- Thank you for your answer. Indeed your BD361 is at 15W similar to mine that is 12.5W. But I tell you, that 3A of yours matter!!! Mine at 1.5A is very weak, Much more weaker, than apparently close wattage. Is my observation. (note: BD361 NPN 20V 3A 15W)
- I see your new cct with mosfets and I see the difference from the other one before. I still have the boards with the wired mosfets put aside. But trust my word when I say to always put values on your components and proper numbering. As others told me, I tell you the same. Be perfectionist in everything you do, as hard as it is. You have no component value and number. Please put YOUR values and I will adapt to mine afterwards. Those arrows point to... 4017 right? or the 4 protection diodes that stay on 4017 outputs. Right? (where I put my red marking)
View attachment 279528
About my stuff:
The board Im making is very hard and very slow to make. A lot of small wires I had to search for and bent and fit and solder. But Im finishing it soon. Very hard !

It's not their current capability particularly that matters, as long as you don't exceed their ratings, it's that their gain will be quite low at high currents. My ones aren't very high up there either, hence why I used the Darlington or Sziklai setup.
As for not putting component values on the new circuit, I only meant for you to use the existing values that you have and add the new components. I couldn't read your values anyway. If I was making it from scratch I would have removed or re-arranged a few parts anyway.
Yes, the arrows do point to the 4017, and as I pointed out before, the 1N4148 diodes serve no purpose, in fact they slightly lower the drive voltage to the NPN transistors!

 

Hi Again,

Just realised that the MOSFET bootstrap circuit that I gave in post #199 has the same problem that all the others that it is based on has, in that the lower MOSFET's are still not being driven to +10V by the emitter follower NPN's IF the CD4017 is powered from 5V.
This can be cured by running all the preceeding circuitry from 10V, or using the circuit below.



As requested, I've put in some component values that I'd use if I built it, based on my stripboard build.

Note: Edited 30/10/2022

 

Very nice ! And dont do it only once and only because I asked. Do it all the time. I know is pain in the buuut you will get smart about it and used to do it right all the time. For example, reuse the save file and edit it in next version. Like I do:
And preferably with distinctive naming if possible. I myself Im not 100% all the time but in my mind I do want everything to be in its proper place all the time. Here is a bit of file management I did so far only for this project:

Back to my evolving project on the table, here is an update. All the NOT Logic wires connected. Its hard core.
Im kind of building it from tail to head, I know. But is looking very cool so far. I like it. That chip is soldered only on 2 pads. Im a bad boy. I know.

 

Very nice ! And dont do it only once and only because I asked. Do it all the time. I know is pain in the buuut you will get smart about it and used to do it right all the time. For example, reuse the save file and edit it in next version. Like I do:
And preferably with distinctive naming if possible. I myself Im not 100% all the time but in my mind I do want everything to be in its proper place all the time...........

Just a quick note for you. I made yet another error in posts #199 and #202, so I have re-edited them.

 

I made yet another error in posts #199 and #202, so I have re-edited them.

Very good, you catch the spirit ! We only have to make it work ONCE ! That's the goal I have in mind all the time. (and now you)
Also VERY important is this saying of mine: "Work with breaks" ! Its very important and I do it all the time. You as well. Work a little, take a break, return and work some more, take a break, and so on. You will realize at the end of the day, when you get in bed, you actually did a lot all day and you actually worked all day long, for a more longer and more productive day than otherwise. Quote me every time you want. "Q12 said it". Haha.

 

@q12x @sarahMCML

Price: US $6.88
TMC2225 Stepper Motor Driver Module
Product Description
TMC2225 is the next-generation product of TMC2208. The main difference from TMC2208 is that the package adopts HTSSOP as DFN,
which has the same functions, better heat dissipation performance, and higher cost performance.
Features:

• TMC2225 stepper motor driver​
• For 3D Printer​
• Supply voltage 4.75-28V​
• Continuous Iphase= 1.4A RMS​
• Stepper motors up to 2A coil current(perk)​
• Smooth Runing with 256 microsteps Internal interpolation​
• Silent motor operation with StealthChop2™​
• Highly dynamic motor control chopper with SpreadCycleTM​
• Single Wire UART & OTP for advanced configuration options​
• Control via Step & Dir interface​
• Board width 15.5mm, board height 20.5mm​
• 2x8 pin 2.54mm header rows for pins/connector​

 

Very good, you catch the spirit ! We only have to make it work ONCE ! That's the goal I have in mind all the time. (and now you)
Also VERY important is this saying of mine: "Work with breaks" ! Its very important and I do it all the time. You as well. Work a little, take a break, return and work some more, take a break, and so on. You will realize at the end of the day, when you get in bed, you actually did a lot all day and you actually worked all day long, for a more longer and more productive day than otherwise. Quote me every time you want. "Q12 said it". Haha.

