RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers

RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers I recently built a Mendel Prusa i2 with RAMPS 1.4. I wired everything up and flashed the test firmware that simply moves all the stepper motors around. At first everything seemed to work fine, then after a few minutes the first stepper motor started vibrating, then spazzing, then dying. The current potentiometer was at about 25 %. This whole thing repeated itself a few times with different drivers and slots and now I have 3 dead stepper drivers and apparently 1 dead stepper motor. Does anyone have an idea what could cause this or how I can debug it without going through a ton of drivers? Thanks! https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517062#msg-517062 Mon, 11 May 2026 02:14:37 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517725#msg-517725 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517725#msg-517725

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anonymous
I resolved the problem. The pots on the drivers I am using seem to be very low quality and they aren't linear at all. Turning them in one direction makes the current go up and down randomly. Sometimes turning them all the way in one direction causes almost no current to flow, sometimes the same setting means all the way up.

I got them to work using trial and error while constantly having a finger on the PSU off switch.

Thanks for your input!

I'm glad you got to the bottom of it!

Software control of stepper motor current is so much nicer.]]> dc42 RAMPS Electronics Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:05:55 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517722#msg-517722 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517722#msg-517722
I got them to work using trial and error while constantly having a finger on the PSU off switch.

Thanks for your input!]]> anonymous RAMPS Electronics Thu, 04 Jun 2015 13:55:36 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517226#msg-517226 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517226#msg-517226

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The current potentiometer was at about 25 %.

You should set it to a certain voltage, like 0.35V to start with.
I´ve had different drivers and some need to be turned counterclockwise to raise stapper current.
-Olaf]]> o_lampe RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:07:18 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517137#msg-517137 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517137#msg-517137 anonymous RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:19:41 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517133#msg-517133 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517133#msg-517133 Frans@France RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:12:00 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517114#msg-517114 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517114#msg-517114
I never unplugged the motors while the board was powered.

The setup worked for a few minutes and I didn't touch anything, which, I think, eliminates some of the more common causes.]]> anonymous RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 06:50:37 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517097#msg-517097 Re: RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517097#msg-517097
I killed a few drivers by accidently not plugging the stepper cable onto all 4 posts and/or pulled them off, while the power was still on...
-Olaf]]> o_lampe RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 06:04:37 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517062#msg-517062 RAMPS 1.4 keeps frying stepper drivers https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?219,517062,517062#msg-517062
I wired everything up and flashed the test firmware that simply moves all the stepper motors around.

At first everything seemed to work fine, then after a few minutes the first stepper motor started vibrating, then spazzing, then dying. The current potentiometer was at about 25 %.

This whole thing repeated itself a few times with different drivers and slots and now I have 3 dead stepper drivers and apparently 1 dead stepper motor.

Does anyone have an idea what could cause this or how I can debug it without going through a ton of drivers?

Thanks!]]> anonymous RAMPS Electronics Wed, 03 Jun 2015 04:10:00 -0400