I've done a bit of reading on this but I'm still stuck.
I have a Sanyo-Denki stepper (103H548-0440) - see http://uk.farnell.com/sanyo-denki-sanmotion/103h548-0440-1/stepper-motor-1-8deg-3-6v/dp/9948260
It's rated 1.2A / 3.6V. I am using the K179 stepper controller and it works fine. The schematic for the stepper controller said the motor supply could be anything in the 8-36V range, and I read that the voltage for a stepper motor isn't necessarily "you must run it at this", so I'm using a 12V rechargeable.
My usage involves the motor being idle for, say, 30 secs, then just moving a few turns then being idle again for 30 secs. When testing, I noticed the motor casing got very hot very quickly (too hot too touch, when the supply was removed it took ages to cool down) so while I see that steppers can run warm, this seems unduly so.
I'm guessing the cause is that it sits idle a lot, with the full power running through the coils?
So, what are my options? I could get a voltage regulator (although 3.6v is a "funny" figure, so I'd need an adjustable one) or would this not help? Is it current I need to limit? If so, how? A resistor would presumably get hot instead... is there anything I can use alongside the K179 kit or do I need a completely different controller? I don't need a huge stopping torque, but ideally I don't want it to "freewheel" either.
Any pointers appreciated (steppers still confuse me a bit!)
I have a Sanyo-Denki stepper (103H548-0440) - see http://uk.farnell.com/sanyo-denki-sanmotion/103h548-0440-1/stepper-motor-1-8deg-3-6v/dp/9948260
It's rated 1.2A / 3.6V. I am using the K179 stepper controller and it works fine. The schematic for the stepper controller said the motor supply could be anything in the 8-36V range, and I read that the voltage for a stepper motor isn't necessarily "you must run it at this", so I'm using a 12V rechargeable.
My usage involves the motor being idle for, say, 30 secs, then just moving a few turns then being idle again for 30 secs. When testing, I noticed the motor casing got very hot very quickly (too hot too touch, when the supply was removed it took ages to cool down) so while I see that steppers can run warm, this seems unduly so.
I'm guessing the cause is that it sits idle a lot, with the full power running through the coils?
So, what are my options? I could get a voltage regulator (although 3.6v is a "funny" figure, so I'd need an adjustable one) or would this not help? Is it current I need to limit? If so, how? A resistor would presumably get hot instead... is there anything I can use alongside the K179 kit or do I need a completely different controller? I don't need a huge stopping torque, but ideally I don't want it to "freewheel" either.
Any pointers appreciated (steppers still confuse me a bit!)