What is a stepper motor?
FAQ » Stepper motors
Stepper motors have become firmly established in the field of positioning and accurate speed control. The characteristic features of the stepper motors can be seen in the direct correlation of the electrical signals and the rotary motion of the stepper motor.
The stepper motor transfers electrical energy into precise mechanical movements where each electrical pulse covers its specific rotation angle. Thanks to digital pulses precise angular values without external feedback (e.g. encoders) can thus be specified with a simple circuit.
Stepper motors have been employed since 1950 and have become very widespread and can be used in many applications thanks to new materials and procedures and, above all, digital technology and software. Thanks to new types of control with digital and extremely fast signal processors, stepper motors are now much more efficient and low-noise, and thus find ever wider fields of application.
Example of positioning: With 100 pulses the 1.8° stepper motor rotates exactly 180°
The stepper motor is not only ideally suited, however, for positioning applications but also for highly precise speed applications because the rotational speed is proportional to the pulse frequency and almost independent of external changes in load.
Example of speed control: 1000 pulses/second (1000 Hz) in a 1.8° stepper motor results in precisely 300 rpm (1000/(360°/1.8°)*60 s= 300 rpm).
