Yeah i make it right now, printer stepper motor, 12v ac transformer, 220 micro farad cap, i folowed ur steps nd it's done . thumbs up for u Sir nd 5 stars for ur instructables. Thousand thanks from tunisia.
A 4 wire stepper motor requires 4 separate pulse sequences to run: 90 deg(+ - 0 0), 180 deg(0 0 + -), 270 deg(- + 0 0), 360 deg(0 0 - +). Notice that sequence 1&3 and 2&4 are basically AC pairs. All that switching is usually done with an array of transistors and a controller to time the pulses 90 Degrees apart. Using AC, you can mimic it. The capacitor is there to delay the one field by 90 degrees. If you have chatter, then the 2nd field is more or less than 90 degrees off the first. Get a bunch of small caps that are rated for at least the voltage of the motor and start connecting them in parallel. when the motor runs the smoothest, then add up the ferrads of all of them and get a capacitor that size. Make sure caps are rated for AC. Example: small 24v stepper used two CBB22 caps for smooth operation. Hope this helps. Great vid by the way.
This is great. I just salvaged a stepper motor from an old printer and I'm now using it to open and close the blinds in my living room using this method. I'm using a DPDT toggle switch to switch the capacitor from one coil to the other to reverse the motor. A simple push button in-line with the power feed operates it.
Excellent idea to use inductive current to identify coil terminals! As you are using LED, polarity of terminals can also be detected. (Same if a DC voltmeter is used.) As such, wiring can be completely determined without trial and error.
you just blow my mind...i didn't know how to run them before so i was going to get rid of them but thanks to you i know how to run them so for that i will subscribe
It’s all sounds good how do you know which capacitor do you need you are saying that the motor supposed to be ran smoothly do I have to buy several different capacitor or does it say on the motor which capacitor do I need thank you
Thanks much for the correct and seemingly simple way to "bypass" the Stepper part. I couldn't bear to throw them out, especially the small ones from 3-1/2" drives, with the worm gear shaft. They look really useful just didn't know how to keep it steady running!
This is a great explanation of stepper motors but what I really learned here is to be able to use just a 12v transformer with no H-bridge, so it is yielding 12AC power at 60 or 50Hz depending on country, and that you can take that pulse and put that with a capacitor, and get work done. Thanks for the video. It would be nice to see a video showing the cycles of how the capacitor is charged up and released.
Excellent video with much very useful information for me with my current (no pun intended!) projects! Thanks very much for that- I will now subscribe to you and hope to learn more.
In general: It's the exact same circuit like a 230V single phase ac asynchronous motor where you declare one coil as a primary coil and the other one as an auxilary coil. To achieve the best results, you have to use the following simple formula: Ut x √2 = Uc. In this example: Ut ( 12V~ ) x √2 = Uc ( 16.97V ~ ). You have to have 17V~ on the capacitor for a smooth run. Hope I could help with these informations.
+Bandicoot803+ Thanks! This formula works excellently, and has been helpful for determining voltages in a home-built driver that optimizes coil current using dynamic DSP, like the Gecko Drives do. I’m failing at this, so far, but having help from formulas like to one you provided is much appreciated!
@@wolfdangerous84 There is: By increasing the grid carrier freqency. Europe for example has a grid frequency of 50Hz, while the U.S. swings 60. Alternatively you can use a VFD but with great caution as you're fiddlin with high hazardous voltages.
@@femiadebola5276 I see your problem. And provide a solution: Grab a multimeter and measure the resistance using two wires at a time ( one end on each probe ). Take note of the values you measure across which color-coded wire. The ( obviously ) lowest resistance indicates that you found the common ground as your motor likely is a star configuration, just like some 3-phase AC motors. If you find a higher value, then you're measuring two coils. If you find the pattern, where multiple wire pair indicate the lowest resistance, then you found your common ground wire. The remaining wires all lead to individual pole coils.
Heh... good stuff. An easy way to test my stepper motors without having to build a driver circuit is nifty. I like the comments where people are alarmed about AC through a brushless DC motor. It's funny stuff.
