A stepper motor is an electromechanical device that converts electrical pulses into mechanical rotation. It is a type of synchronous motor that rotates in steps, as opposed to a continuous rotation of a regular motor.
A stepper motor consists of a rotor and a stator. The rotor is made up of a permanent magnet, while the stator is made up of a set of coils wound around a magnetic core. The stator is energized by electrical pulses, which cause the rotor to rotate a fixed number of degrees or steps.
Stepper motors are commonly used in applications that require precise positioning, such as robotics, CNC machines, and printers. They are also used in motion control systems where accuracy and reliability are critical.
There are different types of stepper motors, including bipolar and unipolar stepper motors. Bipolar stepper motors have two coils, while unipolar stepper motors have four or five coils. The number of steps a stepper motor can take is determined by the number of teeth on the rotor and the number of poles on the stator.
To control a stepper motor, a driver circuit is needed to provide the appropriate electrical pulses to the coils. The driver circuit can be simple or complex, depending on the application. For example, a simple driver circuit may be used to drive a stepper motor in a hobby project, while a more complex driver circuit may be required for industrial applications.