First off, what exactly is a stepper motor?

Its normal shaft motion consists of discrete angular movements of essentially uniform magnitude when driven from a sequentially switched DC power supply. Stepper motors are brushless, synchronous electric motors that convert digital pulses into mechanical shaft rotation.

Using digital input and output, the stepper motor operates. It is especially well suited for applications where control signals manifest as digital pulses rather than analog voltages. The stepper motor increments one precise angle of motion with each digital pulse applied to the drive or translator. The step movement becomes a continuous rotation as the frequency of the digital pulses rises.

For more information, keep reading.

How Do You Define Stepper Motor?

A DC motor that operates in distinct steps is known as a stepper motor. A full rotation is broken up into a number of steps in this synchronous brushless motor. Rotor and stator are the two main elements of a stepper motor. While the stator, which is made up of electromagnets, is the motor’s stationary component, the rotor is its rotating shaft. The step angle refers to the angle at which the stepper motor rotates when a discrete DC voltage is applied. Stepper motors are produced with steps per revolution of 12, 24, 72, 144, 180, and 200 and corresponding step angles of 30, 15, 5, 2.5, 2, and 1.8. It is controllable both with and without feedback.

Techopedia Explains Stepper Motor

A specific kind of DC motor that doesn’t rotate continuously is called a stepper motor. An entire rotation is split up into a number of equal steps instead. Phases, which are multiple coils arranged into groups, make up a stepper motor. The stepper motor rotates one step at a time by transferring energy from the input voltage to each phase in turn. Thus, a stepper motor transforms electrical energy or an input digital pulse into mechanical shaft rotation.

Electromagnetism is the operating system for stepper motors. The rotor, which can either be made of soft iron or a permanent magnet, is surrounded by electromagnetic stators. Rotor and stator poles may have teething. The rotor moves to have the smallest possible gap with the stator when voltage is applied at the terminals, or it aligns itself with the stator when voltage is applied. A full rotation is produced that is broken down into a specific number of steps with a specific step angle by the sequential energization of the stators and the rotor movement that results from this.

What’s The Mechanism Of A Stepper Motor?

The stepper motor rotates in discrete steps, typically 200 steps per revolution, and each step requires a separate pulse to be sent to the motor. One step at a time, of the same size, is all that the stepper motor is capable of.

Without a feedback mechanism, the motor’s position can be controlled because each pulse rotates the motor by a precise amount, typically 1.8 degrees. The step movement transforms into continuous rotation as the frequency of the digital pulses rises, with the rotation’s speed being inversely correlated with the pulse frequency.

Stepper motors are used frequently in industrial and commercial applications due to their low cost, high reliability, high torque at low speeds, and a straightforward, tough construction that works in almost any environment.

• The motor’s rotational angle varies in direct proportion to the input pulse.
• If the windings are energized, the motor has its full torque at rest.
• Precision positioning and repeatability of motion are important because good stepper motors are accurate to within 3 to 5% of a step, and this error does not accumulate over time.
• Excellent response to starting, stopping, and reversing.
• Since the motor doesn’t have any contact brushes, it is very dependable. As a result, the bearing’s life has no bearing on the stepper motor’s lifespan.
• Open-loop control is provided by the stepper motor’s response to digital input pulses, making the motor’s control easier and less expensive.
• With a load that is directly coupled to the shaft, it is possible to achieve very low speed synchronous rotation.
• Since the speed is proportional to the frequency of the input pulses, a wide range of rotational speeds can be achieved.

Classified By Rotor Structure: Types Of Stepper Motors

Motor with a permanent magnet (PM) The permanent magnet is located in the rotor. This structure’s inability to offer flexibility regarding the rotational (step) angle is a drawback.

Variable Reluctance (VR) Motor The rotor has cores arranged to resemble gear teeth. As a result, the step angle can be set with more flexibility.

Hybrid (HB) motorThe rotor has both permanent magnets and cores that are arranged like gear teeth. Due to its ability to combine the benefits of PM and VR motors, this type of motor is utilized in a wide range of applications. All of the stepper motors that ASPINA has created and produced are HB motors. See more about What Is A TPP?

Classified By Current Flow In Coil: Types Of Stepper Motors

stepper motors can also be grouped into the following two categories based on electric current flow in the coil.

Unipolar Motor

In a unipolar motor, current always flows through the coil windings in the same direction. This keeps the associated control circuit straightforward but results in less torque than a bipolar motor.

Bipolar Motor

In a bipolar motor, current can pass through the coil windings in either direction. Compared to a unipolar motor, this requires a more intricate control circuit but produces more torque.

Operation Principle Of Hb Stepper Motors

The rotor is built with a cylindrical permanent magnet sandwiched between two cores that are half a pitch apart from one another and concentric to the motor shaft. With each pulse input, the rotor rotates by a fixed step angle. A two-phase HB stepper motor with a 1.8° step angle rotates by 1.8° for each pulse, so one full rotation requires 360°/1.8°=200 pulses.

Choose A Stepper Motor And The Controller

Depending on the application’s needs for torque and speed, a stepper motor is selected. To choose a motor that can handle the task, use the torque-speed curve for that motor, which can be found in the specifications of each drive.

The torque-speed curves for the recommended motors are displayed on each stepper motor controller in the Omegamation line. If more than one stepper motor is necessary to achieve your desired torque and speed, select the controller that best suits your motion system’s requirements (step/direction, standalone programmable, analog inputs, microstepping), and then pick one of the motors that controller’s experts suggest.

The manufacturer conducted extensive testing to ensure the stepper motor and controller combination would perform at its peak. This testing formed the basis for the manufacturer’s recommended motor list.

Stepper Motors Features

stepper motors differ from other motor types in the following ways.

Advantages

• As the angle of rotation is determined by the number of pulses (digital input), control of position (angle of rotation) is simple
• Can rotate at low speeds
• Can use open-loop (non-feedback) position control
• Excellent ability to remain locked in position when halted

Disadvantages

• Requires a drive circuit
• Loss of synchronization can occur due to factors such as unexpected changes in load
• High level of vibration and noise

Stepper Motors Applications

Because of their superior responsiveness, high torque at medium and low speeds, and excellent halting accuracy, stepper motors are suitable for a variety of drive applications that require precise control.

• Production machinery
• Medical equipment
• Laboratory analytical instruments
• ATMs
• Vending machines
• Ticket vending machines
• Copiers
• Robots
• Blu-ray and DVD drives, among others, are optical disk drives.)
• Laser printers
• Digital cameras
• Air conditioning louvers
• Amusement machines

The End

A stepper motor is a computer-controlled motor that divides a full motor rotation into numerous steps. Since a stepper motor is designed to be extremely accurate, the user can instruct it to perform an exact number of steps or rotations, which is why there are so many steps and why the motor is controlled by a computer. A stepper motor is made up of numerous components, and the motor’s control system includes the stepper motor indexer. The stepper motor indexer sends pulses in a specific direction and keeps the motor timed. Without the indexer, the motor would be unable to determine how many steps to take or which way to turn.

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