Hey friend, thank you for the valuable information! For a Brazilian, the way you speak English is very good, it is perfectly understandable. Also the way you explain it very didactic! Please answer me if the engine loses power in this type of use. I wonder if you allow me to do a similar video for Brazilian friends who do not understand English. Thanks again, please go on!
Great video ! But one remark....: In the first 2 minutes you explain about UNIpolar steppermotors, but @ 00:51 you suddenly mention BIpolar steppermotors. I guess this should be UNIpolar? Keep these video's coming.
Thanks for this information. Do you know if the stepper motor wired this way runs at a different speed, or at the same speed you would get from it when driven by a stepper motor controller? Also, is there a scientific way to determine the best capacitor to use?
Thanks for the video. But how do the control system knows if the set of instruction which is sent to the motor via driver, was done? Because usually stepper motors are connected without any measuring device like rotary encoder so the system itself doesnt have any feedback if the rotation defined by steps was done. But in some cases (like if I use them for powering the axis of 3D printer) the system needs to know if the motor completed the rotation or not, and then the system can sent the command to other stepper motor to move in other axe/axis... Do the drivers have a dedicated signal for this purpose? (Like - was lastly sent set of instruction completed?). Or does it work by the principle of knowing the speed of rotation and the desired position, so the system calculates the time and after the time is reached, the system assume that the desired position was reached?
Could these motors and the circuit you've demonstrated here been used in the tabletop electromechanical adding machines of the 1960's. These simple adding machines were driven directly by a 110VAC solenoid or an AC motor, which lead for a hot chassis.
Now think about it, the two wires that you can connect the cap to make it forwards and backwards, you could use an NPN transistor and an arduino and switch it on and off, therefore having variable speed.
This is a wonderful combination of ac and dc. Most people are terrified of using any form of ac in hobby devices. Truth be told a shock from your main power is quite nasty but hardy fatal.
110v AC is very dangerous. Although the human skin can effectively resist most of the current, all it takes is for you to have a proper ground touching bare skin or for a wire to penetrate a couple layers and enter your flesh for it to kill you. An older fellow may even die from a simple shock. Don't play with AC when it's over 30v unless you're experienced.
Great tutorial. I'm attempting with a 4 wire, 6vlt micro stepper w/100mF cap with no motor action. Should I increase mF cap value until its running, & smoothly?
does it matter if my capacitors are 50v 220 micro ferrads? how much voltage should it stepper motor require? and does it need AC power rather than DC power? thanks.
i tried in my stepper a bit old , but it is not rotating, not sure if 1000 micro farads ok, iterated the wiring connections, the motor coil gets enertigised by not moving
Great idea!! What's the native voltage of your stepper motor? I have a 42BYGHW609, that works with 3,4V with arduino. This 12V AC transformer can burn the motor?
Hi, Great solution! Could you please give me some tips on how many volts/amps AC I would need to use for a standard Nema 17 stepper motor, also what would be the best capacitor type / voltage / uF? thanks!
Thx for keeping it simple and to the point and not wasting our time with useless info. Great work!
Yeah i make it right now, printer stepper motor, 12v ac transformer, 220 micro farad cap, i folowed ur steps nd it's done . thumbs up for u Sir nd 5 stars for ur instructables. Thousand thanks from tunisia.
A 4 wire stepper motor requires 4 separate pulse sequences to run: 90 deg(+ - 0 0), 180 deg(0 0 + -), 270 deg(- + 0 0), 360 deg(0 0 - +). Notice that sequence 1&3 and 2&4 are basically AC pairs. All that switching is usually done with an array of transistors and a controller to time the pulses 90 Degrees apart. Using AC, you can mimic it. The capacitor is there to delay the one field by 90 degrees. If you have chatter, then the 2nd field is more or less than 90 degrees off the first. Get a bunch of small caps that are rated for at least the voltage of the motor and start connecting them in parallel. when the motor runs the smoothest, then add up the ferrads of all of them and get a capacitor that size. Make sure caps are rated for AC. Example: small 24v stepper used two CBB22 caps for smooth operation. Hope this helps. Great vid by the way.
