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Can one stepper motor drive another?

theviking

Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 12:00PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 3

Is it possible to connect one stepper motor to another stepper motor to translate rotation from the first to the second? i.e. rotate the shaft on the first one by hand and have that rotation duplicated on the driven motor.

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nophead

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 12:41PM

Admin
Registered: 18 years ago
Posts: 7,883

Sort of, but they might not keep in step if you move the first one too slowly as the voltage produced is proportional to speed.

[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

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james glanville

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 01:07PM

Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 332

Won't they never keep in step? I would have thought they'd behave a bit like synchronous machines so that the second one will exert no torque when the slip between the shafts is equal to zero, and therefore some slip would be needed to overcome friction in the driven motor. I'm not 100% on this, but it's not really a great idea anyway.

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xiando

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 02:27PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 477

Not to be obtuse, but sure. just rigidly couple the shafts. It's kinda silly but would definitely lock them in step. (I guess I'm not getting what you're intentions are)

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theviking

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:18PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 3

Clairification. The motor shafts are not connected. They are only connect via conductors.

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james glanville

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:20PM

Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 332

What's this idea for by the way? There's probably a neat way to accomplish what you want, just maybe not this way. Off the top of my head, a rotary encoder, a small MCU and a stepper motor driver and stepper could probably work depending on what you want this to do.

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xiando

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:44PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 477

Yeah, I'd think an encoder would be pretty much required for an electronic linkage, even if there were literally two motors involved.

Lag could be an issue.

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theviking

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:54PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 3

I am trying to rotate two wooden wheels on a prop school bus for my Grandsons birthday. My goal is to mount crank in the school bus that he can turn to make the wheels rotate. The wheels are not driving, only hanging on the front of the bus prop.

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nophead

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:58PM

Admin
Registered: 18 years ago
Posts: 7,883

Two steppers would work well enough for that.

[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

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james glanville

Re: Can one stepper motor drive another?
February 19, 2013 03:59PM

Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 332

Yeah that sounds workable, assuming you don't mind a bit of lost speed. You could always gear up the driving motor if you wanted a bit more performance, but as long as you just want a bit of turning -> a bit of movement you're probably good.