Beginner
10 min

Enable smooth and silent operation of connected stepper motors with TMC2130 and STM32F415RG

Two-phase bipolar stepper motor driver with StealthChop™ for quiet movement

Silent Step 2 Click with UNI-DS v8

Published Jan 25, 2024

Click board™

Silent Step 2 Click

Dev Board

UNI-DS v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F415RG

A compact and efficient solution for achieving smooth, silent, and precise motor control in diverse industrial applications

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Silent Step 2 Click is based on the TMC2130, a high-performance two-phase stepper motor driver from Analog Devices. The highest resolution is 256 microsteps per full step. Some other integrated techniques are SpreadCycle™ as a highly dynamic motor control chopper, DcStep™ as load-dependent speed control, sTallGuard2™ as a high precision sensorless motor load detection, and more. The motor driver supports passive breaking and freewheeling mode. This motor driver also supports a few operating modes that can be used per your needs. Silent Step 2 Click can communicate with the host MCU using a standard 4-wire SPI serial interface. It can also use the

step/direction driver mode, which allows you to control the motor position by sending pulses on the step signal STP pin while indicating the direction on the direction signal DIR pin. The driver uses an external motor power supply of 4.75 up to 43V to power a 2-phase stepper motor up to 2A coil current (2.5A peak). The motor current can be set over the onboard VREF potentiometer. Additional functionalities on this Click board™ are achieved over the PCA9538A, an 8-bit I/O port from NXP. This I/O port communicates with the host MCU over the I2C interface, and you can change the I2C address over the ADDR SEL jumpers. The PCA9538A allows you to control the driver enable

function of the motor driver. It also monitors two driver motors' diagnostic outputs, and if a condition is met (say, stall of the motor), it will interrupt the host MCU over the INT pin. The I/O port can be reset over the RST pin. 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.

Silent Step 2 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

UNI-DS v8 is a development board specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of microcontrollers, such as different STM32, Kinetis, TIVA, CEC, MSP, PIC, dsPIC, PIC32, and AVR MCUs regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer over WiFi. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others, in one place. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, UNI-DS v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under any

circumstances at any time. Each part of the UNI-DS v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module offers many valuable programming/debugging options, including support for JTAG, SWD, and SWO Trace (Single Wire Output)), and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment. Besides, it also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source via the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector. Communication options such as USB-UART, USB

HOST/DEVICE, CAN (on the MCU card, if supported), and Ethernet is also included. In addition, it also has the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and two display options for the TFT board line of products and character-based LCD. UNI-DS v8 is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem for rapid development. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping and development thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

UNI-DS v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

196608

You complete me!

Accessories

The 28BYJ-48 is an adaptable 5VDC stepper motor with a compact design, ideal for various applications. It features four phases, a speed variation ratio of 1/64, and a stride angle of 5.625°/64 steps, allowing precise control. The motor operates at a frequency of 100Hz and has a DC resistance of 50Ω ±7% at 25°C. It boasts an idle in-traction frequency greater than 600Hz and an idle out-traction frequency exceeding 1000Hz, ensuring reliability in different scenarios. With a self-positioning torque and in-traction torque both exceeding 34.3mN.m at 120Hz, the 28BYJ-48 offers robust performance. Its friction torque ranges from 600 to 1200 gf.cm, while the pull-in torque is 300 gf.cm. This motor makes a reliable and efficient choice for your stepper motor needs.

Silent Step 2 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Direction Control
PB0
AN
Reset / ID SEL
PC13
RST
SPI Select / ID COMM
PA4
CS
SPI Clock
PA5
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PA6
MISO
SPI Data IN
PA7
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Step Control
PA1
PWM
Interrupt
PB13
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PB6
SCL
I2C Data
PB7
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

Silent Step 2 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the UNI-DS v8 as your development board.

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
SiBRAIN for PIC32MZ1024EFK144 front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
v8 SiBRAIN Access MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
NECTO Compiler Selection Step Image hardware assembly
NECTO Output Selection Step Image hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Necto image step 7 hardware assembly
Necto image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Necto PreFlash Image hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

After pressing the "FLASH" button on the left-side panel, it is necessary to open the UART terminal to display the achieved results. By clicking on the Tools icon in the right-hand panel, multiple different functions are displayed, among which is the UART Terminal. Click on the offered "UART Terminal" icon.

UART Application Output Step 1

Once the UART terminal is opened, the window takes on a new form. At the top of the tab are two buttons, one for adjusting the parameters of the UART terminal and the other for connecting the UART terminal. The tab's lower part is reserved for displaying the achieved results. Before connecting, the terminal has a Disconnected status, indicating that the terminal is not yet active. Before connecting, it is necessary to check the set parameters of the UART terminal. Click on the "OPTIONS" button.

UART Application Output Step 2

In the newly opened UART Terminal Options field, we check if the terminal settings are correct, such as the set port and the Baud rate of UART communication. If the data is not displayed properly, it is possible that the Baud rate value is not set correctly and needs to be adjusted to 115200. If all the parameters are set correctly, click on "CONFIGURE".

UART Application Output Step 3

The next step is to click on the "CONNECT" button, after which the terminal status changes from Disconnected to Connected in green, and the data is displayed in the Received data field.

UART Application Output Step 4

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for Silent Step 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • silentstep2_rotate_by_angle - Silent Step 2 rotates the shaft through a desired angle function.

  • silentstep2_set_direction - Silent Step 2 sets the clockwise or counterclockwise direction movement function.

Open Source

Code example

This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief Silent Step 2 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Silent Step 2 Click board™ 
 * by driving the motor in both directions for a desired rotation angle.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * The initialization of I2C and SPI module and log UART.
 * After driver initialization, the app sets the default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * The application task represents an example that demonstrates 
 * the use of the Stepper 15 Click board™  with which the user can sequentially move the motor. 
 * The first part of the sequence executes the clockwise/counterclockwise motor movement 
 * for an angle of 90 degrees with a step speed of 50%, 
 * all the way to the last sequence of the same movement routine 
 * of 360 degree angle with a step speed of 90%. 
 * Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
 *
 * @author Nenad Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "silentstep2.h"

static silentstep2_t silentstep2;
static log_t logger;

// Bipolar stepper motor, resolution of 200 steps per revolution (1.8 degrees)
#define SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200    200

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    silentstep2_cfg_t silentstep2_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );

    // Click initialization.
    silentstep2_cfg_setup( &silentstep2_cfg );
    SILENTSTEP2_MAP_MIKROBUS( silentstep2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag = silentstep2_init( &silentstep2, &silentstep2_cfg );
    if ( ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) || ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_ERROR == silentstep2_default_cfg ( &silentstep2 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation :  90 degrees\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Step speed        :  50 %%\r\n" );
    silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 90, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 2000 );
    }
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Counterclockwise motion\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation :  180 deg\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Step speed        :  50 %%\r\n" );
    silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_COUNTERCLOCKWISE );
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 180, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 2000 );
    }
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 270 deg\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Step speed        :  50 %% \r\n" );
    silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 270, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 2000 );
    }
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Counterclockwise motion\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 360 deg\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Step speed        : 90 %%\r\n" );
    silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_COUNTERCLOCKWISE );
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 90, 360, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 2000 );
    }
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 360 deg\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Step speed        : 90 %% \r\n" );
    silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
    if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 90, 360, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 2000 );
    }
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; )
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources