A4988 Micro-Stepping Driver with Arduino Uno

[@tcpbox]

One thumb is not enough, I applied all youtube package, thumb up, shared the video and told to my friends. This is the best video about A5988.

[@tchiksguitars]

excellent video, this was exactly what I needed, and I really liked the pace of the video as well, leaving no stone unturned. Favorited !

[@khalifashuaib1168]

Wow, this is an amazing video. Whenever I’m trouble shooting I just brute force the code 😭 but I love how you used the IO board. Far more intuitive!

[@jefferybouchard9267]

Great tutorial on stepper motors and the Arduino

[@jim.....]

Theres a lot of videos about this on youtube, this is the best

[@oaleedpaulussafar5524]

comprehensive video for Microstepping, thanks.

[@ablaauw70]

Thanks for this great vid, It was the last piese of the puzzle for my project. Driving a stepper that drives a air capacitor for a magnatic loop antenna.. Keep up the good work!!

[@jegsawu6434]

Very Underrated Video. Thanks

[@Scrogan]

Nice, I look forward to a project that uses steppers!

[@EddieFox]

Very helpful indeed. Now I've learned how to set current and step modes. Thank you.

[@markvk42]

For once a crystal clear well made video, well done

[@happybrain6019]

Ben Hotz from Turkey. Thank you a lot. I really appreciate your video..

[@GnuReligion]

Nifty. I have never gone beyond using a H-bridges. Some of the newer stepper controllers use i2c or serial to communicate. Fancy ones and can go into "silent mode" and even sense when physical limit stops are reached ... perhaps by measuring current draw.

[@GadgetReboot]

One of the projects I have in mind is going to need a way to detect reaching end of travel and I haven’t figured out what approach I will take yet, physical limit switch, optical break beam, hall effect.. but I should look into getting some of the fancier drivers.

[@GnuReligion]

@@GadgetReboot Micro Limit switches are inexpensive. www.aliexpress.com/item/1926553469.html

[@GadgetReboot]

I should get some of those. I know I have some larger ones like the kind used on arcade switches but I can’t remember if I have small ones. That’s no reason not to order more inventory though!

[@belenhedderich3330]

20 min mastery on steeper and drivers congratulations! I want to see what this project is about, I'm myself I'm trying to do a fully 3d Printed solder paste dispenser with something similar Your video helped me a lot figuring out the code. Again thank you! Love your videos and also the 555 dev board :)

[@GnuReligion]

I downloaded a Thing that dispenses solder paste, manually. Amazing how well the printed threads work on that flat plunger. Are you going to use a 3d printer with a dispensing head to paint PCB pads with paste? Hmmm ... makes me wonder: is solder-paste filament is a thing?

[@belenhedderich3330]

@@GnuReligion Hello, I did too but depending on the paste viscosity the parameters change, so far I want to make it sort of automatic :)

[@GadgetReboot]

Your stepper project sounds a lot more useful and advanced than one of the things I’m thinking of, I may have to one up myself!

[@GnuReligion]

​@@belenhedderich3330 Yeah, solder paste turns hard after a while. I dilute mine with liquid Kester Flux in a soda-can bottom.

[@GadgetReboot]

I have a syringe of solder paste that I know I once ordered and received but I have no idea where it is so if I ever find it, I will probably get to put my liquid flux to use

[@bass-dc9175]

5:40 If it does not work for you: For some A4988 boards: Sleep and Reset are inputs. Tie both to Vcc (3.3v or 5v). Fixed my settup after 2 hours of checking connections xD

[@SimpleElectronics]

Great video! I made one that was far simpler, but this is better! good stuff!

[@ddavid2]

That was a great explanation. Many thanks

[@bentnielsen4869]

Absolutely a great video. Just made the hole thing and it works perfect. Thank You. I wonder if is possible to have one more button so it can run continiusly. Thank You

[@GadgetReboot]

The easiest way to run continuously is probably wire up switches in parallel with the buttons so it can stay on without being held.

