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Stepper Motor Control
3

Stepper Motor Control

Stepper Motor Control

(OP)
I'm wanting to purchase a stepper motor controller that will idenpendantly control either one or two (independently) 12 volt unipolar stepper motor with a 3A phase current.

I would like to feed ascii characters to this motor controller via a Linux PC RS232 com port commanding it to rotate the steppers. I would also like the controller to monitor the the feeback of an optical encoder and stop the steppers when the encoder has reached a certain position. Although, I would prefer the controller to monitor the encoder, I could also have the PC monitor the encoders position and have it command the controller to stop the motors. After the controller has finished rotating the motors, I would like the controller to pass back a command telling the PC that it is done rotating the antenna.

I would also like the PC to be able to cut all power to the controller and both steppers with some type of computer controlled relay via the PC's RS232 port.

I will be using this system to characterize an antenna by rotating the antenna to different elevations and azmithal angles. I would use these steppers, encoder and controller to rotate an antenna between tests. After the antenna is rotated to a new position, an antenna test will be conducted by the PC. While the test is in session, I will power down the controller and motor using the computer controlled switch to prevent EMI. After the test is finished, the controller and stepper will be powered back up to rotate the antenna to a new position.

My goal of this system is to autonomously characterize an antenna by rotating the antenna to all the angles an elevations needed.

Do you have any suggestions as to such a controller that recieves ascii command from a PC's RS232 port and monitors the output of an optical encoder?
In addition, do you have any suggestions as to a computer controlled switch or relay?

mahalo

RE: Stepper Motor Control

I would think a quick search for stepper motor controllers will bring up dozens of them.

RE: Stepper Motor Control

(OP)
Thank you for you replies! I have already done a ton of searching on google and I have seen that there are many controllers out there.

I was wondering if you guys have any experience with these controllers and if you would recommend a certain controller.

Also, I do not know where to find computer controlled relays or switches. Do you know of what these would be called and how I can find them?

RE: Stepper Motor Control

What specificallyt do you mean by "computer controlled relays or switches"?

RE: Stepper Motor Control

Somewhat of a one stop shop would be Natonal Instruments at http://www.ni.com/.  We have used a lot of their products with much success.  

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