I have a 6 terminal motor. Can I add an inductor in the third coil to get the pulse another 90 deg? Will it work?
Very useful thank you and it works so well. For all those wondering, it is an 12VAC transformer he is using.
Thanks
This is great. I just salvaged a stepper motor from an old printer and I'm now using it to open and close the blinds in my living room using this method. I'm using a DPDT toggle switch to switch the capacitor from one coil to the other to reverse the motor. A simple push button in-line with the power feed operates it.
+gscott69 Glad you like it!
Thank you, that’s exactly what I was looking for. I will watch the add so you can make a little commission on this.
Excellent idea to use inductive current to identify coil terminals! As you are using LED, polarity of terminals can also be detected. (Same if a DC voltmeter is used.) As such, wiring can be completely determined without trial and error.
Use multimeter 😑
The diode will light up either way because the stepper motor produces ac. Once you rectify the ac to DC it will only work if the polarity is correct
Thank you ! Very helpful ! I could never throw away those little motors but didn't know what to do with them, now I do !
you just blow my mind...i didn't know how to run them before so i was going to get rid of them but thanks to you i know how to run them so for that i will subscribe
+Matthew Lucyshyn Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing knowledge, that also mean you need AC supply to let motor operate .
this is exactly what i was looking for. all other videos go straight to the theory and waste 10 minutes before anything happens
thank you! can you slow motor down with different capacitor or adding resistor?
It’s all sounds good how do you know which capacitor do you need you are saying that the motor supposed to be ran smoothly do I have to buy several different capacitor or does it say on the motor which capacitor do I need thank you
Thanks much for the correct and seemingly simple way to "bypass" the Stepper part. I couldn't bear to throw them out, especially the small ones from 3-1/2" drives, with the worm gear shaft. They look really useful just didn't know how to keep it steady running!
Recommended by Jeremy Fielding. Thank you for this tutorial.
This is a great explanation of stepper motors but what I really learned here is to be able to use just a 12v transformer with no H-bridge, so it is yielding 12AC power at 60 or 50Hz depending on country, and that you can take that pulse and put that with a capacitor, and get work done. Thanks for the video. It would be nice to see a video showing the cycles of how the capacitor is charged up and released.
+Jeff Beck Yes! when I made the video i did not have an oscilloscope
deos that mean, if a high voltage capacitor will not wori?
Nice job on the tutorial. I learned a great deal thank you.
Excellent video with much very useful information for me with my current (no pun intended!) projects!
Thanks very much for that- I will now subscribe to you and hope to learn more.
+Gregor Kropotkin Glad you like it! I will be uploading more videos, thanks for subscribing.
salamat amigo! from Philippines.
Very nice work, easy idea for running stepper motor thanks
this is exactly what I needed, thanks for the help!
Thanks Ludic!! Always good stuff you teach!
Brugga Jugga Thanks!
Nice video that you should mention that it must be alternative current otherwise it will never work with continuous current
from this video now I have a new knowledge about how to check the coil
In general: It's the exact same circuit like a 230V single phase ac asynchronous motor where you declare one coil as a primary coil and the other one as an auxilary coil.
To achieve the best results, you have to use the following simple formula: Ut x √2 = Uc.
In this example: Ut ( 12V~ ) x √2 = Uc ( 16.97V ~ ). You have to have 17V~ on the capacitor for a smooth run.
Hope I could help with these informations.
+Bandicoot803+ Thanks! This formula works excellently, and has been helpful for determining voltages in a home-built driver that optimizes coil current using dynamic DSP, like the Gecko Drives do. I’m failing at this, so far, but having help from formulas like to one you provided is much appreciated!
Is there a way to run it faster?
@@wolfdangerous84 There is: By increasing the grid carrier freqency. Europe for example has a grid frequency of 50Hz, while the U.S. swings 60. Alternatively you can use a VFD but with great caution as you're fiddlin with high hazardous voltages.
