How to measure stepper counts?

Thread Starter

st98

Joined May 27, 2010
33
Hi all,

I have a unipolar 6-connection step motor and I want to do a 'phase' check on it. The idea is to identify how many phases it has and the step counts with an oscilloscope or else.. Any ways of doing this?

I do have the datasheet but need to do a practical test for confirmation.

Thanks
 

Thread Starter

st98

Joined May 27, 2010
33
mcqyvr, ScottWang,
Thanks for your response.

Any ideas on how to check whether the drive turns the motor in full or half steps (the step counts)?
The drive used does indicate it can either be full, half or microstepping, which is excepted.

Thanks
 

Thread Starter

st98

Joined May 27, 2010
33
Thanks Max,

Unfortunately I don't have a way to issue the number of steps, or honestly, I don't know a way to issue the number of steps at this stage.
I guess the pulses sent to the motor from the drive are microcontroller dependent (?). I may be wrong -not sure.

What I want to check is the current configuration (current number of steps that have been issued on previous 'set-up').

Thanks
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
If you have a working step/dir drive, you could load the free Mach3 program and run the drive off of the P.P. to test etc.
Usually there are setting or an option on the drive that set the micro or half stepping.
Max.
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
RTFM :) read the manual for the drive..
many have the half/full stepping set by physical switches or it may be set in a config file or other method.. all depends on which drive..
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
Hi,

If you can not find out how the drive is powering the stepper then you can look at how windings are energized for a full step, half step, etc. Once you have that information you can simply check to see how your driver is energizing the windings and then you'll know if it is half step or full step, etc.
Once you have that information also, then you just step it N times until it makes one complete revolution (with some pointer arm attached) and then divide 360 by the number N and then divide by the stepping. So if it took 360 steps to go around once, and the stepping is set for half stepping, then each full step is 2 degrees (360/360)/0.5=2 degrees. If it was set for full stepping then 360/360/1=1 degree per full step.
 
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