Stepper Motors & Drivers

[William43]

While it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I wanted to consider replacing the automatic door on my chicken coop. I watched Bill's video on stepper motors and drivers and I think I picked the right unit. I wanted to make sure I picked the right stepper motor (I had no specs on the weight of the door, stroke length, etc.). This is my first time working with stepper motors.

The vision is to integrate this with an existing ESP32-S3 system. The ESP32-S3 will communicate with the A4988 H-bridge motor driver.

For the stepper motor, I chose the Nema 17 stepper motor (https://www.oyostepper.com/category-6-b0-Nema-17-Stepper-Motor.html)

Since there are so many variations of the Nema17, I wanted to confirm if this unit would work or possibly suggest a better option.

Thanks

 

[Minder]

Since there are so many variations of the Nema17, I wanted to confirm if this unit would work or possibly suggest a better option.

Thanks

NEMA 17 refers to the mounting face spec. not the various electrical motor specs themselves.

 

[hevans1944]

While it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I wanted to consider replacing the automatic door on my chicken coop. I watched Bill's video on stepper motors and drivers and I think I picked the right unit. I wanted to make sure I picked the right stepper motor (I had no specs on the weight of the door, stroke length, etc.). This is my first time working with stepper motors.

The vision is to integrate this with an existing ESP32-S3 system. The ESP32-S3 will communicate with the A4988 H-bridge motor driver.

For the stepper motor, I chose the Nema 17 stepper motor (https://www.oyostepper.com/category-6-b0-Nema-17-Stepper-Motor.html)

Since there are so many variations of the Nema17, I wanted to confirm if this unit would work or possibly suggest a better option.

Thanks

You are correct: there are many motors available with a NEMA 17 size frame. You need to determine which motor you need by measuring or calculating the amount of torque required to raise or lower the automatic door on your chicken coop.

The amount of torque required will depend on the gearing arrangement between the motor and the door, the weight of the presumably un-counter-balanced door, and how fast you want to open or close the door. So do some homework, get those figures, and post them here for our inspection and possible recommendation of which motor to specify. Beware of Chinese products unless you are familiar with the vendor. It is difficult to specify particular replacement parts. I prefer Superior Electric stepper motors, but these can be a little pricey unless you can find used ones on eBay or at a local surplus electronics parts supplier.

Good luck with your project. A simple pulley and string attached to the motor and door might be all you need. Size the pulley according to how much torque is available to raise or lower the door. Set the speed according to what the motor can produce without missing steps or cogging. Do you need some means to prevent chickens from getting decapitated by the moving door?