Hello, I am new to the world of Stepper Motors and have a quick question about voltage. I have a Bipoloar 7.4V, 0.28 A/Phase stepper motor. I found a stepper motor from a 3D printer part number 17HD4063-03N. Their data sheet does not mention a voltage only the spec Amps Mounted. So, does the voltage value is not important but the current per coil? I’m using a AdaFruit Motor Shield that I believe can provide 1.2A per bridge, does that mean 1.2A per coil when powering a Stepper? Last, what is single coil, double coil, interleaved or micro-stepping?
Thank you very much,
Joe
Hello.
If you’re using an Adafruit Motor Shield, you might try looking through their documentation, which is usually pretty thorough and helpful. For example, this “All About Stepper Motors” write-up of theirs will probably answer a lot of your questions.
I’m a little confused that you’re unable to find a voltage spec since you identified the motor as 7.4V, 0.28A. Those values are the rated voltage and rated current per phase. So, the stepper motor coils will draw 0.28A when powered at 7.4V. When using a current-limited driver, it is normal to use a higher voltage than the rated voltage and set the current limit equal to or lower than the rated current per phase. Using a higher voltage with a current limit like this allows the current through the coils to ramp up faster and achieve higher step rates. However, please note that if you do not limit the current, it can damage the motor or your electronics.
As far as stepper motor construction and microstepping, I recommend watching this YouTube video:
By the way, while you can use a dual H-bridge driver like the Adafruit Motor Shield to drive a stepper motor, I would typically recommend a dedicated stepper motor driver, especially for a beginner. They have more stepper motor-specific features, make it easier to control a stepper motor, and are typically easier to configure correctly.
Brandon
