The results of an investigation into the application of the micro-stepping mode when controlling a stepper motor

• Date: 2022
• Main Authors: Косяк, І. В., Цубін, О. А.
• Format: Article
• Language: Ukrainian
• Published: Інститут проблем реєстрації інформації НАН України 2022
• Subjects: stepper motor; microstepping; pulse-width modulation; control; microstepping mode; driver
• Online Access: http://drsp.ipri.kiev.ua/article/view/262939
• Journal Title: Data Recording, Storage & Processing

An analysis and research of the stepping motors control system in the microstep mode is carried out. Features of development and construction of stepper motors control systems are considered. The implementation of a low-budget stepper motors control system based on the TB67S109A driver is proposed. Many types of precision feed drives are used in precision machine tool construction. A number of devices that require small displacements and high resolution use stepper motors. The benefits of stepper motors are well known. They can operate in open circuit mode, the accuracy of which depends mainly on the mechanical accuracy of the engine. They move with quantized increments (steps), which make them easy to use in digitally controlled motion systems. But stepper motors are not without problems. Their large pulsed waveforms create mechanical forces that excite and amplify mechanical resonances in the system. At resonance, the stepping motors system may lose synchronization and, consequently, skip or gain an extra step. Since this is an open loop system, it would mean the loss of location information, which would be unacceptable. One way to get around the problems associated with stepper motors while maintaining their open loop benefits is to use them in microstep mode though. It requires a more complex control scheme. Therefore, the study of the use of stepper motors control systems in order to reduce their cost, availability and versatility remains an urgent task. This work is devoted to the analysis and research of building a low-budget stepper motors control system based on a specialized integrated stepper motors control device TB67S109A manufactured by Toshiba at a cost of < 4 $. TB67S109A is a two-phase bipolar stepper motor driver that uses PWM controllers and allows you to operate in microstep mode. The TB67S109A driver contains a control circuit, two independent PWMs with current control and a power cascade consisting of two H-bridge circuits with short-circuit protection. The operating voltage range of the driver is 10 ... 50 V, which allows it to be used in control systems for motors with a voltage of 10, 24, 36 or 45 V. Thus, thanks to a maximum supply voltage of 50 V, the driver is compatible with a wide range of stepper motors. The relevance of the development is due to the fact that stepper motors control systems, which usually consist of a programmable controller and stepper motor driver, and provide a micro-step control mode with a load current in windings ³ 3 А, have a high cost.