Great video I salvage m35sp-9 5 wire stepper from a printer please I need help on how to connect the wires
@@femiadebola5276 I see your problem. And provide a solution: Grab a multimeter and measure the resistance using two wires at a time ( one end on each probe ). Take note of the values you measure across which color-coded wire. The ( obviously ) lowest resistance indicates that you found the common ground as your motor likely is a star configuration, just like some 3-phase AC motors. If you find a higher value, then you're measuring two coils. If you find the pattern, where multiple wire pair indicate the lowest resistance, then you found your common ground wire. The remaining wires all lead to individual pole coils.
Heh... good stuff.
An easy way to test my stepper motors without having to build a driver circuit is nifty.
I like the comments where people are alarmed about AC through a brushless DC motor. It's funny stuff.
great put what about the Torq ?
Hey friend, thank you for the valuable information!
For a Brazilian, the way you speak English is very good, it is perfectly understandable.
Also the way you explain it very didactic!
Please answer me if the engine loses power in this type of use.
I wonder if you allow me to do a similar video for Brazilian friends who do not understand English.
Thanks again, please go on!
Thanks so much!
I am Brazilian and Portuguese
Very informative. Thanks for sharing
Good day Sir, May ask what exact value of the capasitor you have used in the video... Thanks...
2 questions, Where can i buy a 12v transformer and how did you power the transformer?
Thanks for this video. My problem is slove. Thanks again.
Hi
Thanks for another great video very useful information
Great video !
But one remark....:
In the first 2 minutes you explain about UNIpolar steppermotors, but @ 00:51 you suddenly mention BIpolar steppermotors. I guess this should be UNIpolar?
Keep these video's coming.
+Robbert van Herksen Thanks! The trick works with bipolars (4 wires)
Do you think it is a good idea to use polarized capacitor in an AC circuit?
Tienes un transformer de 12v, son 12v de entrada o de salida?
Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos.
excellent. I studied a lot. thanks.
Thanks you very much L S ,this is wonderful tutorial.
i have waiting another tutorials and i will subscribe twice.
+Win Lwin Thanks
I enjoyed the video explanation. Could you please help with the testing of a dvd motor? Thank you
Lovely as always!
Beautiful, simple design. So educational this video.
+Jeff Beck Thank you.
thanks for the info :) does capacitor directly connected to AC supply? no polarity ?
So clear - so concise
wow..this really helped my problem.. thanks Ludic
Thanks for this information. Can I use a 1000 mF capacitator, and what kind of stepper motor driver controller do you recommend?
Thank you for This simple technique
Thanks for this information. Do you know if the stepper motor wired this way runs at a different speed, or at the same speed you would get from it when driven by a stepper motor controller? Also, is there a scientific way to determine the best capacitor to use?
I think the speed of the motor depends on frequency of the outlet power. Either 50 or 60 Hz.
is the transformer needed?
Simple and perfect explanation. Thank you
very simple & I learned a great deal thank you.
@Ludic Science which motor is this?
Very cool. Am I right in thinking the speed of the motor will be dependent on the frequency of AC you drive it with?
+gristc yes, the rpm of the motor will be equal to the frequency in Hz
Simply Genius. Thank you very much.
Very nice idea.. Good job..👍👍👍
Thanks for the video. But how do the control system knows if the set of instruction which is sent to the motor via driver, was done? Because usually stepper motors are connected without any measuring device like rotary encoder so the system itself doesnt have any feedback if the rotation defined by steps was done. But in some cases (like if I use them for powering the axis of 3D printer) the system needs to know if the motor completed the rotation or not, and then the system can sent the command to other stepper motor to move in other axe/axis... Do the drivers have a dedicated signal for this purpose? (Like - was lastly sent set of instruction completed?). Or does it work by the principle of knowing the speed of rotation and the desired position, so the system calculates the time and after the time is reached, the system assume that the desired position was reached?
Keep hustling, big things incoming! 🚀
Excellent Video, very informative.
Could these motors and the circuit you've demonstrated here been used in the tabletop electromechanical adding machines of the 1960's. These simple adding machines were driven directly by a 110VAC solenoid or an AC motor, which lead for a hot chassis.
I really don't know, have no experience with those machines
Simple and clear..., magnifique!!! :)
Sir, you are a very smart guy. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO.
