Drive bipolar stepper motors and brushed DC motors with DRV8711 and STM32F031K6
Bipolar stepper motor gate driver with 1/256 microstepping and stall detect
Published Oct 01, 2024
Click board™
Stepper 22 Click
Dev. board
Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32F031K6
Precise motion control of stepper and DC motors with advanced microstepping and adaptive current management
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Stepper 22 Click is based on the DRV8711, a bipolar stepper motor gate driver from Texas Instruments designed for precise motion control. It uses external N-channel MOSFETs (specifically, four dual N-channel power MOSFETs, the CSD87502Q2, also from Texas Instruments) to drive a bipolar stepper motor efficiently or two brushed DC motors connected to the A-B terminals, supporting a maximum output current of up to 5A. The board requires an external power supply from 8V to 30V, delivered through the INPUT connector. The DRV8711's integrated microstepping indexer supports a wide range of step modes, from full to 1/256-step, ensuring smooth and precise motor control. Additionally, the adaptive blanking time and various current decay modes, including an auto-mixed decay mode, enable ultra-smooth motion profiles. This Click board™ is ideal for applications in office automation machines, factory automation,
robotics, and more. Stepper 22 Click uses a standard 4-wire SPI serial interface to program the device operation and communicate with the host MCU. A simple STEP/DIR interface achieves control over the stepper motor, allowing an external controller to dictate the motor's stepping direction and rate. The microstepping resolution ranges from full-step to 1/256-step and is selectable through the STP pin on the mikroBUS™ socket. All other functions of the DRV8711 can be managed via the onboard I2C-configurable GPIO expander, the PCA9538A. The PCA9538A enables control over features such as B bridge control, motor stepping direction, low-power Sleep mode, and the reset function for the stepper driver IC. Additionally, output current (torque), step mode, decay mode, and stall detection can all be programmed through the SPI serial interface. The PCA9538A also allows the selection of the least significant bit (LSB) of its
I2C address by adjusting the SMD jumpers labeled as ADDR SEL to the appropriate position, marked as 0 or 1. The RST pin on the mikroBUS™ socket allows the expander to be reset, while the INT pin can be used to route various status signals, such as motor stall, reported via the back-EMF output on the EMF pin of the mikroBUS™ socket and fault conditions, including overcurrent, short-circuit, under-voltage lockout, and overtemperature. Additionally, two red LEDs labeled FAULT and STALL can visually indicate motor stall and fault statuses. 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.
Features overview
Development board
Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU board provides an affordable and flexible platform for experimenting with STM32 microcontrollers in 32-pin packages. Featuring Arduino™ Nano connectivity, it allows easy expansion with specialized shields, while being mbed-enabled for seamless integration with online resources. The
board includes an on-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer, supporting USB reenumeration with three interfaces: Virtual Com port, mass storage, and debug port. It offers a flexible power supply through either USB VBUS or an external source. Additionally, it includes three LEDs (LD1 for USB communication, LD2 for power,
and LD3 as a user LED) and a reset push button. The STM32 Nucleo-32 board is supported by various Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as IAR™, Keil®, and GCC-based IDEs like AC6 SW4STM32, making it a versatile tool for developers.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M0
MCU Memory (KB)
32
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
32
RAM (Bytes)
4096
You complete me!
Accessories
Click Shield for Nucleo-32 is the perfect way to expand your development board's functionalities with STM32 Nucleo-32 pinout. The Click Shield for Nucleo-32 provides two mikroBUS™ sockets to add any functionality from our ever-growing range of Click boards™. We are fully stocked with everything, from sensors and WiFi transceivers to motor control and audio amplifiers. The Click Shield for Nucleo-32 is compatible with the STM32 Nucleo-32 board, providing an affordable and flexible way for users to try out new ideas and quickly create prototypes with any STM32 microcontrollers, choosing from the various combinations of performance, power consumption, and features. The STM32 Nucleo-32 boards do not require any separate probe as they integrate the ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer and come with the STM32 comprehensive software HAL library and various packaged software examples. This development platform provides users with an effortless and common way to combine the STM32 Nucleo-32 footprint compatible board with their favorite Click boards™ in their upcoming projects.
The 17HD40005-22B stepper motor is a two-phase hybrid motor for high torque, high speed, and low noise performance. It features a 1m wire with optional ports on the connection end and heat shrink tubing to prevent tangling. The motor's D-shaped axle is 22mm in length. This motor operates with a chopping wave constant current drive and has a two-phase 4-wire exciting mode, allowing for both forward and reverse rotation. The power order follows AB-BC-CD-DA, viewed as clockwise from the shaft end. It has a rated current of 1.3A DC, a rated voltage of 2.4V, and a stepping angle of 1.8°, with an insulation grade of B. This stepper motor is ideal for applications requiring precise movement control and reliability.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU as your development board.
Track your results in real time
Application Output
1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.
2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.
3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.
Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for Stepper 22 Click driver.
Key functions:
stepper22_set_direction- This function sets the motor direction by setting the DIR pin logic state.stepper22_set_step_mode- This function sets the step mode resolution settings.stepper22_drive_motor- This function drives the motor for the specific number of steps at the selected speed.
Open Source
Code example
The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.
/*!
* @file main.c
* @brief Stepper 22 Click example
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of the Stepper 22 Click board by driving the
* motor in both directions for a desired number of steps.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and performs the Click default configuration.
*
* ## Application Task
* Drives the motor clockwise for 200 full steps and then counter-clockiwse for 200 half
* steps and 400 quarter steps with a 1 second delay on driving mode change. All data is
* being logged on the USB UART where you can track the program flow.
*
* @author Stefan Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "stepper22.h"
static stepper22_t stepper22;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
stepper22_cfg_t stepper22_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.
stepper22_cfg_setup( &stepper22_cfg );
STEPPER22_MAP_MIKROBUS( stepper22_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
err_t init_flag = stepper22_init( &stepper22, &stepper22_cfg );
if ( ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) || ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
if ( STEPPER22_ERROR == stepper22_default_cfg ( &stepper22 ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Move 200 full steps clockwise, speed: slow\r\n\n" );
stepper22_set_direction ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_DIR_CW );
stepper22_set_step_mode ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_MODE_FULL_STEP );
stepper22_drive_motor ( &stepper22, 200, STEPPER22_SPEED_SLOW );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
log_printf ( &logger, " Move 200 half steps counter-clockwise, speed: medium\r\n\n" );
stepper22_set_direction ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_DIR_CCW );
stepper22_set_step_mode ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_MODE_HALF_STEP );
stepper22_drive_motor ( &stepper22, 200, STEPPER22_SPEED_MEDIUM );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
log_printf ( &logger, " Move 400 quarter steps counter-clockwise, speed: fast\r\n\n" );
stepper22_set_direction ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_DIR_CCW );
stepper22_set_step_mode ( &stepper22, STEPPER22_MODE_QUARTER_STEP );
stepper22_drive_motor ( &stepper22, 400, STEPPER22_SPEED_FAST );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}
int main ( void )
{
/* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
#ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
preinit();
#endif
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
return 0;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
