Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 1

SPECIAL OF ELECTRICAL
MACHINES
3/14/2022 4th year Electrical Department
 Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 2

DRIVE CIRCUIT OF
STEPPING MOTORS
3/14/2022 Chapter (2)
 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
3

Fig (17) Uni-polar drive circuit for three-phase variable reluctance stepper motor .

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
4

 Fig. 17 presents a schematic diagram for a uni-polar drive

circuit. This circuit is suitable for three-phase variable
reluctance stepper motors. Each phase winding of the motor
is controlled by a separate drive circuit with a transistor as
its controllable power switch. All drive circuits are energized
by the same DC source. The transistor (power switch) of each
winding has two modes of operation as follows:
 On Mode: When sufficiently high base current flow through
the transistor base it turn ON and acts ideally like a short
circuit. Consequently, the supply voltage will be applied
across the phase winding and the external resistor (Rext)
connected in series with the phase winding. The DC source
magnitude is adjusted to produces the rated phase current
when the switch is turned ON. Therefore,
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
5

Fig (17) Uni-polar drive circuit for three-phase variable reluctance stepper motor .

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
6

V s I (R ph + R e xt )
=
 Where Vs is the DC source voltage in V, I is the phase
winding rated current in A, Rph is the phase winding
resistance in Ω, and Rext is the external resistance
connected in series to the phase winding in Ω
 The phase winding inductance is very large and
consequently results in slow rate of building the phase
winding current that might result in unsatisfactory operation
of the stepper motor at high stepping rates. Therefore, the
external resistance is connected in series with the phase
winding to reduce the time constant. The net ON Mode
circuit time constant will be very large and can be
expressed by, L ph
τ ON =
(R ph + R e xt )
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
7

 Where Lph is the phase winding average inductance in H.

 OFF Mode: In this mode, the base drive current of the
transistor is removed and the switch is turned OFF and acts
as an open circuit. The phase winding current will continue to
flow through the freewheeling path formed by the
freewheeling diode (Df)
 and the freewheeling resistance (Rf). The maximum OFF
state voltage appears across the transistor (switch) (VCE(max))
can be expressed by,
V CE (max)
= V S + IR f

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Uni-polar Drive Circuit
8

 During this mode of operation, phase current decays in the

OFF mode circuit with a net OFF Mode circuit time constant
that can be expressed by
L ph
τ OFF =
(R ph + R e xt + R f )
 The energy stored in the phase inductance during the ON
mode is dissipated in the OFF mode circuit resistances
during the switch turn OFF period

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-polar Drive Circuit
9

 Fig. 18 presents a schematic diagram for one phase of a bi-

polar drive circuit. This circuit is suitable for permanent
magnet or hybrid stepper motors. Each phase winding of
the motor is controlled by a separate drive circuit with a
transistor as its controllable power switch. All drive circuits
are energized by the same DC source. Each two transistors
(power switches) of each phase winding are turned ON
simultaneously. Two modes of operation occur as follows:
 T1 and T2 are in the On Mode: This is done by injecting
sufficiently high base current through their bases
simultaneously. Each transistor acts ideally like a short circuit

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 Bi-polar Drive Circuit
10

 Consequently, the current will flow as indicated by the solid

line in Fig. 18. The inductor is then energized.
 D3 and D4 are in the On Mode: This mode follows the
switching OFF of T1 and T2 . In this mode, the phase
winding current cannot change its direction or decay to zero
instantaneously after turning OFF of T1 and T2 because of
the phase winding inductances. Thus the current continue to
flow through of D3 and D4 as indicated by the dotted line
in Fig. 18. The inductor discharges and the energy is
returned back to the DC source.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-polar Drive Circuit
11

Fig (18) One phase of a Bi-polar drive circuit for permanent magnet or hybrid stepper
motors .
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 Bi-polar Drive Circuit
12

 A reverse flow of current in the phase windings and hence a

reverse direction of rotation of the motor can be achieved
by activating T 3 and T4. When T3 and T4 are turned OFF
the freewheeling path will provided through D1and D2 .
The bi-polar circuit is characterized by,
 Higher efficiency than the uni-polar drive circuit as part of
the stored energy in the phase winding returns back to the
DC source during the power switches turn OFF mode.
 Fast decaying of the freewheeling current as the inductor
discharge through the phase winding resistance, phase
external resistance and the DC source.
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Bi-polar Drive Circuit
13

 No freewheeling resistance is required.

