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Bipolar Stepper Motor

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In bipolar stepper motors, current can flow in both directions; a full-bridge converter is required to drive each of the two windings of a two-phase motor. During motion, the type of electronic control (full step, half step, microstepping) and the resulting phase current waveform impact the vibration level, the acoustic noise, motion smoothness and sensitivity to resonances.
ST fully supports all of these configurations with monolithic motor driver ICs (embedding digital controllers, power devices and protection functions), and for higher power, with a controller + MOSFET combination approach.

Bipolar Stepper Motor block diagram

Featured Products

powerSTEP01 high-power stepper motor driver

High motion smoothness in compact form factor

Featured Videos

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Solving Stepper Motor Design Challenges with PowerSTEP01
Solving Stepper Motor Design Challenges with PowerSTEP01

Watch the video (00:37)
STSPIN Designing for small motors with 1.8V driver Ics
STSPIN Designing for small motors with 1.8V driver Ics

Watch the video (00:35)
Get your mbed project with X-NUCLEO-IHM02A1 started
Get your mbed project with X-NUCLEO-IHM02A1 started

This video provides you with the essentials you need to know to get started with your mbed project with X-NUCLEO-IHM02A1, a two axis stepper motor driver expansion board based on the L6470 for STM32 Nucleo.

Watch the video (3:16)

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All resources

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Latest update

Application Notes (5 of 17)

Resource title
Latest update
AN468 Constant/current chopper drive ups stepper/motor performance 1.3
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN468 Constant/current chopper drive ups stepper/motor performance 1.3
AN280 Controlling voltage transients in full-bridge driver applications 3.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN280 Controlling voltage transients in full-bridge driver applications 3.0
AN2820 Driving bipolar stepper motors using a medium-density STM32F103xx microcontroller 2.5
04 Nov 2019
04 Nov 2019
AN2820 Driving bipolar stepper motors using a medium-density STM32F103xx microcontroller 2.5
AN4487 Getting started with SPC560P-DISP 1.2
09 Jun 2020
09 Jun 2020
AN4487 Getting started with SPC560P-DISP 1.2
AN3991 How to drive multiple stepper motors with the L6470 motor driver 2.1
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN3991 How to drive multiple stepper motors with the L6470 motor driver 2.1
AN1451 L6208 fully integrated two phase stepper motor driver 2.4
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN1451 L6208 fully integrated two phase stepper motor driver 2.4
AN4241 L6470 and L6472: fully integrated stepper motor drivers 2.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN4241 L6470 and L6472: fully integrated stepper motor drivers 2.0
AN4290 L647x, L648x and powerSTEP01 family communication protocol 2.1
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN4290 L647x, L648x and powerSTEP01 family communication protocol 2.1
AN4355 L648x devices: high power stepper motor controllers 2.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN4355 L648x devices: high power stepper motor controllers 2.0
AN3208 Microstepping motor drive with STM8A and STM8S microcontrollers 1.4
22 Jul 2019
22 Jul 2019
AN3208 Microstepping motor drive with STM8A and STM8S microcontrollers 1.4
AN1495 Microstepping stepper motor drive using peak detecting current control 3.2
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN1495 Microstepping stepper motor drive using peak detecting current control 3.2
AN5385 Open load detection with STSPIN220 stepper driver 1.2
28 Feb 2020
28 Feb 2020
AN5385 Open load detection with STSPIN220 stepper driver 1.2
AN460 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVE CONSIDERATIONS, COMMON PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS 1.2
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN460 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVE CONSIDERATIONS, COMMON PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS 1.2
AN3980 STM32 firmware library for dSPIN L6470 1.1
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN3980 STM32 firmware library for dSPIN L6470 1.1
AN4923 STSPIN220: step-mode selection and on-the-fly switching to full-step 1.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN4923 STSPIN220: step-mode selection and on-the-fly switching to full-step 1.0
AN235 Stepper motor driving 2.2
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN235 Stepper motor driving 2.2
AN4144 Voltage mode control operation and parameter optimization 4.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
AN4144 Voltage mode control operation and parameter optimization 4.0
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Technical Notes & Articles (1)

Resource title
Latest update
TA0354 Thermal design calculations for integrated stepper motor driver solutions 1.0
13 Sep 2018
13 Sep 2018
TA0354 Thermal design calculations for integrated stepper motor driver solutions 1.0

Presentations (5)

Resource title
Latest update
STSPIN L620x, L622x and L623x product presentation 1.0
24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020
STSPIN L620x, L622x and L623x product presentation 1.0
STSPIN L6474 product presentation 1.0
20 Dec 2017
20 Dec 2017
STSPIN L6474 product presentation 1.0
STSPIN L6480 and L6482 product presentation 1.0
20 Dec 2017
20 Dec 2017
STSPIN L6480 and L6482 product presentation 1.0
STSPIN configurable gate driving circuitry 1.0
14 Jun 2018
14 Jun 2018
STSPIN configurable gate driving circuitry 1.0
STSPIN motor drivers - Voltage mode stepper motor control 1.0
18 May 2018
18 May 2018
STSPIN motor drivers - Voltage mode stepper motor control 1.0

Flyers (1)

Resource title
Latest update
Integrated stepper motor driver delivers up to 10 A with superior smoothness and accurate positioning
14 Jun 2018
14 Jun 2018
Integrated stepper motor driver delivers up to 10 A with superior smoothness and accurate positioning

Selection Guides (1)

Resource title
Latest update
STSPIN motor drivers 11.2017
24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020
STSPIN motor drivers 11.2017

Brochures (1)

Resource title
Latest update
Motor Control Reference Guide 11.22
11 Nov 2020
11 Nov 2020
Motor Control Reference Guide 11.22

Magazine Articles (1)

Resource title
Latest update
STSPIN Motor Control: Design Considerations for Brushless Direct Current Motor Control 1.0
25 Feb 2020
25 Feb 2020
STSPIN Motor Control: Design Considerations for Brushless Direct Current Motor Control 1.0

All tools & software

    • Part number
      		Status
      		Description
      		Type
      		Supplier

      STSW-STM32018

      Active

      Driving bipolar stepper motors using a medium-density STM32F103xx microcontroller (AN2820)

      		 STM32 Standard Peripheral Library Expansion ST
      STSW-STM32018

      Description:

      Driving bipolar stepper motors using a medium-density STM32F103xx microcontroller (AN2820)

      X-CUBE-SPN1

      Active

      Stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      		 STM32Cube Expansion Packages ST
      X-CUBE-SPN1

      Description:

      Stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      X-CUBE-SPN2

      Active

      Two axes stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      		 STM32Cube Expansion Packages ST
      X-CUBE-SPN2

      Description:

      Two axes stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      X-CUBE-SPN3

      Active

      High power stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      		 STM32Cube Expansion Packages ST
      X-CUBE-SPN3

      Description:

      High power stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      X-CUBE-SPN5

      Active

      Bipolar stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube

      		 STM32Cube Expansion Packages ST
      X-CUBE-SPN5

      Description:

      Bipolar stepper motor driver software expansion for STM32Cube