This message was posted thanks
Is the capacitor non-polorized?
Now think about it, the two wires that you can connect the cap to make it forwards and backwards, you could use an NPN transistor and an arduino and switch it on and off, therefore having variable speed.
Great. How can vary speed with a potentiometer?
This is very helpfull! thanks a lot!
Sir Share the link i am buy this mini stepr moter
Excellent video, thank you
:)
Oh i like it very much. tnx, i just pulled out motors from junked printer LX-300. I will try it.
Are there any unintended damages from running a motor like this?
How do you slow down the speed of the motor? Can I use DC power instead of AC?
You cant s lo w down and u cant use dc
Ludic Science thank you.
excellent tut
This is a wonderful combination of ac and dc. Most people are terrified of using any form of ac in hobby devices. Truth be told a shock from your main power is quite nasty but hardy fatal.
Unless you live in Europe and have 220v mains...
we have 400V mains here...
110v AC is very dangerous. Although the human skin can effectively resist most of the current, all it takes is for you to have a proper ground touching bare skin or for a wire to penetrate a couple layers and enter your flesh for it to kill you. An older fellow may even die from a simple shock.
Don't play with AC when it's over 30v unless you're experienced.
Good advice, wear your seat belts, don´t swim one hour after you eat, etc, etc.
+Wheresmy240 Majoring in the bloody obvious are you?
It can be used as a permanent circuit? Thank you
+Daniel Fernandes Yes but you need a capacitor of at least 4 times the voltage of the motor
+Ludic Science OK; In a 12V engine can I use a capacitor of 50V?
And how should I connect the capacitor as its polarity? Again, thank you
hola, este proceso lo podemos controlar desde una consola dmx? que hardware, sofware necesiramos?
Your a genius Manuel
Great tutorial. I'm attempting with a 4 wire, 6vlt micro stepper w/100mF cap with no motor action. Should I increase mF cap value until its running, & smoothly?
By adding the capacitor, you create a LC circuit that provide a second phase to drive the stepper motor right ?
That is correct
what is the capacity of the capacitor? specifically for this engine.
does it matter if my capacitors are 50v 220 micro ferrads? how much voltage should it stepper motor require? and does it need AC power rather than DC power? thanks.
the particular value of microfarads depends on your specific motor. you have to experiment a little. you need AC power, 12 volts AC
Angus MacGyver
Ludic Science and an AC Cap Otherwise, Bang lol
What about pulsed dc, will work?
Ludic Science your running 12v ac on a dc motor?
Wow this is awesome!!!! So the capacitor is acting like a pulse width modulator?
in a certain sense, yes
can this be applied to cassette tape motors?
What is the write way to connect the capacitor means to say negative terminal of the capacitor goes to which pin
+att singh Does not matter. However you must use a capacitor of at least 35 volts
many thanks 🙏🙇simple solution
Will it run with dc
so its working on AC or DC?
i tried in my stepper a bit old , but it is not rotating, not sure if 1000 micro farads ok, iterated the wiring connections, the motor coil gets enertigised by not moving
does it have to run on ac power? and does the polarity of the capacitor mater?
That's really helpful, thanks!
How much Volts Is capacitor supposed to have?
Great idea!! What's the native voltage of your stepper motor? I have a 42BYGHW609, that works with 3,4V with arduino. This 12V AC transformer can burn the motor?
12 volts. Not sure if it will burn it.
Ludic, thank you very very much for this video, it is very good, I now have an idea of what to do.
many regards , Colin U.K.
Very clever my friend!
Thank you!
Is the capacitor bipolar?
Very good and thanks!
thank you great info
Sir, how we know exact value capacitor in our application there is any calculation. sir, please help me out in this
Hi, Great solution! Could you please give me some tips on how many volts/amps AC I would need to use for a standard Nema 17 stepper motor, also what would be the best capacitor type / voltage / uF? thanks!
that was useful thanks
simple but effective. explaination....đơn giản nhưng sâu sắc giải trình
What is the secondary voltage of the transformer?
12v
What Capacitance should I use for a NEMA17?