Deliver smooth and accurate stepper motor motion with DRV8452 and PIC18F57Q43

Stepper 25 Click is based on the DRV8452 motor driver IC from Texas Instruments for precise control of bipolar stepper motors. The DRV8452 includes two N-channel power MOSFET H-bridges, current sense resistors, an advanced current regulation system, and a microstepping indexer, all within a single package. This robust integration enables the board to handle a wide supply voltage range from 4.5V to 55V, while delivering an impressive output current of up to 5A full-scale, or 3.5A RMS, ensuring stable performance in high-power scenarios. Thanks to the capabilities of the DRV8452, Stepper 25 Click is ideally suited for a wide range of applications including textile and sewing machines, factory automation systems, robotic platforms, diagnostic equipment, multifunction printers, as well as PLC, DCS, and PAC-based systems. This makes it a versatile and reliable choice for engineers and developers working on complex motion control tasks that demand both power and precision. One of the standout features of the DRV8452 is the auto-torque function, which dynamically adjusts the output current based on the motor load. This not only enhances the overall efficiency of the system but also significantly reduces power losses during operation. Fine-tuning of the motor current is made simple through the onboard VREF trimmer, allowing for precise adjustments to match specific load requirements. Additionally, the board includes an ENABLE switch that allows users to control the activation of the output channels - when set to

position 0, all outputs are disabled, and when set to position 1, the outputs are enabled and ready for operation. Stepper 25 Click uses a standard 4-wire SPI interface for communication with the host MCU, allowing precise configuration of the DRV8452 and optimization of the auto-torque algorithm for various motor applications. It features stall detection to notify the system when the motor is blocked or reaches its travel limit, ensuring safe operation. To reduce energy usage, the standstill power saving mode minimizes power loss when the motor is holding position. The DRV8452 also includes an integrated current-sense architecture that eliminates the need for external sense resistors by using a current mirror and internal MOSFETs. A combination of STP and DIR pins allows a host MCU to manage the direction and step rate of the stepper motor. The integrated microstepping indexer of the DRV8452 enables precise motion control without requiring the host to manage winding currents. The indexer supports a wide range of resolutions, including full step, half step, and microsteps down to 1/256, ensuring exceptionally smooth and accurate motion. Higher microstepping levels significantly reduce audible noise and enhance movement fluidity. Additionally, the automatic microstepping mode interpolates low-frequency input signals into high-resolution steps, improving current regulation and further minimizing noise during operation. To regulate the winding current effectively, the DRV8452 use various decay modes such as slow, mixed, and fast decay. The

DRV8452 also features advanced smart tune decay modes that automatically adapt to ensure optimal current regulation, regardless of changes in supply voltage, motor speed, or aging. Smart tune Ripple Control employs a variable off-time ripple current scheme to reduce current distortion in the motor windings, while Smart tune Dynamic Decay uses a fixed off-time with dynamic fast decay percentages for improved performance. In addition to these, the DRV8452 includes a silent step decay mode designed to enable extremely quiet operation during standstill and low-speed motion. Stepper 25 Click features two additional control pins: FLT and SLP. The FLT pin serves as a fault indicator, signaling any fault conditions such as overcurrent or thermal shutdown. The SLP pin controls the device’s power mode - setting it to logic HIGH enables normal operation, while logic LOW puts the device into a low-power sleep mode to conserve energy. Both pins are paired with red LED indicators labeled FAULT and SLEEP, providing clear visual feedback on the device’s fault status and power state for easier monitoring and debugging. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. Also, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.