DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROCONTROLLER BASED VERSATILE STEPPER MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM
ABSTRACT
A microcontroller-Based Versatile Stepper Motor System/Trainer has been designed and implemented in this project. The developed prototype was built with readily available components including the AT89C51 Microcontroller which runs the control software and provides a flexible interface to the stepper motor drive. The control system is capable of driving the stepper motor clockwise or counterclockwise in full steps or in half steps according to the need of the stepper motor driven application. The angular displacement for the stepper motor shaft is 50 per full-step and 2.50 per half-step but this varies according to the design of each stepper motor. This prototype can be used to demonstrate the features of a stepper motor that recommends it for use in incremental motion control where precision and positioning accuracy are of paramount importance. Examples of such applications include its use in conveyor belts in pharmaceutical industries, bottling companies, printers, and many others. If used as a trainer kit in our tertiary institutions, there is no doubt that it will enhance the know-how of the students and by extension improve their capacity to help automate our local industries