A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module RepRap 3D Printer Pololu StepStick Arduino Compatible
A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module RepRap 3D Printer Pololu StepStick Arduino Compatible
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This stepper motor driver module is a breakout/carrier board for Allegro's A4988 DMOS Microstepping Driver with Translator and Overcurrent Protection and is Pololu / StepStick compatible. This stepper motor driver lets you control a bipolar stepper motor at 1 A continuous current per phase without a heatsink or cooling, and at up to 2 A maximum output current per coil if additional cooling is provided. An onboard potentiometer is used to adjust the current output.
This driver can control the stepper motor with just 2 pins from the controller, one for controlling the rotation direction and the other for controlling the steps. Stepper motors typically have a step size specification (e.g. 1.8° or 200 steps per revolution), which applies to full steps. This microstepping driver allows higher resolutions by providing intermediate step locations, which are achieved by energizing the coils with intermediate current levels. For instance, driving a motor in quarter-step mode will give the 200-step-per-revolution motor 800 microsteps per revolution by using four different current levels. This driver module provides five different step resolutions: Full-step, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 step.
The translator is the key to the easy implementation of the A4988. Simply inputting one pulse on the STEP input drives the motor one microstep, while the MS1 through MS3 input pins control the microstep resolution. There are no phase sequence tables, high frequency control lines, or complex interfaces to program. The A4988 interface is ideal for applications that do not have a complex microprocessor available, and pairs well with Arduino microcontrollers.
Specifications:
- Minimum operating voltage: 8V
- Maximum operating voltage: 35V
- Continuous current per phase: 1A
- Maximum current per phase: 2A (with cooling)
- Minimum logic voltage: 3V
- Maximum logic voltage: 5.5V
- Thermal shutdown circuitry
- Ground fault protection
- Load short-circuit protection
- Microstep resolutions: Full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16
Package contents:
- 1 x A4988 Stepper motor driver module
- 1 x Heatsink
📄 Documentation & Resources
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Works and got me through my senior design project
If you are needing to drive a NEMA 17 motor up to 1 or maybe 2 Amps this driver module may be just what you need. I have seen a lot of reviews that mention module overheating and motors that just vibrate or run erratically when connected to the module and I have to say the same thing happened to me. It wasn’t the driver module’s fault though. I found that if you crank the reference voltage potentiometer fully counterclockwise before ever connecting power and then easing it up clockwise incrementally once power is applied and monitoring the stepper motor coil amperage you will avoid the overheating issue. The buzzing motor, or erratic operation issue occurs if you don’t connect the motor windings up to the driver outputs 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B correctly. StepperOnline labels the windings as A+, A-, B+, and B-. If you connect A+ to 1A, A- to 1B, B+ to 2A, and B- to 2B things work as you would expect. Once I figured this out I was able to drive the motor to 0.6A under full load (stalled motor armature) for several minutes with no signs of overheating in the driver module or the stepper motor. My power supply could only drive 12 volts at 0.6A so I couldn’t push things any higher but since things stayed cool and stable at those levels (except for my power supply!) I am pretty confident that when my new power supply comes in I will still be OK at 1.5 to 2 amps. Will come back and edit this review if I find out otherwise. At this point though, I am very satisfied with the A4988 stepper motor driver! One other note - one of the two tantalum capacitors I had in parallel across the motor supply power connectors in the photo exploded like a firecracker during this testing. And, no, I didn’t have the polarity wrong on the one that exploded. They were both rated at 33uF and 35 volts. Switched to a 2200uF 50v electrolytic and it help up just fine. Guessing that transients generated by the motor windings exceeded the voltage rating and caused the poor little bugger to short out and over heat.
I was given a 3D printer that did not work correctly. The filament was not advancing. I replaced the stepper driver with this one, and it started working.
Exactly what I needed! Worked perfectly. Love that it’s a 2 pack so I have a backup on hand in case any other issues arise unexpectedly.