stepper motor runs hot

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kennburr
 
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Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 1:52 pm

stepper motor runs hot

Post by kennburr »

My Adafruit stepper motor (part # 324) seems to run fine, but I am concerned that it is very warm to the touch and that it draws a little over one half of an amp, any time the shield has power, even when the motor is at rest. Is this normal?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: stepper motor runs hot

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Yes, that is normal. Stepper motors draw more current at slower speeds and reach maximum current when they are stopped with 'holding current' still applied. At 12v, the motor will draw about 350mA per phase (700mA total).

The motors do heat up under those conditions. But they are designed to handle this. The winding insulation is rated for up to 130C.

To reduce the holding current when stopped, there are a couple of options:
* Calling the "release" function will cut all power to the motor. This is a good option for applications where holding torque is not required.
* Switching to "SINGLE" mode for the last step will leave the motor with just one winding energized. This will cut the holding current (and the holding torque) by half.

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kennburr
 
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Re: stepper motor runs hot

Post by kennburr »

Thanks for that quick reply and very helpful information.

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