Newbie stepper kit

**m_c** · 14-02-2018

If all you want is to move the Z axis manually via the MPG and driver/motor, then what you're looking for is a step multiplier.
It's not something I've looked at for quite some time, but the easiest option is to probably just program an Arduino for the task. Count the pulses from the MPG, then multiply by X and output them.

As for the line driver signals, just connect the - to gnd on the driver, and leave the _ terminals on the MPG disconnected. For something this simple, I wouldn't bother using line drivers, as it'll just add an extra layer of complexity for no practical gain.

**steppernewbie** · 14-02-2018

Hi m_c
Thank you for your answer.
If my MPG (Answer to magicniner : A Manual Pulse Generator is a device that is able to start a steppermotor when turned and stop the motor when stopped turning it, via a driver like my M542T as far as I know but maby I am wrong) is a line driver version having 6 terminals as the Tosoku version, and not a version with only 4 terminals, can I then use it with the 0V connected to the drivers PUL- and DIR- and A to PUL+ and B to DIR+.
Will MPG A to driver PUL+, MPG A (with line over) to driver PUL-, on MPG B to driver DIR+, and on MPG B (with a line over) to driver DIR- not work, is that not what they say in the manual for the M542T, there is diagrams for connections to driver with common anode and common catode in the manual but no diagram for line driver,
and then maby have 2 pulse generators, I have seen some that goes from 1hz-10khz with manualy operated start/stop and direction that gives me the x100 and x1000,
theese connected along with my MPG and selected via a switch with 3 settings, step 1 for operating with my MPG, and step 2 for the slow continous speed and step 3 for the high continous speed, so I dont have to learn how to program Arduino.
I uploaded pictures of my items and screenshots of manuals, can you see them ? I cant see them now I think of it. they where visible in the preview.
Kind regards
Steppernewbie

**Neale** · 14-02-2018

Originally Posted by steppernewbie

Hi m_c
Thank you for your answer.
If my MPG (Answer to magicniner : A Manual Pulse Generator is a device that is able to start a steppermotor when turned and stop the motor when stopped turning it, via a driver like my M542T as far as I know but maby I am wrong) is a line driver version having 6 terminals as the Tosoku version, and not a version with only 4 terminals, can I then use it with the 0V connected to the drivers PUL- and DIR- and A to PUL+ and B to DIR+.
Will MPG A to driver PUL+, MPG A (with line over) to driver PUL-, on MPG B to driver DIR+, and on MPG B (with a line over) to driver DIR- not work, is that not what they say in the manual for the M542T, there is diagrams for connections to driver with common anode and common catode in the manual but no diagram for line driver,
and then maby have 2 pulse generators, I have seen some that goes from 1hz-10khz with manualy operated start/stop and direction that gives me the x100 and x1000,
theese connected along with my MPG and selected via a switch with 3 settings, step 1 for operating with my MPG, and step 2 for the slow continous speed and step 3 for the high continous speed, so I dont have to learn how to program Arduino.
I uploaded pictures of my items and screenshots of manuals, can you see them ? I cant see them now I think of it. they where visible in the preview.
Kind regards
Steppernewbie

You have a few issues here, and unfortunately we do not have enough information to answer all your questions. I'll start with a few basics, in case you do not know these things already.

The stepper driver has three inputs (two terminals per input). These are step, direction and enable. Ignore "enable" - if you do not connect anything to this, the driver defaults to enabled anyway. The "direction" input does not need pulses. Put 5V across it and the motor will turn in one direction; remove the 5V input and the motor will turn in the other direction. The motor will only turn when pulses are applied to the "step" (or "pul") input. The motor will move one step per pulse, and its direction depends on the "dir" input as described. A standard stepper motor will have 200 steps per revolution so each pulse moves the motor spindle by 1.8 degrees.

You need an MPG that provides a "pulse" output, that is, one pulse per click of the wheel. I'm not sure what the Tosoku MPG output is, but I have seen one reference to "A,B quadrature" output. That suggests to me that the MPG gives a series of pulses on two outputs which are 90deg out of phase. This means that whatever is using the pulses can not only see a pulse train (one step per pulse) but can also work out the direction. Unfortunately, the stepper driver cannot use these signals directly. What you can do, I think, is just connect the A output from the MPG to the Step input on the driver, connect 5V via a switch to the Direction input, and see if that works. The stepper motor will turn in the direction set by the Dir input and will move one step per click of the wheel, but it will not make any difference which way you turn the wheel. Without more information on the MPG outputs, I cannot really say much more than this.

