Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
High School Engineering Project — Parallax Forums

High School Engineering Project

BergandinoBergandino Posts: 5
edited 2009-05-01 19:09 in BASIC Stamp
Hey I am a senior at Twin Valley High School and I am taking an engineering course. My group decided to design a game disc changer and our teacher reccomended using stepper motors. I need help, how do you hook up a stepper motor to the basic stamp 2? I called parallax tech support and they told me I needed a Darlington Array but I have no idea what to do with it.

Thank You.

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2009-05-01 14:16
    The ULN2803 is a Darlington transistor array. Download and read the Nuts and Volts Column #6 which discusses and gives examples of the use of this. Go to the main Parallax web page and click on the Resources tab and you'll see a link to the Nuts and Volts Column index.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2009-05-01 14:22
    Also look at the documentation referenced on this webstore page (including the StampWorks Manual):
    www.parallax.com/Store/Accessories/MotorServos/tabid/163/CategoryID/57/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/65/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName
  • BergandinoBergandino Posts: 5
    edited 2009-05-01 15:09
    Thank you, I looked at the documents you mentions and they helped me understand the actual function of the stepper motor and how to interface it. But I am still confused with everything I will need. The stepper motor must make an arm go to a desired position, let the arm perform its task then return to its original position.
  • JDJD Posts: 570
    edited 2009-05-01 15:41
    Bergandino,

    What is the weight of the arm that you want to use? Also, how much weight is the item(s) that you would like to pick up with it?

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Respectfully,


    Joshua Donelson
    www.parallax.com
  • BergandinoBergandino Posts: 5
    edited 2009-05-01 15:58
    The arm should weigh less than 1 pounds and it will be picking up video game discs which weigh about 15 grams
  • JDJD Posts: 570
    edited 2009-05-01 16:02
    Bergandino,

    In your questions above, I'm not sure if you are more interested in design help or the programming aspect. Which parts do you have compeleted so far?

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Respectfully,


    Joshua Donelson
    www.parallax.com

    Post Edited (Joshua Donelson (Parallax)) : 5/1/2009 4:12:14 PM GMT
  • BergandinoBergandino Posts: 5
    edited 2009-05-01 19:00
    I need help wiring the stepper motor to the BASIC Stamp. I want to know all of the parts I need and maybe a diagram or picture showing how to wire the circuit.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2009-05-01 19:09
    The documentation on the Stepper Motor webpage shows exactly how to wire a stepper motor to a Stamp using a ULN2003 which is a slightly different Darlington array with only 7 Darlington drivers rather than the 8 of the ULN2803. Refer to the datasheet for the ULN2003 and the ULN2803 for the specifics of the pin numbers used. Page 150 of the StampWorks Manual shows how to connect a stepper motor to a Stamp using an L293D. The Darlington arrays can only handle a unipolar stepper motor while the L293D can handle either a unipolar stepper or a bipolar stepper. Read the StampWorks chapter for details.
Sign In or Register to comment.