 More power switches (devices) than the uni-polar drive
circuit.
 More expensive than the uni-polar drive circuit.
 Most of the large stepper motors types (> 1 kW) are driven
by the bi-polar drive circuit including variable reluctance
types.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bifilar Drive Circuit
14

 Bifilar wound motors means that there are two identical sets
of windings on each stator pole. This type of winding
configuration simplifies operation in that transferring current
from one coil to another one, wound in the opposite
direction, will reverse the rotation of the motor shaft.
Whereas, in a unifilar application, to change direction
requires reversing the current in the same winding.
 The most common wiring configuration for bifilar wound
stepping motors is 8 leads because they offer the flexibility
of either a Series or parallel connection. There are however,
many 6 lead stepping motors available for Series
connection applications.
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 Bifilar Drive Circuit
15

Fig (19) One Bifilar stepper motor drive.

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 Steps Drive circuit
16

 Stepper motor "step modes" include Full, Half and Micro

step. The type of step mode output of any motor is
dependent on the design of the driver.
 FULL STEP
 Standard (hybrid) stepping motors have 200 rotor teeth, or
200 full steps per revolution of the motor shaft. Dividing the
200 steps into the 360º's rotation equals a 1.8º full step
angle. Normally, full step mode is achieved by energizing
both windings while reversing the current alternately.
Essentially one digital input from the driver is equivalent to
one step.
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Steps Drive circuit
17

 HALF STEP
 Half step simply means that the motor is rotating at 400
steps per revolution. In this mode, one winding is energized
and then two windings are energized alternately, causing
the rotor to rotate at half the distance, or 0.9º's. (The same
effect can be achieved by operating in full step mode with
a 400 step per revolution motor). Half stepping is a more
practical solution however, in industrial applications.
Although it provides slightly less torque, half step mode
reduces the amount "jumpiness" inherent in running in a full
step mode.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Steps Drive circuit
18

 MICROSTEP
 Microstepping technology controls the current in the motor
winding to a degree that further subdivides the number of
positions between poles. AMS microstep drives are capable
of rotating at 1/256 of a step (per step) which corresponds
to 51200 steps per revolution (for a 1.8º step angle motor)

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Steps Drive circuit
19

Fig (20) stepper motor drive.

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 Bi-level Drive Circuit
20

 In this method, two controllable switches (transistors) and two

diodes are used in each phase as shown in Fig. 21-a.
Moreover, an additional DC source ( Eext)with higher
magnitude than the original source ( E) is also used. This
circuit has three modes of operation that can be explained
briefly, with numerical values, as follows:
 Q1 and Q2 are switched ON: This is represented by the
equivalent circuit shown in Fig. 21-b. The transistors behave
as short circuits

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-level Drive Circuit
21

Fig (21) Bi-level drive circuits to modify the rise and fall time of the current pulse and
the associated current .

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-level Drive Circuit
22

Fig (22) Bi-level drive circuits to modify the rise and fall time of the current pulse and
the associated current .

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 Bi-level Drive Circuit
23

 The load (motor’s phase) current starts to flow with an

increasing magnitude until it reaches its rated value of,
E 3
I
= = = 10A
R 0.3
 The circuit time constant is given by
L 2.4 ×10−3
τ=
o = = 8ms
R 0.3
 Therefore the current approximately increases linearly with
an increasing rate(Rate1) as shown in Fig. 21-c that can be
expressed by 3 + 57
E + E ext
Rate1
= =R =0.3 25, 000A / s
τo 0.008

