Control 6 stepper motors with Mega

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Hrdc0r19
 
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Control 6 stepper motors with Mega

Post by Hrdc0r19 »

Hi,
Super new to all of this, but I'm going to try going from a Uno starter kit straight to controlling six stepper motors with individual inputs to all operate separately.
I'm in the purchasing phase and I am just trying to create a bill of materials. The plan is to replace all the gauges in my 74 Corvette. I want the look of the factory gauges, but I have replaced the engine, trans, and just about every piece that sends info to the gauges. Therefore I need to electrically drive the needles on the old faces.
I am not looking for other gauge options, I want it to look original.
I am not looking for someone to hold my hand and write the code, I just need to know if I'm on the right track and yes I have been searching and seeing how to operate one stepper motor in the way that I want to. I just don't know how the exponential increase will affect the project.
I am open to using different products or approaching this differently so long as it utilizes the original gauge faces.
I am looking at
1x Mega,
6x stepper motors (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2424),
3x stepper motor shields (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1438)
Am I on the right track?
I think the stepper motor might work better than a servo, but a good argument could sway me.
Will thia take too much processing power? I could use several Unos if I need to.
Thank you

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blnkjns
 
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Re: Control 6 stepper motors with Mega

Post by blnkjns »

Using 3 regular Arduino shaped shields with a MEGA is not a good idea since they all occupy the same pins and don't allow stacking.
You have these ramps boards for the MEGA, but they can go up to 5 steppers:
https://reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4

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blnkjns
 
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Re: Control 6 stepper motors with Mega

Post by blnkjns »


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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Control 6 stepper motors with Mega

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

The V2 motor shields do stack: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-mot ... ng-shields
However, they are probably not the best choice for this application because you would be speed limited with 6 high-step-count motors.

The gauge steppers are a pretty easy load and can be driven by just about any small H-Bridge. The TB6612B or DRV8833 would be reasonable choices.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/2448
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3297

These are simple H-bridges and will require 4 pins each (24 pins total) for control.
http://www.pololu.com carries a wider range of stepper controllers - including many with 2-pin 'step & direction' control.

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