For the low-voltage steppers we use, is a low-voltage driver like DRV8834 more appropriate?

Most of the stepper motors we use for our machines are rated for low motor voltage (2-5v). However, most electronics seem to use high-voltage versions of the stepper drivers. For example the popular A4988 and its clones operate from 8-45v. Is there a reason why this isn't a problem, or should we instead be using low-voltage drivers like the DRV8834 (2.5-10.8v)? Am I missing something obvious?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2016 12:16PM by Pointedstick.

Why would you use a 10.8V driver in a 12V or 24V system? You'd have to provide a source of <10.8V to use it. Motors display higher torque at speed when they are powered by high voltage supplies (up to about 20x rated voltage).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2016 03:47PM by the_digital_dentist.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Ok, so the driver's voltage rating is referring to the incoming voltage and not the output motor voltage?

The stepper driver are working with constant current. The ratings on the motor is for constant voltage.

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Yes. Motor voltage is just coil current / coil resistance. The motor's torque comes from the current in the coils. Steppers are very commonly operated at 10-20X their rated voltage. When you shop for a stepper driver, you look first at the current spec- does it provide enough current to operate the motor? Then you look at the supply voltage- will the chip/module survive your power supply's voltage? Maximizing speed requires operating the motor at high voltages.

For 3D printing, you want low voltage motors. Low voltage rating implies low resistance which implies low inductance. That means two things- you'll get acceptable performance in the relatively low voltage systems (12 or 24V) that we typically use for the controller boards, and when you manually move the extruder carriage or axes around you won't generate so much voltage that you destroy the drivers.

Start here: [www.orientalmotor.com]

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]