Reducing stepper motor holding current

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kadamr
 
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Reducing stepper motor holding current

Post by kadamr »

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could help me - are there any stepper motor drivers that feature a reduced holding current capability or option?

I don't want to turn the motor off, but it doesn't need very much current at all to stay still as there is very little torque on it. I know this technique exists, but I don't know if there are any drivers that offer it - at least I can't find it specified. I can't limit the motors current because that still needs to be high when moving.

Thanks in advance!

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Reducing stepper motor holding current

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

What are the electrical specs for the motor? Most motor drivers do have the capability of modulating the output current with PWM. But you need to choose a driver that is compatible with the electrical characteristics of your motor.

kadamr
 
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:29 pm

Re: Reducing stepper motor holding current

Post by kadamr »

This is the motor: https://www.adafruit.com/product/324

I need the holding current to be reduced to conserve battery life. There is little torque on it when its holding position.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Reducing stepper motor holding current

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

A controller like the DRV8833 would be a reasonable match. https://www.adafruit.com/product/3297
If you drive it using PWM capable pins on your microcontroller, you can use analogWrite() to output a reduced duty cycle PWM to the windings once the motor stops:
https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/lan ... alogwrite/

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