Module Code: EE 4004

Module Title: Electrical Machines II

Instructed By : Ms U.G.L.Erandi
Date of Submission: 23/07/2017

STEPPER MOTOR AND DRIVES

Name: K.A.L.P.Abeykoon
Student ID No.2014093CL1
Advanced Diploma Level 2
OBSERVATIONS
1. Manual Switching Circuit

We got 12 switching steps for one revolution of the rotor on manual switching.

2. Transistor Switching

Microprocessor excitation sequence for different modes of stepper motor operation.

i. One Phase on Operation.

Speed of Motor = 149.48 rpm

Pulse width = 8.5 ms

ii. Two-Phase On Operation

Speed of Motor= 149.34 rpm pulse width = 16.5ms

iii. Half-step Operation

Speed of Motor= 74.64 rpm Pulse width = 25ms

CALCULATIONS
2) Calculate the Basic step angle for 6/4 pole 3phase and 8/6 pole 4phase stepper motor using
manual switching sequence.

6/4 pole 3phase Stepper Motor.

Basic step angle

Figure 1
Figure 1 shows the arrangement of the 6/4 pole 3phase stepper motor. This contain 6 stator poles
4 rotor poles and 3 phases.
3600
Basic Step Angle =
(Rotor poles x Phase)

360
∴ Basic Step Angle = = 300
4×3

8/6 pole 4 phase stepper motor

Basic step angle

Figure 2
Figure 1 shows the arrangement of the 8/6 pole 4phase stepper motor. This contain 8 stator poles 6 rotor
poles and 4 phases.
3600
Basic Step Angle =
(Rotor poles x Phase)

360
∴ Basic Step Angle = = 150
8×4

3) Calculate the number of pulses required for the 6/4 pole 3 phase stepper to revolve one
revolution and verify the answer with the observed value?

Number of pulses required to revolve 1 revolution= Number of rotor poles  Number of phases
=4x3
= 12

Observed valued for one revolution is 12, the answer is verified.

4) Calculate the basic steps angle for the 8/6 pole 4 phase stepper by having speed and pulse
rate (Hz) of the motor?

𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑝𝑠×3600 𝑛×3600

Basic step angle = =
𝑃𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 f
Where
n = speed of the stepper motor in rps
f = Pulses per second

𝑛 × 3600
Basic step angle =
f
 6) Calculate the basic steps angle for each operation?

Operation mode Speed(rps) Frequency(Hz) Basic step angle

One phase on 149.48/60 = 2.49 1/(8.5×10-3) = 117.65 7.620
Two phase on 149.34/60 = 2.48 2/(16.5×10-3) 7.360
=121.21
Half step 74.64/60 = 1.24 3/(25×10-3) =120 3.720

Basic steps angle for one phase on = 7.620

Basic steps angle for two phase on = 7.360
Basic steps angle for Half step = 3.720

Discussion
1) Discuss the detent torque and holding torque involved with different types of stepper motor.
When considering about the stepper motors there are 3 main stepper motor types those are,

I. Permanent Magnet Stepper

II. Hybrid Synchronous Stepper
III. Variable Reluctance Stepper

Detent torque
This is also called residual torque. Normally this can be seen in Permanent magnet stepper motors.
Detent torque use to rotate the motor shaft. When there is no power applied to the windings, a
small magnetic force will be induced between the permanent magnet and the stator. And it causes
for occurring the detent torque. This torque can be notice by turning a stepper motor by hand.
Usually it is about one-tenth of the holding torque.

When this torque is occurred, the rotor returns to the normal rest position when the excitation
ends.
Holding torque

The torque which is used to move the rotor one full step with the stator energized. This is called
static torque as well. Holding torque is the maximum torque produce by the standstill motor. When
it comes to permanent magnet stepper motor, it is able to maintain this holding torque indefinitely,
even the rotor is stopped. As the motor is energize, it has high holding torque rating, so torque
available to running motor is become less.

5. Discuss the main points of various modes of operation of the stepper motor

There are 4 types of stepping modes for a stepper motor but only 3 of the excitation modes are very
common in stepper motors.

A. Full step
B. Half step
C. Micro step
D. Wave Step

Full step

In this mode, two stator phases are energized simultaneously at any given time. When two phases
are energized together, the rotor will experience the torque from both phases and comes to the
equilibrium position, For full step operation a unipolar motor driver, energizes a single phase. For
bipolar stepper motor it energized both coils to make a full step.

Half step

If we consider a two phase motor, there will be 8 steps for a one revolution. It is done by, energizing
one winding, while other 2 windings are energized alternatively. So it can rotate half a distance or
450. Half step mode gives a smoother motion than a full step mode of operation. This provides
approximately 30% less torque than full step mode. It can be demonstrate with following images.
Micro step

In this mode, each motor step is subdivided into several small steps, even hundreds of fixed
positions, therefore a greater positioning resolution is obtained. In this, currents through the
windings are continually varied in order to get very small steps. In this, two phases are excited
simultaneously, but with the unequal currents in each phase.

For example, the current through phase -1 is held constant while the current through phase-2 is
incremented in steps till the maximum value of current, whether it is negative or positive. The
current in the phase-1 is then decreased or increased in steps till zero. Thus, the motor will produce
a small step size.