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Unraveling The Mystery of

Stepper Motor Technology

Jeram Chamberlain
Nippon Pulse America, Inc., USA

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What is a Open Loop

Stepper Motor System?

What Are Stepper Motors?

How Do Stepper Motors Work?
Troubleshoot & Test Stepper Motors

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Basic Stepper Application

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Stepper Motor Coil

PHASE A

PHASE B

S
N

PHASE
PHASE A
A

PHASE B

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PHASE A

PHASE A

One Phase
Step Sequence

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

STEP 1

PHASE A

PHASE A

STEP 2

Two Phase
Stepper Motor

PHASE A

PHASE A

N
S

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

STEP 4
STEP 3

PHASE A

PHASE A

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Types of Stepper Motors

Permanent-Magnet (PM)
PM rotor & electromagnetic coil
Variable Reluctance (VR)
No PM, no residual torque
Hybrid NEMA Sizing
Combined PM & VR Technology

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Cross Section of A Two

Phase Hybrid Motor

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PM & Hybrid Stepper Motors

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Bipolar Coil Winding

Each phase
is a single
winding

Current flow and electromagnetic

polarity is reverses in the windings

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Unipolar Coil Winding

Sometimes
called
four-phase
steppers

Current flow and electromagnetic polarity is

NOT reversed in the windings. Polarity
comes from alternately energized windings

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Motors Need Maintenance

Steppers Not So Much

Stalled motors burn up

Steppers operate in stall condition

Most brushes go bad

Steppers are brushless

All bearings go bad

Quality Stepper bearings are rated

from 90-100K hours

People break them

Hammers dont fix Steppers

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Ohmmeter Test With Steppers

Bipolar
Always 4 leads
Resistance is
the same in
both windings
and both
directions

Some 8 lead motors can be connected

as bipolar

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Ohmmeter Test With Steppers

Unipolar
5 or 6 leads
Resistance from
each phase to
Common is the
same in both
directions

If 5 leads, two commons connected

Some 8 lead motors can be Unipolar

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Unipolar Windings & Wire Colors

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Bipolar Windings & Wire Colors

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Stepper Motor Electronic System

CPU, Controller, Sequencer, Driver

One or more parts can be combined,
based on motion complexity

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Controller Receives & Coordinates

A dedicated controller generates

motion profiles that produce smoother
motor operation than just with a CPU.

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Controller Manages & Interpolates

Some controllers provide interpolation

between motors to produce smooth
XYZ motions CNC Machines

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Two Outputs Types to Sequencer

Pulse & Direction Speed & Rotation

CW/CCW Speed & Rotation

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One Controller Two Output Types

Pulse & Direction
Speed & Rotation
CW/CCW Speed &
Rotation

Pulse & Direction is the most

common format used in the USA
PCL6045B can output both formats

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Stepper Motor Sequencers

Sequencers read speed and direction

from controller and deliver excitation
sequence to the driver

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Bipolar Stepper Drivers

When Q1a and
Q4a (green)
are on, current
flows in one
direction
When Q2a and
Q3a (red) are
turned on,
current flow is
reversed

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Unipolar Stepper Drivers

Half the drive
electronics of
bipolar, and 30%
less torque
However,
unipolar coils
allow a higher
pulse rate than
bipolar, before
becoming
saturated.

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Constant Current - Constant Voltage

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Current Lags Voltage in an Inductor

Torque from stepper
motors is generated by
current, not voltage
PWM or Chopper drive
manages current
through a switch,
applied at higher
voltages to induce more
winding current
Chopper delivers more
torque at higher speeds

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Half Stepping A Stepper Motor

Easiest way to accomplish half stepping

is by using 1-2 phase excitation
Divides a steppers full step angle by
two 7.5/2 = 3.25 per half step
30% loss of torque depending on step
rate when compared to full step
Winding is not energized during each
alternating half step

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PHASE A

PHASE A

Half Stepping
Sequence

S
N

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

STEP 1

STEP 3

Two Phase
Stepper Motor

PHASE A

PHASE A

PHASE A

PHASE A

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

PHASE B

STEP 4
STEP 2

PHASE A

PHASE A

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Microstepping A Stepper Motor

Full step can be broken into as many as

512 parts
Current is limited through each winding.
Unequal pull on the magnet means it
moves toward the weaker winding
Torque falls rapidly as speed increases
Steps are not constant for positioning
Microstepping should only be used for
smooth movement.

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Combined Sequencer & Translator