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Stepper motor Direct Drive using TB6600 driver(cheap option)

Discussion in 'DIY peripherals' started by henrique fernandes, May 12, 2018.

  1. henrique fernandes

    henrique fernandes New Member

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    hello everyone,
    after reading many other forums and collecting information I decided to creat my own thread.
    This is about my project of building a Force Feedback Direct drive, using a stepper motor with a low cost.
    Based on the information I found, the most difficult part of this project was to find a driver for the stepper motor that can be controlled by PWM. I found some drivers like the Argon driver with some auxiliary components which is able to control the stepper using the PWM sent by the DISCOVERY board (but the cost for this is way more then I want to spend, and close to commercial steering wheels).
    Considering this cost, I started to think in a cheaper solution that everyone can afford.
    following this two basic facts I started looking for an alternative.

    1 - commercial steering wheels are based on torque control, so it can give a high torque for strong effects and lower torque for the weak ones.
    2 - to control the torque of an electrical motor we need to control the current, in this case in the coils of the stepper motor.

    Based on this facts, I made a lot of research and I found that the most of the "Chinese cheap drivers" have current control by chopping the current. The problem then was that the mode of we set this current control is mostly through switches, so we couldn't control it by Arduino(I choose Arduino because I couldn't find the code to modify the firmware of the discovery force feedback, just the .hex file to burn on it.)
    Searching a bit more about chopper stepper drivers I found some circuits DIY based on the chip Toshiba tb6600, which can drive steppers using 10 to 42VDC up to 4.5A, and the mode of control of this circuit is via 10K pot, so the plan is to use one of this driver ( I found for 10 aud from China), and replace this pot by a X9C103 Digital potentiometer, so we can control it via Arduino

    PS: As the intention is to build the steering wheel not the driver I'll jump this part and buy one of this,(if someone is interested just let me know that I can share the project of this driver and some more information that I found about Chinese drivers, because I am convicted that we can use this "mod" in any driver)

    [​IMG]

    After this, I used the main idea of another forum that uses an Arduino to convert the PWM coming from the DISCOVERY board into a percentage of effect intensity, to control torque( or percentage of Amps applied to the coils), controlling this way the torque.

    I've already made the program to make this reading of the PWM duty cycle from the DISCO, and I uploaded my program so if anyone wants to have a look follows the link below.
    https://github.com/97289034/Stepper...b/master/wheel_v1.3_first_test_fast_speed.ino
    I tried to comment everything in the program but if anyone has a doubt or suggestion feel free to contact.


    on this video, you can see the first test of my program. (I,m sorry about my bad English, I'm still studying English)
    The program is reading the PWM well in my opinion, and the plan is to execute the program as fast as possible so we can have more readings in a fast refresh rate, and feel the minimum effect on the wheel.
    This reading of PWM duty cycle from the DISCO is gonna be used to control the percentage of the digital potentiometer, and this way limiting the current applied to the stepper coils(controlling the torque consequently)
    I also have the plan to use this percentage to set a multiplier for the speed of the wheel. this TB6600 driver as the most on the market works with pulses, so one step per pulse. This way if the effect percentage is high, the Arduino will send pulses at a higher frequency, making the stepper spins faster.
    The direction pin PE11 will be used to set whether direction the stepper to spin.
    upload_2018-5-12_16-19-37.png


    At the end of this next video, you can see the current chop of this driver, and this makes me confident that it's gonna work and feel good to drive. on the next couple of weeks, my stepper must arrive so I can post the progress.

    if this plan works we can make a direct drive 13N.m for under 250 dollars.(this is cheaper then a logitec g29)
    prices in aud
    90 Keyway Dual Shaft Nema 34 Stepper Motor 13Nm
    50 shipping for the motor
    10 chinese driver
    31 power supply 48v 5A
    28 OMRON E6B2-CWZ6C Rotary Encoder 2000P/R New
    25 discovery board
    10 arduino
    _________________
    245 total

    I would like to listen to a second opinion about this crazy plan before start buying stuff. Do you guys think this would work? any suggestion about the circuit or the mode of control?
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  2. Vdub180

    Vdub180 Member

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    I'm very excited about this post, I really hope it all works out as I will be following closely.
  3. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    This looks great, but how will it make the engine steps not feel? in the video movements are seen in very large steps that would be useless for a FFB, 1.8 º is inadmissible for a wheel, with that controller can make the coils are energized intercalated to make intermediate steps to the real engine?
    I do not know if I explain myself well, I use google translator and it's hell.

    And could a nema 42 be used? in aliexpress they are worth almost the same as the nema 32 and I think it would be interesting to be able to have strength to spare and not to work the hard motor
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    Last edited: May 18, 2018
  4. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    The project is very promising.
    Nema 42 has more inertia than nema 34, it will take more amperage for the same torque, TB6600 is limited to 4.5A and 5 in peak. with a 42 the yield will be lower.
    Sorry for my bad english
  5. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    What do you mean by more inertia? What does that affect a steering wheel? There are no other plates that hold more amps?
  6. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    [QUOTE = "evolaco, post: 156346, membre: 18926"] Que voulez-vous dire par plus d'inertie? Qu'est-ce que cela affecte un volant? Il n'y a pas d'autres plaques qui contiennent plus d'amplis? [/ QUOTE]

    Inertia is the tendency of the stepper to maintain its speed. An engine with high inertia will take longer to accelerate. he will need more torque to overcome his own inertia and therefore consumes more energy.
    in the case of a direct drive, this represents a weight limiting the agility of the steering wheel.
    It exists in alternative card but the price is high, the TB6600 has a very interesting price compared to the amperage that it can deliver
  7. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    to not notice the steps of the engine as it should be? with that card can it be done?

    and a nema 34 of 13nm has 6A, can not that plate be valid?
    Why is not a bridge h used as the ibt2?
    Last edited: May 19, 2018
  8. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    Nema 32 will have a torque of 11 Nm at 5A
    H-Bridge is used on brushed motors
  9. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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  10. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    Le couple d'un moteur est toujours lié à l'ampérage délivré
    13Nm / 6A = 2.16Nm / A
    2,16Nm * 5A = 10,83Nm
  11. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    Having 13nm and not using them is not ideal.
    About the hbridge, there are videos using them to move stepper motors
  12. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    It would be interesting to test a nema 34 with BTS7960.
    On the other hand, the BTS7960 is limited on the voltage at 24V.
  13. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    What do you want more voltage for? a steering wheel only needs 300rpm at most, the voltage only affects the speed, maybe even with 12v is enough
  14. laksenuoy

    laksenuoy New Member

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    you're right the minimum voltage of nema 34 is 5V, it remains only to play the beta tester.
    can you give me the link for the h bridge stepper? the idea interests me
  15. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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    http://s.aliexpress.com/f22MZ32M?fromSns=Copy to Clipboard

    if you use a pc cooler do not get hot

    2017-05-30 18.44.01.jpg
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  16. mm982566

    mm982566 New Member

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    I tried your project, bought TB6600 driver board and a 57-step motor, as well as the arduino development board, and then uploaded the program. It was found that the motor could only turn in one direction but not in the opposite direction
  17. mm982566

    mm982566 New Member

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  18. mm982566

    mm982566 New Member

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    This two days I also are trying to improve your code, you can now normal positive &negative, but I found a problem, is under the condition of step motor in locked-rotor, can appear one by one, just like myself with servo motor on feel too much, so I have to give up this project to you now
  19. evolaco

    evolaco Member

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  20. minimus1899

    minimus1899 Member

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    Is mounting it to the dboard and to what ever it going on hard? With the fact it’s a funny shape ?

    Regards
    Andy