Stepper motors are inevitably used in industrial automation. How to control a stepper motor, and how to set its speed, direction, and operating voltage? This requires a stepper motor controller. So what is stepper motor control, what is the difference between a stepper motor controller and a stepper motor driver, what types of controllers are there, and what are some application examples of controllers? We will introduce these in detail below.
Difference between stepper motor controller and driver
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A typical stepper motor control system can be divided into a stepper motor driver, a stepper motor controller, and a stepper motor. As shown in the diagram above, the part above the stepper motor driver is the stepper motor controller. The controller sends high-speed pulse signals to the stepper motor driver, which then receives and amplifies the signals to drive the motor. Therefore, we can understand several differences between the driver and the controller:
1. The controller is a pulse generator capable of producing high-speed pulses.
2. Controllers are more versatile than drivers, while drivers generally have a single function, mainly amplifying pulse signals.
3. The controller is generally programmable, while the driver receives pulse signals.
4. The controller uses low-voltage control signals, while the driver has both high and low voltage options.
Stepper motor controller types
There are various types of controllers, but in short: any product that can transmit high-speed pulse signals and has programmable functionality can be called a stepper motor controller. Controllers on the market can be categorized as follows:
PLC
PLCs are currently the most widely used controllers. PLCs have comprehensive functions and generally have multiple high-speed pulse output ports, which means they can control multiple stepper motors at the same time. However, because PLCs have comprehensive functions, stepper motor control is only a small part of their functions. If you only need to control stepper motors, you generally do not need to use a PLC.
microcontroller
There are many ways to use a microcontroller as a controller. Generally, microcontroller chips, such as STM32 and 51, contain high-speed single-pulse output ports. However, the development and design of microcontroller chips are relatively complex. If you only want to develop and design a microcontroller chip to control a stepper motor, it would be a waste of time and effort.
Stepper motor controller with integrated drive and control
Its main function revolves around stepper motor control, including the stepper motor drive function, eliminating the need for a separate controller. It has a rich set of I/O ports, allowing connection to stepper motor encoders, motor limit switches, electromagnetic brakes, etc. These controllers typically include bus ports such as 232, 485, and CANopen, and with the right debugging tools, stepper motors can be directly controlled from a computer. Alternatively, the program can be written on a computer, stored in the controller, and the stepper motor can be controlled via I/O. If the stepper motor is being controlled, this type of controller is currently the most common.
