STEPPER MOTOR

&
SERVO MOTOR

A Seminar talk
By

S.RAVISUBRAMANIAN
Roll No: 200625407
ME-CIM, IV Semester
Manufacturing Engineering Dept.
College of Engineering
Standard DC Motor Operation
 Stepper motor

A stepper motor is a brushless, synchronous electric motor that

can divide a full rotation into a large number of steps.
The motor's position can be controlled precisely, without any
feedback mechanism.

When to use a Stepper Motor?

A stepper motor can be a good choice whenever controlled
movement is required. They can be used to advantage in
applications where we need to control rotation angle, speed,
position and synchronism.
 Performance characteristics of a
Stepper motor

• Rotation in both directions

• Precision angular incremental changes
• Repetition of accurate motion or velocity profiles
• A holding torque at zero speed and
• Capability for digital control
 Fundamentals of operation

Stepper motors operate much differently from normal DC

motors, which rotate when voltage is applied to their
terminals.
Stepper motors, on the other hand, effectively have multiple
"toothed" electromagnets arranged around a central gear-
shaped piece of iron.
The electromagnets are energized by an external control
circuit, such as a microcontroller.
 Basic principle

To make the motor shaft turn, first one electromagnet is given

power, which makes the gear's teeth magnetically attracted to
the electromagnet's teeth.
When the gear's teeth are thus aligned to the first
electromagnet, they are slightly offset from the next
electromagnet.
So when the next electromagnet is turned on and the first is
turned off, the gear rotates slightly to align with the next one,
and from there the process is repeated.
Each of those slight rotations is called a "step." In that way,
the motor can be turned a precise angle.
The top electromagnet (1) is turned on, attracting the nearest teeth of a
gear-shaped iron rotor. With the teeth aligned to electromagnet 1, they
will be slightly offset from electromagnet 2.
The top electromagnet (1) is turned off, and the right electromagnet (2)
is energised, pulling the nearest teeth slightly to the right. This results in
a rotation of 3.6° in this example.
The bottom electromagnet (3) is energised;
another 3.6° rotation occurs.
The left electromagnet (4) is enabled, rotating again by 3.6°. When the
top electromagnet (1) is again enabled, the teeth in the sprocket will
have rotated by one tooth position; since there are 25 teeth, it will take
100 steps to make a full rotation in this example.
• A stepper motor can move in accurate angular increments
known as steps in response to the application of digital pulses
to an electric drive circuit from a digital controller.
• The number and rate of the pulses, control the position and
speed of the motor shaft.
• Generally, stepper motors are manufactured with steps per
revolution of 12, 24, 72, 144, 180, and 200, resulting in shaft
increments of 30, 15, 5, 2.5, 2, and 1.8 degrees per step.
 Difference between
Stepper Motor and Standard DC Motor

The stator of a typical stepper motor has two sets of coils. A

stepper motor controller must energize the coils in a precisely
timed manner in order to get the permanent-magnet rotor to
turn. Stepper motors have higher torque at low speeds, but
require a controller/driver to run them.

A DC motor stator has permanent magnets and a single coil

in the rotor. A pair of comutator and brushes are used to
automatically reverse the polarity of the coil as the motor
turns, hence keeping it turning. To get a DC motor running is
by applying a voltage to the two leads.
 Difference between
Stepper Motor and Standard DC Motor
 Open-loop commutation

• Steppers are generally commutated open loop, ie. the driver has no
feedback on where the rotor actually is.
• Stepper motor systems must thus generally be over engineered,
especially if the load inertia is high, or there is widely varying load,
so that there is no possibility that the motor will lose steps.
• Stepper motors are powered by DC current sources and require
digital circuitry to produce the coil energizing sequences for rotation
of the motor.
• Generally, stepper motors produce less than 1 horsepower(746W)
and are therefore frequently used in low-power position control
applications.
 Stepper motor winding arrangement

There are two basic winding arrangements for the

electromagnetic coils in a stepper motor.

1. Unipolar
2. Bipolar

• Unipolar, requiring only one power source.

• Bipolar, requiring two power sources or a switchable polarity
power source.
 Fig. 1 Unipolar

Fig. 2 Bipolar

The unipolar and bipolar motors are similar, except that the
unipolar has a center tap on each winding as shown in fig.1
 Unipolar

• The center tap on the unipolar

motor allows a simpler driving
circuit, limiting the current flow
to one direction.
• The main drawback with the
unipolar motor is the limited
capability to energise all
windings at any time, resulting
in a lower torque compared to
the bipolar motor.
• The unipolar stepper motor
can be used as a bipolar motor
by disconnecting the center
tap.
 Assuming positive logic, where a 1 means turning on the
current through a motor winding, the following two
control sequences will spin the motor illustrated in
Figure 1 clockwise 24 steps or 4 revolutions:

Winding 1a 1000100010001000100010001
Winding 1b 0010001000100010001000100
Winding 2a 0100010001000100010001000
Winding 2b 0001000100010001000100010
time --->
 Bipolar motor
Bipolar permanent magnet and hybrid
motors are constructed with exactly the
same mechanism as is used on unipolar
motors, but the two windings are wired
more simply, with no center taps.

