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Suddenly a Spate of Smallish Steppers — Parallax Forums

Suddenly a Spate of Smallish Steppers

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  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2015-02-02 21:43
    erco

    I never told you about it, but I while back, I created a small bot from a ProtoBoard and a couple floppy drive steppers. It was pretty cool but the steering was not accurate enough to make me happy. I was all eager to take some photos and a video, but when I seen the poor steering, I gave up on that idea. The problem with those auctions are that they do not specify a step angle. For steering a small bot, I would want a step angle of 1.8. For a drive motor, larger step angles could be utilized, and would probably be more beneficial.

    Bruce
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-02-02 22:02
    Hey Bruce: IIRC, a while back you did express some interest in the Figure 8 course we run our bots through. Glad to hear you got your feet wet building a bot. Even if it wasn't perfect, you learned something. Build another soon and let us know how it does!
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    edited 2015-02-02 22:34
    Sweet! Now I can finally build that Altoid's tin CNC................ Actually, these are interesting and my joke is closer to truth. I may grab a set of the ones with leads to make a pocket version of an H-Bot. Dangit Erco, I was just getting my PayPal fund back up where it was before Christmas..............
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2015-02-02 23:34
    I have had a fistfull or two of assorted mini steppers for a while now.
    So far they've been 'a solution waiting for a problem'...

    The only thing I can imagine using them for right now is to put them inside a plastic aeroplane model, and make the prop spin, the flaps and rudders move. That kind of stuff. It's on the ever-growing project list...

    Altoids tins arent all the good for a CnC, though. Not enough Z-axis travel.
    Instead, try building it out of NanoBeams.
    http://www.nanobeam.us
    (I just got a 16pack of them... They're ridicilously tiny)
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2015-02-03 04:42
    ebay seller "ivytextile" has lots of small motors too...

    They ran out but I got some small DC motors with tiny nylon harmonic planetary gearbox from them -
    50rpm in one step is awsome for a tiny robot... Like hens' teeth I now realize, wish I'd bought loads now.

    Still I'll keep looking..
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-02-03 08:37
    Do you mean a harmonic drive with a flexible spline gear? If so, I want some, those are amazing.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2015-02-03 08:54
    I wonder how many steps per revolution with these teensy motors. None of the listings say ...

    -Phil
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2015-02-03 09:17
    Search eBay for "Canon stepper motors" to find many more...


    e.g. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-With-screw-2-phase-4-wire-stepper-motor-Canon-6mm-micro-stepper-motor-/171588328169
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2015-02-03 09:23
    Does it really matter?
    (I expect it to be no more than 16)

    They'll need a lot of gearing anyway to move anything, so there'll be plenty of steps anyway.

    Just think, some of these steppers are small enough to fit inside a pen! (or an arrow shaft... )
    Add a microcontroller (I have some LPLC TOO https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/301993907/lplc-too-internet-of-things-microprocessor ) and batteries (BR425 Lithium cells)
    There must be some possibilities there...
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2015-02-03 09:27
    I couldn't resist the set of 10 steppers in the first listing. I've had them for a while now and I have yet to power one up.

    I had thought about powering the coils directly from a Prop's I/O pin and seeing how long the Prop would last.

    Maybe I could glue some pennies to the gears to act as wheels?
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-02-03 09:58
    Use dimes, not pennies. Ridges for awesome traction! :)
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