Question

What is a stepper motor driver segment? When did the stepper motor drive subdivision originate?

Answer 1

Stepper motor driver subdivision is a drive control technology developed in the mid-seventies that can significantly improve the comprehensive performance of stepper motors.

It is by controlling the current in the windings of each phase to make them rise or fall according to a certain law, that is, a plurality of stable intermediate current states are formed between zero current and maximum current, and the direction of the corresponding synthetic magnetic field vector will also have a plurality of stable intermediate states, and rotate according to the subdivision step.

Among them, the amplitude of the synthetic magnetic field vector determines the size of the rotational torque of the stepper motor, and the direction of the synthetic magnetic field vector determines the size of the step angle after subdivision. The subdivision drive technology further improves the angle accuracy and running smoothness of the stepper motor.

Answer 2

The subdivision drive technology of stepper motor was first proposed by American scholar T. Rr Fedriksen at the annual conference on incremental motion control systems and devices in the United States. 

Initially, the control of the phase current of the stepper motor is realized by hardware, and the phase current of each phase winding is controlled by n transistors forming n parallel loops, and the phase current is controlled by the combination of transistor conduction numbers.

Answer 3

The main function of stepper motor driver subdivision is to improve the accuracy of stepper motors.

Usually subdivided into 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 62, 128, 256, 512....

In foreign countries, for the stepper system, the two-phase hybrid stepper motor and the corresponding subdivision drive are mainly used.