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-level Drive Circuit
24

 The time required to reach the phase winding’s rated current

(t1) is therefore approximated to,
I 10
=t1 = = 0.4ms
Rate1 25, 000
 Q1 is switched OFF while Q2 is still ON: This mode is
activated once the phase current reaches its rated value of
10 A. The switch Q1is switched OFF while the switch Q2
remains conducting. This is represented by the equivalent
circuit shown in Fig. 22-d. The switch Q1 behaves as an
open circuit. In this case the diode D1 will conduct and the
current flows as shown in Fig. 22-d with a constant
magnitude of 10 A
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Bi-level Drive Circuit
25

 Q1 and Q2 are switched OFF: The current will remain

flowing in the phase winding circuit until switch
 Q2 is turned OFF . Both switches are now in their
 OFF state and behave as open circuits. In this case the two
diodes D1and D2 will conduct and the current flows as
shown in Fig. 22-e.Assume that the switch
 Q2 is turned OFF after 5 ms from the instant at which the
current reached its rated value. The circuit time constant is
given by, L 2.4 ×10−3
τ=
o = = 8ms
R 0.3

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Bi-level Drive Circuit
26

 Therefore the current approximately decreases linearly with

an decreasing rate( Rate2) as shown in Fig. 22-f that can be
expressed by E ext 57
Rate
= R
= 0.3
= 23, 750A / s
1
τo 0.008
 The time required for the current to decay to zero (2) is
therefore approximated to,
I 10
=t2 = = 0.42ms
Rate 2 23, 750
 Once the current reaches zero, switch Q1is switched ON to
force the phase current to remain zero until the next pulse.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Chopper Drive Circuit
27

 The chopper driver provides an optimal solution both to

current control and fast current build-up and reversal. The
basic idea is to use a supply voltage
 which is several times higher than the nominal voltage of the
motor. The current rise rate, which initially is
 V ⁄ L, is thereby possible to increase substantially. The ratio
VM ⁄ Vsupply is called the overdrive ratio. By controlling the
duty cycle of the chopper, an average voltage and an
average current equal to the nominal motor voltage and
current are created. The chopper is usually configured for
constant current regulation, see figures 23,25.
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Chopper Drive Circuit
28

 Constant current regulation is achieved by switching the

output current to the windings. This is done by sensing the
peak current through the winding via a current-sensing
resistor, effectively connected in series with the motor
winding. As the current increases, a voltage develops across
the sensing resistor, which is fed back to the comparator. At
the predetermined level, defined by the voltage at the
reference input, the comparator resets the flip-flop, which
turns off the output transistor. The current decreases until the
clock oscillator triggers the flip-flops, which turns on the
output transistor again, and the cycle is repeated.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Chopper Drive Circuit
29

Fig (23) A simplified schematic shows the principle of constant current chopper regulation.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Chopper Drive Circuit
30

 The advantage of the constant current control is a precise

control of the developed torque, regardless of power
supply voltage variations. It also gives the shortest possible
current build-up and reversal time. Power dissipation is
minimized, as well as supply current. Supply current is not
the same as the motor current in a copper drive. It is the
motor current multiplied by the duty cycle, at standstill
typically Isupply = IM · ( VM ⁄ Vsupply ) Figure 25 shows an H-
bridge configured as a constant current chopper.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

 Chopper Drive Circuit
31

 Depending on how the H-bridge is switched during the turn-

off period, the current will either recirculate through one
transistor and one diode (path 2), giving the slow current
decay, or recirculate back through the power supply (path
3). The advantage of feeding the power back to the power
supply is the fast current decay and the ability to quickly
reduce to a lower current level. One example is when micro
stepping at a negative slope, which may be impossible to
follow if the current decay rate is lower than the slope
demands. The disadvantage with fast current decay is the
increased current ripple, which can cause iron losses in the
motor
Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022
 Chopper Drive Circuit
32

Fig (24) Current waveform in the basic chopper circuit.

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 Chopper Drive Circuit
33

Fig (25) An H-bridge configured as a constant current chopper.

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022

34 THE END OF CHAPTER (2)

Dr/ Ahmed Kalas 3/14/2022