Thus, the motor itself is simpler but the

drive circuitry needed to reverse the
polarity of each pair of motor poles is
more complex.

The drive circuitry for such a motor

Figure 2
requires an H-bridge control circuit for
each winding. Briefly, an H-bridge allows
the polarity of the power applied to each
end of each winding to be controlled
independently.
• The control sequences for single stepping such a motor
are shown below, using 1 and 0 to indicate the polarity of
the power applied to each motor terminal.

• Terminal 1a 1000100010001000
• Terminal 1b 0010001000100010
• Terminal 2a 0100010001000100
• Terminal 2b 0001000100010001
• time --->
 Bipolar and unipolar driving circuit

The bipolar motor needs current to be driven in both directions

through the windings, and a full bridge driver is needed.
But the center tap on the unipolar motor makes the driving circuit
simpler.
 Full vs Half stepping
• Stepper motors used in full-stepping mode powers one
winding at a time.In full stepping four different settings
(positions) are possible.
• By powering both windings simultaneous, the stepper
motor is trapped between positions obtained when full-
stepping is known as half stepping.

Table shows for one electrical cycle. One mechanical cycle

(one revolution) usually consists of several electrical cycles.
 Stepper motor characteristics
• Stepper motors are constant-power devices
(power = angular velocity x torque).
• As motor speed increases, torque decreases.

• Steppers exhibit more vibration than other motor types, as the

discrete step tends to snap the rotor from one position to another.
• This vibration can become very bad at some speeds and can cause
the motor to lose torque.
• Motors with greater number of phases also exhibit smoother
operation than those with fewer phases.
 Stepper motor selection procedure

1. Determining the drive mechanism component

First determine certain features of the design, such as mechanism, rough dimensions, distance moved, and
positioning period Determining the mechanism and required specifications

2. Calculate the required resolution

From the required resolution, determine whether a motor only is to be used whether a geared motor is to be used.
Find the step angle resolution for the motor

3. Determine the operating pattern

Find the acceleration (deceleration) period and operating pulse speed in order to calculate the acceleration torque.
Determine the operating pattern that fulfills the required specifications

4. Calculate the required torque

Calculate the load torque and acceleration torque and the required torque demanded by the motor.

5. Select motor
Select a motor whose speed -torque characteristics satisfy the requirement. Make a provisional selection of a
motor based on required torque
Determine the motor to be used from the speed-torque characteristics

6. Check the selected motor

Check the acceleration/ deceleration rate and inertia ratio in order to determine the suitability of the selection.
Confirm the acceleration/ deceleration rate and inertia ratio.
 Stepper motor interface

By means of Digital control,

To change direction of motion
To control the speed
To set step increments etc.
Programmable stepper motor controller
Programmable stepper motor controller
 Stepper Motor Advantages
• Stable. It can drive a wide range of frictional and inertial loads.
• Needs no feedback.
• Inexpensive relative to other motion control systems.
• Standardised frame size and performance.
• Easy to setup and use.
• Safe. If anything breaks, the motor stops.
• Long life. Bearings are the only wear-out mechanism.
• Excellent low speed torque. Can drive many loads without
gearing.
• Excellent repeatability. Returns the same location accurately.
• Overload safe. Motor cannot be damaged by mechanical
overload.
 Stepper Motor Disadvantages
• Low efficiency. Motor draws substantial power regardless of
load.
• Torque drops rapidly with speed.
(torque is the inverse of speed)
• Low accuracy.
• Prone to resonances. Requires micro stepping to move
smoothly.
• No feedback to indicate missed steps.
• Low torque to inertia ratio. Cannot accelerate loads very
rapidly.
• Motor gets very hot in high performance configurations.
• Motor will not “pick up” after momentary overload.
• Motor is audibly very noisy at moderate to high speeds.
• Low output power for size and weight.
Physical appearance of a
Stepper motor
Physical appearance of a
Stepper motor
Physical appearance of a
Stepper motor
Stepper motor specifications
Where are stepper motor being used?

Stepper motors can be found almost anywhere. Most of

us use them everyday without even realising it.

