This Compact Stepper Motor Controller Is All-in-One — and Boasts USB Energy Supply Assist

Maker Josh R. has designed a closed-loop stepper driver and controller designed to be powered over USB Energy Supply (PD) by way of a USB Kind-C port, utilizing an Espressif ESP32-S3 and an Analog Gadgets Trinamic TMC2209 motor driver.

“Stepper motors are incredible for tasks, however assembling the mandatory parts — like a microcontroller, stepper driver, energy provides for each motor and microcontroller, and optionally an encoder can result in bulkiness, excessive prices, complexity, and challenges in integrating them into compact or space-constrained designs,” Josh claims in assist of his creation. “This challenge addresses these points by consolidating every thing onto a single board, eliminating the drawbacks with little to no compromises.”

The compact board, which is designed to slot in the footprint of a NEMA 17 stepper motor with a view to maintain the general element measurement down, makes use of Analog Gadgets’ Trinamic TMC2209 stepper motor driver — picked for it silent operation and excessive precision, Josh notes. That is positioned beneath the management of an Espressif ESP32-S3 module — making the motive force a totally standalone system, prepared for management over a wired USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) connection.

Elsewhere on the board is an ams OSRAM AS5600 magnetic rotary place sensor, a part of the promise of closed-loop management of a linked motor, a Qwiic/STEMMA QT connector for enlargement, three user-addressable buttons, and auxiliary pins that can be utilized for UART, I2C, and extra — but it surely’s the ability provide that makes the challenge actually fascinating: the USB Kind-C connector presents USB Energy Supply (PD) negotiation, permitting the motive force to supply 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V, or 20V energy from a appropriate USB energy provide — fed right into a 3.3V buck converter for the on-board electronics.

“The highest cowl may be 3D printed,” Josh notes of an non-compulsory housing to guard the board, “nonetheless this may increasingly not deal with effectively if the motor & controller get heat beneath excessive load. A canopy machined from polycarbonate or acrylic is a a lot better possibility (and appears superior). An aluminum housing offers a glossy industrial look in addition to performing as a heatsink, nonetheless this shouldn’t be used in case you are utilizing Wi-Fi on the ESP32-S3 as it might block the antenna and cut back the Wi-Fi sign.”

Software program supply code, design recordsdata, and 3D-print or machining recordsdata are all out there on the challenge’s GitHub repository beneath the reciprocal GNU Basic Public License 3; Josh can also be taking pre-orders for kits for $42 with the PCB, mounting {hardware}, motor wires, encoder magnet, and small heatsink, or $54 so as to add a polycarbonate housing, aluminum warmth spreader, and a further massive heatsink, with all {hardware} anticipated to ship in October this 12 months.