Stepper driver board/exercise routine
June 03, 2008 04:10PM
Hi,

I have another quick question - I am using my own driver boards which I already have lots of (and paired motors), I know they work when you bit bang them from the parallel port but I couldnt seem to get it working quite right from Arduino, using the code that is below

[reprap.org]

It only works in one direction from the re-rap PC software, using that code with some small amendments (changing delayMicroseconds(2); to delayMicroseconds(i)winking smiley as I am pretty sure I need a square wave input for my boards. Then it works both directions but only one direction smoothly - which is odd, but can sort that out I guess.

The boards use a STK672-540, guess what I am asking is the way its supposed to be driven fundamentally different to the reprap driver boards?

[www.semiconductor-sanyo.com]∏=STK672-540

datasheet

[www.semiconductor-sanyo.com]



Thanks for any help!!

J.
Re: Stepper driver board/exercise routine
June 03, 2008 04:49PM
first off, which Arduino firmware are you using (gcode, snap?) and which version? 1.3?

it should work just fine. the pin mappings should be very similar:

clock -> step
cwb -> dir
enable -> enable

from the datasheet, make sure that resetb is set to low when the chip starts up, then brought high. (datasheet page 10) i dont fully understand it, but the timing diagrams help.

finally, it might be a good idea to add longer delays in the functions that control direction and sending clock signals.

good luck, and let us know how it goes.
Re: Stepper driver board/exercise routine
June 04, 2008 08:10AM
The boards already have the resetb thing enable with a capacitor and transistor arrangement (by the looks of it).

I have got some newer 530 based boards which have both directions fully enabled now, I had to hack the cw/ccw bit on the 540 boards as in thier proper application they only rotate ccw.

I'll try uploading the gcode firmware tonight as I can just send that gcode down the serial port. When I try and use the reprap host software it locks up when I try and move anything but the x axis for some reason.

J.
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