I built the circuit in post #199 today using 10 volts to supply the 4017, so that the emitter followers driving the lower MOSFETs would properly have their gates driven to the full voltage. It works very well, and the upper gates get driven to the extra 10V above whatever the motor is supplied.
There was another error in that circuit's connections though, so I have amended the post to correct them.

 

I received today the second round of motors. These ones: (if you remember from the original post)

It took 3 weeks and arrived through fast courier. Way more smaller than I imagine them! Hmmm.... But is fine.
The board controller is progressing, slowly but surely. Very hard to make it.

 

TMC2225 Stepper Motor Driver Module

Danke mister Danko and thank you for this chip. It is very interesting. First thing to say, I like it is made in Germany !!! I read a good part of its datasheet and is quite powerful indeed, especially for its very small size. I also learn a thing or two from that reading and also confirming some suspicions I had for a long time about power and heating and also some new problems I encounter recently, like that voltage regulator heating up too much. So its not only in my case. That is very good to know. Its a very well made datasheet.
I am testing stuff and I cant permit to ---buy--- just for testing, a lot of these chips. So price is a problem but the only one. If I will make something serious with the motors, I will very much consider this chip. I will look with one eye to this chip from now on, I actually made a special folder just for him and some annotations I considered important. These annotations are for myself.

and of course the price per unit:

But I still have to figure out a [cheap] way of building a stepper driver from discrete components and not using a dedicated chip.
This is my personal goal. But I do like what Im seeing with this IC of yours. Its very cool.
And some update on my board:
here is some testing I did and everything is nominal.

 

Hi ,

I've been testing the circuit in post #202 today, and found that with a 5Ohm load between the 2 halves, and a 13.6Volt power supply (the best my PSU will give, that's 2.6 Amps through the MOSFET's), they aren't detectably warm to the touch. And that is without any anti shoot through circuitry, just straight from the CD4017 outputs. Not bad, eh!

 

Yah, not bad indeed. I will try your cct but first let me finish the one that actually worked in my case.
Its good that you are making these tests. It would be nice to work the same for me as well... mmm. We'll see.

 

I made a video update. It contains everything we discussed here, nothing new, if you want a summary about it.
But if you are still curious, see:

 

Project is finished and working !
I put here the Final used circuit:
And the Final movie about it:

 

Project is finished and working !

Good job!

May be this information about chopper modes will interested to you:
https://www.trinamic.com/technology/motor-control-technology/chopper-modes/

 

...I couldn't read your values anyway....

Hello. In this context you are referring to the Large image I am putting (sometimes) in the comments.
Here is what you should do to be able to read a Large Image:
1-Move your mouse OVER the Large Image. If your usual Arrow cursor changes into a Hand cursor, then is letting you know the image is Large ! (If the mouse cursor remains as an arrow, then the image is small, and no magnification requires.)

2-After you click on the image, it will redirect you to this Image Viewer page.
Notice the Red marked Menu in the corner? That is your Q !
3-Now, click on the [Magnifying Glass] Icon. After you click once on it, it will turn from (+) into (-). When is in (-) mode, you will realize the image is magnified at it's original uploaded resolution.

4- To navigate inside the image, you will notice the mouse is a Hand cursor. Simply left click and drag the mouse around to navigate the image. Or, alternatively and a bit more advanced, do as I do, and install an addon into your Firefox browser(probably for Chrome browser as well) called ScrollAnywhere and it will give you the scroll option as on a tablet or a mobile screen. Meaning, when you drag your image around, it will give you inertia, and it will slow down slowly and not abruptly. Also with very customizable settings for speed, distance, smoothness, right or left click of the mouse to use. (Mine is on right click set). I use this addon from 2010-ish. Very old and very good. Still kicking ass. Oh Yaaah - (like my american friends like to say) Haha.

The End.

 

https://www.trinamic.com/technology/motor-control-technology/chopper-modes/

Thank you mister @Danko . Every bit of information is good to me. Knowing it's existence is a big thing for me. So I thank you for that. Very interesting subject ! But not quite what Im concentrated on at the moment. Keep coming with interesting stuff like this. I like it.

 

I received yesterday the L298N stepper motor driver IC !
I am searching for a circuit with it. You are welcome to contribute with the best circuit that you know with it.
Thank you.

 

Check #28 for L298.

 

Hi again,
I'm afraid that you broke your own rules in post #213, in that you didn't put in the supply rails to the CD4017 or the 7404 devices. Just a friendly hint!
Also, by leaving those (useless) 1N4148 diodes in place you're wasting about 0.7 volts of drive to the upper transistors that could go to the motor coils, and wasting power (as heat) in the transistors as well.
Have you looked at what voltage the emitter goes to, compared to its base, with your oscilloscope? It would be interesting to see!

 

hi sarah,
Agreed about those unnecessary diodes, they are not needed.
E
@q12x