stepper motor control

009
IC3 IC2

C10
H1
H2

C3
C9
C13 C4

R6

R7
C8 C6
L2 R5 L1 R4

+ C7 C12 C11
C5
K1
0
R3
IC1
R2 C2

R1

H3
H4

tnemgeS )C( 1-560499

994065-1 C1

994065-1 (C) Segment

K.S.M. Walraven
The control is a compact design for driving bipolar stepper motors.
Driver stages IC2 and IC3 are modern types from ST Microelec-
tronics. Because of the combination of CMOS logic with D-MOS
power transistors, these devices need few external components.
Also, compared with the previous generation of bipolar devices
such as the L298, the D-MOS transistors drop lower voltages so
that the internal dissipation is smaller.
The input stage, IC1, enables the motor to proceed one step
for each pulse at its input pin 18. The level at pin 17 (CW/CCW)

determines whether the motor

rotates clockwise or anticlock-
C9
2
wise. The level at pin 19 decides
5V 5V 100n whether the motor moves whole
3
OUT1 or half steps for each pulse at
R2 5 C5
IN1
IC2
R4 pin 18. In normal operation, pin
3k9

L1
20 (reset), pin 11 (control), and
10Ω

C2 15n
7 4
IN2 BOOT1
100n L6203
pin 10 (enable) should be linked
C11
R3 11
ENABLE BOOT2
8 to the +5 V supply. Pin 1 (sync)
is an output used when several
1k

C6 22n
5V IC1 12 10
SENSE
15n
L297s are driven in tandem and
1
K1 15 4 OUT2 should be left open in the pre-
VREF A
10 17
CW/CCW B
6
R7
VREF sent design. Pin 3 (home) is an
9 11 5 9 6
INH1 output that indicates when out-
0Ω5

CONTROL C3
8 18 14
7 10
STEP SENS1 puts A, B, C, and D, assume the
220n
6 20
ENABLE C13 binary code 0101, and is not
RESET
5 3
C
7 10µ
used in the present design. The
HOME
4 19
HALF/FULL D
9 63V
other pins are of less impor-
3 1
SYNC INH2
8 C10 tance and will in most cases not
2 16 13 2
OSC SENS2
100n
be used at all – further informa-
1 5V
OUT1
3 tion may be obtained from
2
R1 L297 5
IN1
C7
R5 Internet address
IC3
L2 http://www.us.st.com
22k

10Ω

15n
7 4
IN2 BOOT1 Since the current through
L6203
11 8
C12 the motor coils must not only be
C1 ENABLE BOOT2
C8 22n switched on and off, but also be
3n3 10
SENSE reversed, the driver ICs contain
15n
OUT2
1
a complete bridge formed by
R6
VREF four D-MOSFETs. The upper
9 6 two need to be driven by a
0Ω5

C4
potential that is higher than the
220n supply voltage, and this is
994065 - 11 obtained with the aid of a boot-

38 Elektor Electronics 12/99

 Parts list C11, C12 = 22 nF gram are decoupling (bypass) elements.
C13 = 10 µF, 63 V, radial The driver ICs can handle currents of up to 4 A at voltages up
Resistors: to 42 V. For safety’s sake, it is better for the voltage to remain well
R1 = 22 kΩ Semiconductors: below 42 V; the current is internally limited to 4 A. Any tendency
R2 = 3.9 kΩ IC1 = L297 of the current to rise above this level is sensed by resistors R6 and
R3 = 1 kΩ (ST Microelectronics)
R4, R5 = 10 Ω IC2, IC3 = L6203
R7, whereupon the IC is disabled. The value, R, of these resistors
R6, R7 = 0.5 Ω, 3 W (see (ST Microelectronics) must, therefore, be in line with Im, the motor current: R=1/Im.
text) The driver ICs are provided with internal thermal protection,
Miscellaneous: but when the dissipation is large, it is advisable to mount them on
Capacitors: K1 = 10-way header a suitable heat sink. They do not get damaged by heat, but they do
C1 = 3.3 nF PC1–PC6 = PCB pins switch off the motor when the temperature rises above the maxi-
C2, C9, C10 = 100 nF L1, L2 = bipolar stepper mum specified temperature.
C3, C4 = 220 nF motor
Finally, it should be noted that IC1 operates from a +5 V sup-
C5–C8 = 15 nF PCB Order no. 994065-I
ply (via K1) from which it draws a current of about 50 mA. The
voltage at pins 0 and + is intended for the stepper motor and
should be equal to, or a little higher than, the rated motor voltage.
strap circuit (C5, C6). Network R4-C11 suppress voltage peaks [994065]
across the motor terminals. Most of the other capacitors in the dia-

