Stepper Motor Driver Kit - SMD1

by Ramsey Electronics

Stepper motors are pulse driven motors commonly used in applications where great accuracy and tight movement control is required: computer drives, printers, industrial robots, CNC machines, etc. They are very high quality, precision motors, but they are not easy to control. This kit should help you not only to control these motors, but learn how they operate as well.

The kit uses 2 integrated circuits: the MC3479 IC, which was designed specifically for this purpose and a 74HC00 CMOS IC.

The circuit has many controls: a speed control knob, clockwise/counterclockwise switch for motor direction, a run/hold switch to freeze the motor in a specific position, and a full/half step switch to control the amount of rotational travel per clock cycle.

The driver output current is rated at a maximum of 500mA. The phase A output is an open collector output that is active when the motor is in phase A operation. This occurs every fourth clock cycle in full step mode, or on the eighth clock cycle while in half step mode.