[@jacksparrow2000]

Very detailed, and well explained. Thank you.

[@electronic7979]

Helpful video 👍

[@bencanyalcin859]

yooooooo, this is really good, very clearly explained and everything : p

[@chipko]

this is a fantastic video! It's helped me out a lot :)

[@sagivcohen6538]

you're a genius

[@Daan87423]

thank you very much

[@adityakinjawadekar562]

Exactly what I was looking for for last few months! Thanks for the video! Also I wanted to know what is the minimum voltage / current at which I can do the 1/16 microstepping? Can I run it on a phone powerbank with step up converter?

[@GadgetReboot]

it would depend on the motor as well as the driver, for the stepper I used, I had problems if I tried to go below 12 V and one amp, but it’s also a heavy duty motor originally designed for 24 V. if the power bank is only say 5 V and maximum 2 A, if I tried to use that in my set up, it may barely work by the time I step up the voltage and then lose some of the current.

[@marwanahmed317]

Great video

[@plig88luthierandelectronic63]

Perfect !! How to make this to spin always without stop? I am newbie on Arduino .. thank you

[@showliricopopular4824]

Hola...Es necesario que el destornillador que usemos para calibrar el driver sea antiestatico ? Muchas gracias...

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

Nice video, will be good to see what the project is. in my post bag 10 I got 5 TMC 2209 Stepper Motor Driver modules which i've still got to think of what to do with them. Got a few 5mm linear stepper motors, but can't think what I can do with 5mm of travel. may be some kind of leg joint in a walking 4 legged thing, got brain freeze with them. :)

[@GadgetReboot]

5mm I can’t think of anything I would do with that either. Maybe some sort of lightweight sliding latch mechanism to lock a small door or cover... maybe some sort of tamping mechanism with one on each side of things that occasionally need to be tapped to keep the stack straight.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@GadgetReboot I'll have to think of something. As we are going in to lock down (UK) i may have plenty of time to come up with it.

[@timteasdale1125]

Hi very well done video. Where can I find the demo board with the various components, what a time saver. Thanks!

[@GadgetReboot]

The bare PCB with no parts on it can be bought from PCBway here: www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Push_Button__Potentiometer__and_LED_IO_Board.html

[@zTensor]

I need some help about this Arduino code in this video. I this video motor runs only 200 steps I need to run motor independently until button is pressed !

[@khanyisilebuthelezi8479]

Hi there did you manage to solve this dilemma, I'm currently having the same issue

[@amdavadinikhil4062]

good work

[@michaszczesniak1219]

I tried to calibrate mine A4988 at 2 amps. I used your method but ampmetter shows only 1amp even if I reach the end of the pot range. Have you any idea where the problem may be?

[@WallEdohh]

how did you know what power supply to use for this project? and where did you buy one? the nema17 stepper motor specs that I have are: Rated voltage: 3.6v Rated Current: 1.5A/phase In essence I'm curious to know why you chose 12 volts.

[@GadgetReboot]

If I didn't use a variable bench supply then it was a fixed 12v from Banggood www.banggood.com/custlink/33KPhoLkil For the motor voltage you can read the voltage info near the end of this article as an example www.machinedesign.com/motors-drives/article/21835161/misconceptions-about-stepper-motors-explained So when using a motor driver that chops the motor voltage when the desired max current is reached rather than keeping the voltage applied constantly, the applied voltage can be higher, as long as the driver chip can handle that voltage. If the motor can run at 3 amps per phase, a 36 volt driver can use 12v, 24v etc and it'll just cut that voltage off from the motor sooner or later, whenever 3 amps is reached or whatever the set current is. The more important factor is the overall power dissipation, not letting things heat up and burn out. The chopping driver takes care of that.