+/– voltage on bargraph display

9V
D13

1N4001
010 higher than reference voltage
will do), T1 and T4 are switched
U IN C1
on, while the other two MOS-
100µ 25V
FETs are off. In this way, the
C2 D12
LM3194 is configured in the
R1
100n usual manner with the top end
D11
100k

T1 T3
3
of the resistor network con-
D10 nected to the internal voltage
9 L10
10 reference and the low end con-
BS170 BS250 MODE 11
P1 5
SIG IC1
L9 D9 nected to ground. As the input
R4 12
820Ω
6
RHI
L8
13
voltage rises, the comparators
L7 D8
1k
7
REFOUT 14 inside the LM3914 will cause
R5 L6
+/– 6V the indicator LEDs to be
R3 15
LM3914 L5 D7
2k2

10k
L4
16 switched on one by one, starting
control
8 L3
17 D6 with D3.
REFADJ 18
R2 D1 4
RLO
L2 When the control voltage is
1
D5
L1 lower than about –3V, T2 and
100k

T2 T4 P2
2x D2
6V2
500mW
BS250 BS170 4k7
Design by V. Mitrovic
The LM3914 is a truly versatile component. Besides LEDs, only a
few other components are needed to make the ‘bidirectional’ bar-
graph voltmeter shown here. The circuit is similar to a conven-
tional bar display, but it offers a possibility to change the direction
in which the LEDs are switched on. This may be useful, for exam-
ple, when positive and negative voltages are measured. For a pos-
itive input voltage, the LEDs are switched on in the usual manner,
that is, from D3 to D12, while for negative voltages, the LEDs are
switched on in the opposite direction, from D12 to D3. Obviously,
the negative voltage must be ‘rectified’, i.e. inverted, before the
measurement. A suitable circuit for this purpose is presented in
the article ‘Absolute-value meter with polarity detector’ (reference
number 994020-1) elsewhere in this issue.
A set of transistor switches (MOSFETs) controls the direction in
which the LEDs light. When the control voltage is high (+6V,
according to the schematics, but any voltage that is at least 3V
2
D4
T3 are switched on while T1
and T4 are off. Consequently,
D3 the ends of the resistor network
are connected the other way
994012 - 11
around: the top end goes to
ground and the low end, to the
reference voltage. The first
LED to be switched on will then be D12; i.e., the LEDs that forms
the bargraph display light in the opposite direction. Although not
documented by the manufacturer of the LM3914, this option
works well, but only in bar mode (in dot mode, internal logic dis-
ables any lower-numbered LEDs when a higher-numbered LED
is on, which obviously conflicts with our purposes).
To achieve good symmetry, an adjustable resistor is added to the
voltage divider in the LM3914. Using a DVM, adjust the preset
until the voltage across P1+R4 equals 1/11th part of Urefout.
Sensitivity is determined with the ratio of resistors R5 and P2. If, for
example, the reference voltage is set to 2.2 V by means of P2, there
will be a voltage drop of 200 mV per resistor in the ladder network
(including R4-P1). So, the first LED will switch on when the input
voltage exceeds 200 mV, the second, at 400 mV, and so on, and the
whole display will be on at 2 V.
The circuit draws about 100 mA when all LEDs are switched on.
(994012-1)

Elektor Electronics 12/99 39