Stepper Motor Driver A4988

Description

This module is based on the Allegro A4988 stepper motor driver and is ideal for use in 3D printers, CNC, and other applications that require precise control of a stepper motor. Its pinnout is compatible with the StepStick project. This module can be used alone (controlled by a microcontroller), or used with RepRap RAMPS compatible shields such as item HC3DPR0002. The A4988 is a complete microstepping driver motor with built-in translator for easy operation. It is designed to operate with bipolar stepper motors in full, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth step modes, with an output drive capacity of up to 35 V and ± 1 A (Although the A4988 device is rated at 2A, this module has a maximum current of +/- 0.5). The A4988 includes a fixed current regulator that has the ability to operate in slow or mixed decay mode. The translator is the key to the easy implementation of the A4988. Simply inserting a pulse on the STEP input drives the motor one microstep. There are no sequence phase tables, high frequency control lines, or complex interfaces to program. The A4988 interface is ideal for applications where a complex microprocessor is not available or is overloaded. During step operation, the control in the A4988 automatically selects the current decay mode, slow or mixed. In mixed decay mode, the device is initially set to a fast decay for a portion of the fixed off time, then to a slow decay for the remainder of the off time. Mixed current decay results in reduced noise perceived by the motor, greater step accuracy, and reduced power dissipation. This module is pre-soldered, so it is ready to use out of the box. We also have a small heatsink Much more information available here http://forum.hobbycomponents.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=1717&hilit=A4988