For example, steppers power "analog" wristwatches

(which are actually digital), disc drives, printers, flat bed
scanners, plotters, cash points, CD players, profile
cutters and much more.
Where are stepper motor being used?

Industrial applications
• Multi-axis CNC machines.
• Precision tool motions in drilling, cutting and shaping machines,
lathe etc.
• Positioning of valve pilots for fluid control systems in Packaging
industries.
• Controlling Robot arms in robotics
• High speed pick and place equipment.
Lasers and optics
Precision positioning of
• Linear actuators
• Linear stages
• Rotation stages
• Goniometers
• Mirror mounts etc.
Stepper Motor applications
Rotary Indexer
Film Advance
Circuit Board Scanning
Conveyor
Telescope Drive
Optical Scanner
Engine Test Stand
Capsule Filling Machine
Engraving Machine
Fluted – Bit Cutting Machine
Floppy Drive
 Servo motors
• A servomotor is an electromechanical device in which an
electrical input determines the position of the armature of a
motor.
• Servo motors are standard DC or brushless motors with an
encoder feedback loop.
• The computer reads the position of the motor and controls the
power applied to the motor.
• Servo motors are designed for applications involving position
control, velocity control and torque control.
• Servo motors are used in closed loop control systems in
which work (load) is the control variable.
• The brushed DC motor generates torque directly from DC
power supplied to the motor by using internal commutation,
stationary permanent magnets, and rotating electrical
magnets.

• Brushless DC motors use a rotating permanent magnet in the

rotor, and stationary electrical magnets on the motor housing.
A motor controller converts DC to AC.
 Servo motors are special in the following ways
• Lower mechanical time constant.
• Lower electrical time constant.
• Permanent magnet of high flux density to generate the field.
• Fail-safe electro-mechanical brakes.

• For applications where the load is to be rapidly accelerated or

decelerated frequently, the electrical and mechanical time constants
of the motor plays an important role.
• The mechanical time constants in these motors are reduced by
reducing the rotor inertia.
Concept of a servo system
 Servo motor system

• Digital positioning controller directs operation of the servo motor

by sending velocity command signals to the amplifier, which
drives the servo motor.
• An integral feedback device (resolver) or (encoder and
tachometer) are incorporated within the servo motor or are
remotely mounted, often on the load itself.
• These provide the servo motor's position and velocity feedback
and the controller compares to its programmed motion profile and
uses to alter its velocity signal.
• The ability of the servo motor to adjust to differences between the
motion profile and feedback signals depends greatly upon the
type of controls and servo motors used.
• Servo's are faster moving point to point and are better at
accelerating very heavy machinery, but their higher maintenance is
a major factor.
• Stepper motors generally are as accurate as servos and are simpler
and more reliable and maintenance free in harsh dusty applications.
Whereas the servomotor's encoder is susceptible to dirt and
vibration causing problems.
• Servos are used extensively in robotics and radio-controlled cars,
airplanes, and boats.
 Three basic types of servo motors are used in modern
servo systems
• AC servo motors (based on induction motor designs)
• DC servo motors (based on dc motor designs)
• AC brushless servo motors (based on synchronous
motor designs)
Servo – motion control boards
 Servo Motor Advantages
• High output power relative to motor size and weight.
• Encoder determines accuracy and resolution.
• High efficiency. It can approach 90% at light loads.
• High torque to inertia ratio. It can rapidly accelerate loads.
• Has “reserve” power. 2-3 times continuous power for short
periods.
• Has “reserve” torque. 5-10 times rated torque for short
periods.
• Motor stays cool. Current draw proportional to load.
• Usable high speed torque.
• Audibly quiet at high speeds.
• Resonance and vibration free operation.
 Servo Motor Disadvantages
• Requires “tuning” to stabilize feedback loop.
• Motor “runs away” when something breaks. Safety circuits are
required.
• Complex. Requires encoder.
• Brush wear out limits life to 2,000 hrs. Service is then
required.
• Peak torque is limited to a 1% duty cycle.
• Motor can be damaged by sustained overload.
• Bewildering choice of motors. Encoders and servodrives.
• Power supply current 10 times average to use peak torque.
• Motor develops peak power at higher speeds. Gearing often
required.
• Poor motor cooling. Ventilated motors are easily
contaminated.
Physical appearance of servo motors
Physical appearance of servo motors
Servo Motor applications
Labeling Machine
Barbeque grill-Making Machine
On-the-Fly Welder
Monofilament Winder
Capacitor Winder
Window Blind Gluing
Moving Positioning System
Rotating Tube Cutter
Surface Grinding Machine
Servo controlled Robot
A Servo controlled
Pick &Place Robot
Thank You!