1.What is stepper motor?

Answer: A stepper motor is a brushless, synchronous electric motor that

converts digital pulses into mechanical shaft rotation.Its normal shaft
motion consists of discrete angular movements of essentially uniform
magnitude when driven from sequentially switched DC power supply.

The stepper motor is a digital input-output device. It is particularly well

suited to the type of application where control signals appear as digital
pulses rather than analog voltages. One digital pulse to a stepper motor
drive or translator causes the motor to increment one precise angle of
motion. As the digital pulses increase in frequency, the step movement
changes into continuous rotation.

Fig1:Stepper Motor
2.Working principle of stepper motor
Ans: The working principle of a stepper motor is based on the interaction between
the electromagnets in the stator and the permanent magnet or toothed rotor. The
stator contains multiple coils arranged in specific patterns, and the rotor is designed
with teeth or poles to interact with the stator's magnetic field. The motor's
movement is controlled by sequentially energizing these coils in a specific
sequence, causing the rotor to step in precise increments.
Fig2: Cross-Section of a Stepper Motor
The basic working principle of a stepper motor involves the following steps:
Coil Energization: To move the rotor, the coils in the stator must be energized
with current. The coils are typically wound around poles or teeth in the stator. The
number of poles and coils determines the step angle of the motor, i.e., the angle the
motor rotates with each step.
Pole Attraction: When a coil is energized, it generates a magnetic field.
Depending on the type of stepper motor, either the permanent magnet rotor or the
toothed rotor aligns itself with the magnetic field created by the energized coil due
to magnetic attraction.
Step Increment: By sequentially energizing different coils in a specific pattern,
the motor's rotor steps from one position to the next. Each step corresponds to a
fixed angle of rotation, which is determined by the motor's design and the number
of poles or teeth.
Step Sequencing: Stepper motors can operate in various stepping modes, such as
full-step, half-step, or microstep. In full-step mode, the motor moves from one step
to the next in a single-step increment. In half-step mode, the motor takes half the
step angle, providing smoother motion and finer positioning. Microstepping allows
even smaller step angles and smoother movement by driving the coils with varying
current levels.
Control and Direction: To control the stepper motor's movement and direction, an
electronic circuit called a stepper motor driver is used. The driver sends electrical
pulses to the motor coils in the desired sequence and frequency, controlling the
motor's rotation.
By controlling the sequence and timing of the coil energization, the stepper motor
can be accurately controlled to move to precise positions or rotate at specific
speeds. This makes stepper motors suitable for applications that require precise
control, such as in robotics, CNC machines, and 3D printers.

3.Stepper motor types

Rotor

For a stepper motor, there are basically three types of rotors:

• Permanent magnet rotor: The rotor is a permanent magnet that aligns

with the magnetic field generated by the stator circuit. This solution
guarantees a good torque and also a detent torque. This means the motor
will resist, even if not very strongly, to a change of position regardless of
whether a coil is energized. The drawbacks of this solution is that it has
a lower speed and a lower resolution compared to the other
types. Figure 3 shows a representation of a section of a permanent
magnet stepper motor.
• Hybrid rotor: This kind of rotor has a specific construction, and is a
hybrid between permanent magnet and variable reluctance versions. The
rotor has two caps with alternating teeth, and is magnetized axially. This
configuration allows the motor to have the advantages of both the
permanent magnet and variable reluctance versions, specifically high
resolution, speed, and torque. This higher performance requires a more
complex construction, and therefore a higher cost. Figure 3 shows a
simplified example of the structure of this motor. When coil A is
energized, a tooth of the N-magnetized cap aligns with the S-magnetized
tooth of the stator. At the same time, due to the rotor structure, the S-
magnetized tooth aligns with the N-magnetized tooth of the stator. Real
motors have a more complex structure, with a higher number of teeth
than the one shown in the picture, though the working principle of the
stepper motor is the same. The high number of teeth allows the motor to
achieve a small step size, down to 0.9°.
Stator

The stator is the part of the motor responsible for creating the magnetic field with
which the rotor is going to align. The main characteristics of the stator circuit
include its number of phases and pole pairs, as well as the wire configuration. The
number of phases is the number of independent coils, while the number of pole
pairs indicates how main pairs of teeth are occupied by each phase. Two-phase
stepper motors are the most commonly used, while three-phase and five-phase
motors are less common (see Figure 5 and Figure 6).
4. In stepper motor torque increases precision decreases.why?
Ans:I n stepper motors, the relationship between torque and precision is influenced
by the microstepping technique used.

1. Microstepping and Torque:

In a standard stepper motor, each step corresponds to a fixed angle of rotation, and
the motor moves in discrete steps. When the motor is operated in full-step mode,
the torque is generally at its highest because the rotor is aligned with one of the
stator poles, maximizing the magnetic interaction.
However, when the motor is operated in microstepping mode, the current in the
windings is varied in a controlled manner, allowing the rotor to hold positions
between the full steps. In microstepping, the rotor aligns itself between stator
poles, and the resulting torque is not as high as in full-step mode. This is because
the magnetic interaction between the rotor and stator is not maximized, leading to a
decrease in torque.
2. Microstepping and Precision:
On the other hand, microstepping increases precision and smoothness of motion.
By allowing the rotor to hold positions between the full steps, the motor can
achieve smaller angular increments, leading to finer resolution and smoother
movement. Microstepping effectively reduces step size, resulting in more precise
positioning and reduced vibration or noise during operation.
So, while the torque may decrease in microstepping mode compared to full-step
mode, the precision and smoothness of motion significantly improve. This trade-
off between torque and precision is one of the key considerations when choosing
between full-step and microstepping modes for a particular application.

In applications where high torque is crucial, using full-step mode may be preferred,
sacrificing some precision. Conversely, when precision and smooth motion are
more critical, microstepping is often the preferred choice, even though the torque is
slightly reduced. The specific choice between these modes depends on the
requirements of the application and the desired balance between torque and
precision.