Question: Using 99:1 Ratio Nema 17 Stepper Motor with Planetary Gearbox w/ Bracket & Driver Kits

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I am new to using stepper motors and drivers and I have a few questions about the “99:1 Ratio Nema 17 Stepper Motor with Planetary Gearbox w/ Bracket & Driver Kits” sold at the RobotShop.

  1. Can this stepper motor and controller be connected directly to a laptop and controlled via a computer, or would I need to purchase an additional accessory? If so, what would I have to buy and how would I connect it to the controller?

  2. Can this stepper motor and controller be controlled with Python code? If so, is there any modules or documentation as to how to do this?

  3. Can this stepper motor and controller allow for the stepper motor to move to specific positions and hold the motor at the position as opposed to performing a continuous motion at a constant velocity?

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Hi @mp123 and welcome to our forum!

  1. This product comes with stepper motor and driver, but you cannot control it directly from a laptop or computer (at least not easily) since you have to send enable, direction and pulse signals. Here is a schematics of the driver which will help you understand how to use it:

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  2. Python should be possible. I guess you want to use Raspberry Pi for this. Here is one tutorial which explains how to control similar stepper driver with Python and Raspberry Pi: Control a Stepper Motor using Python and a Raspberry PI | by Daniel Wilczak | Medium

  3. These motors have a defined number of steps per rotation. You control position and speed by telling the motor when to step and in which direction .

If you use stepper motors within their limits, they can be very accurate. They do not, however have any feedback to tell you they are at the location you specified. If your application needs this feedback you can add it with an encoder.

For more info about the product, it would be best to contact ES-motor directly: CONTACT US