[@bpm009]

Great video, some of the best explanations I've seen. I am having an issue with setting the A4988 pot. I have a 1.7a Nema 17 motor and when I do a Vref check from the A4988 pot to ground I'm seeing about .5V but when I do the series amperage check on 1 phase of the motor I'm seeing

[@GadgetReboot]

The first thought would be, is the driver enabled and not in sleep mode and not in reset? has that same set up been used to successfully run the motor otherwise? Sometimes I don’t even bother measuring, I just set the pot for the lowest voltage and start running something that should be turning the motor and then adjust the reference until the motor starts turning because that should definitely be within safe current limits at that point.

[@sssur32]

Thanks for the video! Who makes the general purpose I/O board? I'd like to purchase one.

[@GadgetReboot]

The bare PCBs can be ordered from PCBWay here: www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Push_Button__Potentiometer__and_LED_IO_Board.html but they aren't available with parts on them.

[@jumbo999614]

Does this setup work with DRV8825?

[@danielbrezina2090]

Is it possible that microstepping doesn't work because the voltage (potentiometer) is set too low? My motor works perfectly in Full Step Mode, but if I want to set the motor in half step (or other modes), nothing happens and the motor is still in Full Step. I don't have buttons or an array with bytes, i just set the outputs MS1, MS2 & MS3 to HIGH/LOW with digitalWrite in the loop.

[@GadgetReboot]

it may make sense that it needs more current because different amounts of current are needed for different step positions to lock it in place between natural full step positions so if there’s enough current to start motion but not enough to hold it, it might just slip into the next full step position instead of staying in between.

[@mkhaled23]

Great video. I have a question for you. If I want to program the stepper motor to travel a certain linear distance, how should I go about to implement this? For example, if my stepper motor is connected to a belt and pulley system, and I want it to travel a linear distance of 10cm, etc. I was thinking that if I could specify steps per mm or something similar, it could work. But I am not sure how to go about implementing this. My project is to build a linear actuator. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@GadgetReboot]

I wonder if this document might somehow help visualize it. engineering.nyu.edu/mechatronics/smart/pdf/SMART2005/henryReport.pdf so however many steps the motor has for one revolution, and whatever the circumference of the motor pulley area is, it can be figured out how many millimetres per revolution and per step occur.

[@tomhague1162]

A4988 code seems to totally disregard Dir pin. Always drives arduino high. Want to change direction with dir command not + - Comments???

[@denaamisharry1350]

where can I find the code?

[@RegentLemay_FullReg]

Can you give me where i can find the generic I/O board, 2x 4 buttons, 4 potentiometer, LED. the one we see at 16:30 in the video.

[@GadgetReboot]

Bare PCBs (no components) for the breakout accessory board with the switches/LEDs/pots can be bought from PCBWay here: www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Push_Button__Potentiometer__and_LED_IO_Board.html

[@RegentLemay_FullReg]

@@GadgetReboot Now i need the parts list and location, thank's for your quick answer. i realy appreciate your explication.

[@GadgetReboot]

The schematic PDF and a rough BOM were put here github.com/GadgetReboot/GR_IO_Board I got the parts on Aliexpress so it was hard to get exact part numbers for switches and pots but I tried to be as specific as I could in the BOM

[@jefferybouchard9267]

what software did you use to draw your wiring diagram with?

[@GadgetReboot]

if it’s the type of wiring diagram showing things like a real bread board and the module and then the colourful wires connecting it, that would be Fritzing. for doing actual design project schematics I use KiCad

[@jefferybouchard9267]

@@GadgetReboot Thanks for the informations

[@leohamelinck3524]

Hi Gadget Reboot, I am impressed by your video and your explanation, thank you for that! I cannot find the scetch for this experiment with your link. Would you please put the scetch on the video? Or indicate where I can download the scetch ??? Sincerely Leo Hamelinck Netherlands

[@GadgetReboot]

The github link for the sketch in the description seems to work still

[@leohamelinck3524]

I have seen it. I did not look right 🥴

[@leohamelinck3524]

@@GadgetReboot Thank yiu, I found it. I did'n look good !

[@MrEngineerDiaries]

its not changing direction

[@circuitemakes]

Great vid! If you want a recommendation for future vids HMU. I built a line tracking car and a Tesla coil on my channel. I would love to see others make one!