Stepper Motors

• Stepping motors fill a unique niche in the motor

control world. These motors are commonly used
in measurement and control applications where
you need to control rotation angle, speed,
position and synchronism.
• Sample applications include ink jet printers, CNC
machines and volumetric pumps, plotters, high
end office equipment, hard disk drives, medical
equipment, fax machines, automotive
applications
 Features of Stepper Motor
1. Brushless – Stepper motors are brushless. The commutator and
brushes of conventional motors are some of the most failure-prone
components, and they create electrical arcs that
are undesirable or dangerous in some environments.
2. Load Independent – Stepper motors will turn at a set speed regardless
of load as long as the load does not exceed the torque rating for the
motor.
3. Open Loop Positioning – Stepper motors move in quantified
increments or steps. As long as the motor runs within its torque
specification, the position of the shaft is known at all times without the
need for a feedback mechanism.
4. Holding Torque – Stepper motors are able to old the shaft stationary.
5. Excellent response to start-up,stopping and reverse
 Stepper Motor
• A stepper motor is an electromechanical device which converts
electrical pulses into discrete mechanical movements. The shaft
or spindle of a stepper motor rotates in discrete step increments
when electrical command pulses are applied to it in the proper
sequence.
• The motors rotation has several direct relationships to these applied
input pulses. The sequence of the applied pulses is directly related
to the direction of motor shafts rotation. The speed of the
motor shafts rotation is directly related to the frequency of the input
pulses and the length of rotation is directly related to the
number of input pulses applied.
 Stepper Motor Advantages

1. The rotation angle of the motor is proportional to the input pulse.

2. The motor has full torque at standstill (if the windings are energized)
3. Precise positioning and repeatability of movement since good
stepper motors have an accuracy of 3 – 5% of a step and this error is non
cumulative from one step to the next.
4. Excellent response to starting/stopping/reversing.
5. Very reliable since there are no contact brushes in the motor.
Therefore the life of the motor is simply dependant on the life of the
bearing.
6. The motors response to digital input pulses provides open-loop
control, making the motor simpler and less costly to control.
7. It is possible to achieve very low speed synchronous rotation with a
load that is directly coupled to the shaft.
8. A wide range of rotational speeds can be realized as the speed is
proportional to the frequency of the input pulses
 Disadvantages
1. Resonances can occur if not properly
controlled.
2. Not easy to operate at extremely high
speeds.
 Types of Stepper Motor
• Permanent Magnet
• Variable reluctance
• Hybrid
• Permanent magnet motors have a magnetized rotor,
while variable reluctance motors have toothed soft-iron
rotors. Hybrid stepping motors combine aspects of both
permanent magnet and variable reluctance technology.
 Stepper Motors

• A stepper motor is a “pulse-driven” motor that

changes the angular position of the rotor in
“steps”
• Define
– β = the step angle (per input pulse)
– Resolution = the number of steps/revolution
– θ = total angle traveled by the rotor
• = β X # of steps
– n = the shaft speed = (β X fp) / 360°
• fp = # of pulses/second
 Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor
Toothed Rotor and Toothed Stator

Principle of Operation:
Reluctance of the magnetic circuit
formed by the rotor and stator teeth
varies with the angular position of
the rotor
Here, energize coils A and A’
(Phase A)
Rotor “steps” to align rotor teeth 1
and 4 with stator teeth 1 and 5
Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor

Energize coils B and B’

(Phase B)
Rotor steps “forward”
Rotor teeth 3 and 6 align with
Stator teeth 1 and 5
Let Ns = # of teeth on the stator
Nr = # of teeth on the rotor
β = Step Angle in space
degrees

Ns  Nr
  360
Ns  Nr
Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor
Energize Phase C
Rotor steps forward another 15°
Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor
Energize Phase D
Rotor steps forward another 15°
Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor

Repeat the sequence

Energize Phase A
Rotor steps forward again
Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor
Switching Circuit for the
stepper motor
Close switches in order 1, 2, 3,
and 4 to turn the rotor “clockwise”
Close switches in reverse order -
4, 3, 2, and 1 to change rotation to
the opposite (counter-clockwise)
direction
 Variable-Reluctance Stepper Motor
Typical Driver Circuit

F = “filter” block
C = Up/Down Counter
D = Decoder
S = Electronic Switch (transistor)
Typical Switching Circuit

Decoder provides logic

output to turn QA On/Off
Amplifier A “conditions”
the logic pulses
When QA turns On, it
conducts current in the
motor phase A winding
When QA turns Off, D
and RS conduct current
to “discharge” the phase
winding