Big Stepper Motors with Arduino

Today I’ll be working with a BIG stepper motor. I'll show you how to use a microstep driver module and an Arduino to drive a NEMA 23 size motor.

Today we will work with a bigger motor than the ones used in the original stepper motor video. This motor is a NEMA 23 size beast that takes up to 4.2 amperes per coil, more than we can drive using the drivers and H-Bridges we used earlier.

To drive this motor I'll be using a microstep module, a common device available on eBay, at Amazon, and at your local electronic and electrical supply store. The module I used is a model MA860H but the wiring and coding will work for any one of these modules.

In order to select a module suitable for your stepper motor you will need to know how to read and interpret some of the stepper motor specifications, so I’ll cover that. One spec that fools a lot of people is the voltage rating, I'll explain why the number in the spec sheets can be ignored!

I’ll show you how to hook the microstep module up to an Arduino and how to code for it, using a simple sketch and also the AccelStepper library.

Here is what you will find in today's video:

00:00 - Introduction
02:18 - Reading Stepper Motors Specifications
08:49 - Selecting a Microstep Driver
12:33 - Arduino Hookup and Demo
22:44 - Using AccelStepper

If you’d like the sketch or want additional information you can find it all in the article on the DroneBot Workshop website.

Happy stepping!

[MohammedAhmed-mihg]

Please always remember that each video you made like this, there are thousands of people learning from your great experience. I highly appreciate your efforts, and wish you all the best my dear.

[camarillojohn]

Thank you for explaining the sequence of operating of the stepper motor, as a novice it helped me a lot.
Good to have someone like you to help out.
Thx.

[thunderbolt]

As always, you have produced another GREAT video and learning experience. You should be very proud of every video you produce. They are the cream of the crop when it comes to educational videos.

[stochioiuconstantin]

While a total novice with electronics, I understood everything you explained. Much of the information you presented, I was looking for. Thank you!

[SLCKaled]

I'm retrofitting my old CNC router machine and your video helped me understand a TON about how the components work with each other. I just realized I will need a bigger motor driver THANKS!

[sunilwijeratne]

Just I started to work with the stepper motor. Its great opportunity for me to startup easily with your explanation. Thank you very much for your information.

[larryb]

Many, many thanks for all of your knowledge sharing. You are a great teacher! I enjoy all of your videos and deeply appreciate all of your time and effort. Please continue to teach and share. The world needs more good people like yourself!

[omskariyazmaraikayer]

I dare say that is 'The' place to learn engineering .A fine balance between theory and practice. I wish all teachers were like this. My respect and gratitude to you sir. I really appreciate the graceful ageing you have undergone and how you share this knowledge with the rest of us. Surely age will catch up with us sooner, but to be able to achieve what you do is no simple task. You are truly an inspiring teacher. May God bless you . AMEEN.

[habotssar]

Hello and thank you very much for your videos!! I just want to remark that the voltage shown by the manufacturer is also quite important since it means that the maximum rms voltage drop per coil must be the specified according to the calculation. It doesn't matter if you use a driver that supports higher voltages since it will have some internal regulator or PWM approach to apply the right voltage to the coil. This is important if you build your own driver. If you apply 12 volts directly to any winding you will burn the motor! The maximum voltage drop means that the maximum current is flowing through!

[TeoMaragakis]

The quality and organisation of your presentation is only surpassed by your teaching skill. Keep up the amazing work.

[willywonka]

Thanks for making the electronics simple and straight forward. I believe i could build a CNC of virtually ANY SIZE with your tutorial.

[tylerives]

This video is insanely well done. Stellar format, excellent content, and concise presentation. Definitely helped me out!

[stratman]

This was a very helpful video and I appreciate how clearly you explain it, including how to read data datasheets.

[austinswesey]

"Taking some big steps today" ....I see what you did there, and I appreciate it.

[allengentz]

Thanks for the tutorial, looks like we are moving closer to a ESL for the lathe lead screw I am always following.

[fraenkfurt]

There are informative tutorials and those that gonna left you with a great feeling to be perfectly prepared although you gonna put things together for the very first time. You always create the latter ones. Thank you so much. Your techno skills AND your didactic skills are impressive.

[Jens]

I have been watching quite a few videos about electronics and Arduino. I did not find any that has a quality that comes even close to what you are presenting here. I am very thankful and consider this a true motivation to continue my approaches. I also mentioned this on a different occasion. Often video in English appear to be hard to understand for non native speakers. This is absolutely not that case with your videos. You are doing a great job in using very clear language that is easy to understand if you are somewhat familiar with the language!

[xDRTeK]

That smirk about bone crushing torque! I would have said it with at least my eyelids wide open. Anyhow, I must admit, these videos are really well made. Very well programmed and designed. Anybody wishing to put more effort in a certain project have all the details here. They would know what I mean when they go out to buy steppers and drivers. One more thing, you remind me of a very loveable character from seasame street. Big love to you to.

[bobvines]

Bill, This is yet another very clear video on what is a difficult topic for some. Keep up the great work!

[roadshowautosports]

Well, short of you coming to my house and connecting everything together, I believe you just made it as simple as possible!!! Thank you!
You got yourself a new subscriber!!!!