If you don't have any experience with the Stepper motors then you can check the circuit below --
Stepper Motor Forward And Reverse Testing circuit.

 

Those are Bi-polar versions which as a rule are higher torque than Uni-polar version of the same frame size.

 

If you don't have any experience with the Stepper motors then you can check the circuit below --
Stepper Motor Forward And Reverse Testing circuit.

I do have some experience with steppers, Im not completely new, but I dont work with them routinely so I forget things.
And yes that is an excelent idea for the test circuit ! I was coming to that later. Its good you pop it out. Very good.
I was actually thinking to search through my scrap motors and see if I can find a 4or5wire stepper to start test with, in preparation until these new ones arrive.
Making the homework so to speak, and only plug and play those who will arrive.

 

I notice your test circuit is for 5wire stepper.

This one that is coming is 5wire:

Is your test circuit able to run both 5 and 4 wire steppers?
Or I will have to add something extra to the circuit to run the 4 wire stepper?

 

The driver circuits are usually quite different for uni & Bi-polar.

 

The driver circuits are usually quite different for uni & Bi-polar.

So a completely different test circuit must be for the 4wire stepper. Correct?
Or we can extend the one that we have and make an option to run a 4wire, that would be nice.

 

Hello,

Perhaps this page will help:
https://luni64.github.io/TeensyStep/applications2/901_stepper/steppers

Bertus

 

Is your test circuit able to run both 5 and 4 wire steppers?

I think their power direction is different.

Or I will have to add something extra to the circuit to run the 4 wire stepper?

Maybe you can try this -- L298N Motor Driver Module for 4 wires.
17HS4401 datasheet.

 

Maybe you can try this -- L298N Motor Driver Module for 4 wires.17HS4401 datasheet.

This is a good circuit, it is used for the power stage and I remember I use it in the past with H-bridge made from BD139. But I want also the control stage as well, with a 555 most probably. Like the other one was. A test circuit in itself. No need to hook it up to the PC. Just stand alone. See if you can find one. I will try to do it in Proteus with the knowledge I have.

 

I managed to find a scrapped motor with 5wires and another one with 4wires. I tested the 5wires with the circuit provided.
The 555 output signal I put it under osciloscope (pin3) and it is definitely pulsing alright and when I change the pot it also changing the fv. That part is great.
The motor itself is vibrating, but not rotating. I tried all the wires I imagined in all the permutations possible. I couldn't make it rotate. I listen closely and on each pin connection when I make the contact, I can hear a small bigger buzzing than before. So each wire of the motor is ok.
I measured the wires. On white (in the middle) I get 150R to each other wire. On each other wire connected to the remained random wires I get 300R. This tells me the white must be the common positive. It is a scrapped motor after all.... but still. I give it 5V in the beginning and then I push it up to 8V. The vibration is considerably louder. Maybe it needs a minimum voltage to actually rotate? Like at least 12V perhaps? Is what Im thinking.

 

Alright, I made it spin. Yay. But is sooooo weak. I believe it was design to only spin that metal (white) ax probably from a printer paper roller. I shortened that bar. It only works at the lowest frequency. If I raise the fv is starting to vibrate and not spin. Is very sensitive to fv. I also believe he likes an even lower fv that that. The voltage is very important. It starts spining from 12V up, at 12V being the weakest, If I barely touch it, it stops. At 24 is a bit stronger, but it gets too warm ,not hot but too warm. I lowered it to 19 then to 18 and is kind of a compromise between heating and power. The speed is not affected, or if it is, is not really showing. The wiring was also very tricky to find it. Im not completely sure it is the correct one but if it is the ONLY one then this is it. I believe maybe there is a secondary way of wiring, giving more power to the motor. But this is more wishful thinking.
This is it, the circuit worked successfully. (At 24V I may add, haha). No IC got heated though. It remained stable and cold. The current drawn was around 100mA, sometimes 140, but most of the time 90ish mA, looking on the PSU.
So, success. I wish I could make this motor a bit more stronger.... but if this is his design, it is good enough to spin a flower or something. Haha. I know there are some tricks, but probably are more for the 4 wire motor and not for this 5wire here.
Im glad I make it work.
Hmm I just checked the voltages to both IC's 555 and 4017 and they are max at 15V. Eh well, they still work. Hahahaha.

 

hi q,
Using your scope and the frequency at which it runs OK, but weak, post a photoshoot of the scope traces, showing Both channels.
Can do.?
E

 

Can do.?

Alright check this very short movie
I am showing both channels and also on each wire of the motor. Its a weird result.

 

hi q,
Checking your video, the pulse timing looks very wrong.
What circuit are using for the pulse timing drive.?

E

 

What circuit are using for the pulse timing drive.?

 

Here is the osciloscope on pin3 of the 555, its output.
Very short movie here

 

Maybe being at higher voltage, is messing up the signal... higher than the chip is made to work... Because I did served him a bit of too much juice.

 

hi q,
This is what LTSpice shows on the input to the ULN2003.
10mSec period.
Inductors 1mH and 0.1R
E
Measure on your scope see how they compare.

 

This is a good circuit, it is used for the power stage and I remember I use it in the past with H-bridge made from BD139. But I want also the control stage as well, with a 555 most probably. Like the other one was. A test circuit in itself. No need to hook it up to the PC. Just stand alone. See if you can find one. I will try to do it in Proteus with the knowledge I have.

If you want to test the L298 with the stepper motor for 4 wires, you can try this way:
see the L298N Motor Driver Module, connected the EnA and EnB to high, and connected the Sense A and B to Ground (if you don't want to measure the current), check the circuit in post #35, connected the input IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4 of L298N to the input of the ULN2003 which the circuit that I provided, the L298N will replace the ULN2003 circuit.
L298 datasheet.

 

Here is the osciloscope on pin3 of the 555, its output.
Very short movie here

The circuit can't run too fast as I remembered that it was less than 300Hz, the problem was bounded by the output of CD4017, because the circuit was just for test, so I didn't improve it to faster.

Edit:
If you make the 555 output high pulse smaller then the CD4017 output could reach up to a higher frequency.