That's the basics. If you can get this working, you will have more-or-less what you wanted. The MPG appears to have a "x1/x10x100" switch, which I guess configures it to deliver one/ten/hundred pulses per click of the wheel, which is also what you want. You can also use the DIP switches on the driver to tell it to use "microsteps" - that is, instead of the 200 steps per rev of a standard motor, these use some clever electronic techniques to simulate more steps per rev. Typically, people use stepper motors with x8 microstepping giving the equivalent of 1600 steps/rev.

With a bit of work, I'm sure that you could put some simple logic circuitry together to take the A and B quadrature outputs from the MPG and turn them into step/dir signals for the stepper, but that's a bit too complicated for me at this time of the morning!

**Doddy** · 14-02-2018

Originally Posted by Neale

With a bit of work, I'm sure that you could put some simple logic circuitry together to take the A and B quadrature outputs from the MPG and turn them into step/dir signals for the stepper, but that's a bit too complicated for me at this time of the morning!

The quadrature outputs *should* suit a direct coupling with the stepper driver, connect either A/B to Step, and the other to Dir - you use one of the two quad outputs as a clock and, depending on direction of travel, the alternate phase will either be 0 or 1 (and so provide the direction control).

OP suck it and see - just check the outputs from the MPG - sling a meter on and confirm that for each detent moved, each output changes from 0 to 5 volts (the first one that I had used an open collector drive - and so has to be used with the negative-side switching). All signal levels from the MPG will be low current, low voltage, and the input to the stepper driver will be via a current-limited opt-isolator designed to run off 5v signalling. There's not a lot to go wrong if you know one end of a bit of wire from the next.

All this will give you is an ability to rotate a stepper in response to the rotation of the MPG wheel. That's going to get awfully boring to use on a mill.

**Neale** · 14-02-2018

Originally Posted by Doddy

The quadrature outputs *should* suit a direct coupling with the stepper driver, connect either A/B to Step, and the other to Dir - you use one of the two quad outputs as a clock and, depending on direction of travel, the alternate phase will either be 0 or 1 (and so provide the direction control).

Good point - I hadn't visualised the pulse timings in my mind, but even though the pulse train for the Direction signal will be changing, it will always be in the correct state when a Step pulse happens to give correct direction. As long as the Dir-Step pulse edge interval meets the stepper driver minimum timings, anyway. It's actually easier than I thought!

Originally Posted by Doddy

All this will give you is an ability to rotate a stepper in response to the rotation of the MPG wheel. That's going to get awfully boring to use on a mill.

Actually, I think that this is exactly what the OP wants. He finds it difficult to wind the Z handle, and wants to motorise it. With a DRO already in place, this doesn't sound like a silly thing to do. Mind you, it might well lead on to a desire for full CNC control!

**steppernewbie** · 14-02-2018

Hi Neale and Clive S
Thank you for reply. To Neale : That is exactly what I want, motorizing the Zaxis
I have tried to upload pictures again, and now I see them, can you ?
Kind regards
Steppernewbie

**Neale** · 14-02-2018

Yes, I can see them now. Connect A/~A to the step inputs, B/~B to the direction inputs, and you should be fine. It does not matter which A/~A goes to step + or -. If the motor turns the wrong way, change the B/~B wires on the Dir input (i.e. swap wires going to + and -).

**steppernewbie** · 14-02-2018

Hi Neale
Thank you for your answer and explanation, just to clarify my MPG is a Chinese one with no manual so the reference to Tosoku is only because for that one I could find diagrams of pulse output for a model with 6 terminals, so I guess there is only left to try it and see what happens.
From what I can see in the driver manual the driver can use both the PUL and DIR signals directly, the DIR signal just has to come 1.5Ms before the PUL signal.
Can you tell me if you can see the pictures that I uploaded ?, because I cant see them.
Kind regards
Steppernewbie