the battery capacity to get an approximate length of time your battery would supply that current. If you are not sure how to do that, you might considering reading this blog post about battery capacity.
-Jon
Hi, thanks so much for the response.
I have the stepper, an 8834 Driver and an 8825 Driver ordered.
So I will experiment with them as well as with a multimeter.
I will try to follow up with my findings on here.
Thanks
D
