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Linistepper: Smooth, Fast, STRONG, and Cheap driver using a PIC!

Description:
The Linistepper is a well reviewed, open source controller / driver for small to medium sized 5, 6 or 8 wire unipolar (not 4 wire bi-polar) stepper motors. The Linistepper combines ultra smooth, low noise, old school linear microstepping with modern active current regulation for faster response. The kit is easy to build, hard to damage, and easy (and cheap) to repair. Fully documented: how it works, how to use it, how to troubleshoot problems and get your motors running!

Features:

• Drive up to 3 amps* at 36 volts for over 100 watts of power: Enough to move a 15lb axis at 60IPS or a 30lb load at 30IPS!
  * requires 2 sets of tuning resistors and a fan heatsink.
• Supported modes include:
  • Standard: Full, and Half step,
  • Full-Torque Half (!),
  • Microstepping: 6th, 18th and infinite, analog-linear microstepping
• Standard step + direction inputs
  • Easily connect up to 7 units to a parallel port. Standard 3 or 4 axis setup wtih our BOB.
  • Works with any standard CNC program such as Mach 3, TurboCNC, EMC²
• New version: V3
  • moves power resistors to heatsink side for better cooling
  • supports analog smoothing adjustment with optional trim pots
  • Faster clock speed supports higher step pulse rates.

Documentation

• Detailed description and features
• Assembly Instructions
• Users Manual
• Stepper Motor wiring
• High Power Tuning
• Mach3 setup
• EMC² setup
• Theory of operation
  • - Circuit simulation (with Java)
  • - Block Diagram
  • - Schematic: V2 V3
  • - PCB Layout: V2 V3
  • - Source code: V2 V3
     
• Good Motors for the Linistepper
   
• Gallery of our users working machines
• User Modifications Including:
  • Linistepper Equatorial Stepper Drive
  • LiniClock

These well made kits are easy to assemble with your soldering iron. Hard to break, easy to repair (new drive transistor set less than $2), smooth and cheap! If you are driving up to 3 amps on low cost unipolar steppers, nothing beats a Linistepper.

Questions? Check the FAQ!

Is it right for you?

For medium small, high inductance (lower amperage, higher voltage), unipolar motors, Linisteppers are the absolute best value. There are other drivers for other uses:

Mariss Freimanis of geckdrive.com says: "A switching type drive makes sense when the power levels are large. The inefficiency of a linear drive becomes prohibitive at such levels. At 7A and 80V, a classic linear drive dissipates an unacceptable 560 Watts of heat in the power transistors.

At the other extreme, say 1A and 24V, the complexity of a switching type drive makes less sense. Heat dissipation then is a manageable 24 Watts and the simplicity and other advantages of a linear amplifier becomes appealing." ^

"Multiply any drive's rated current by its rated voltage. Divide that number by its price. Those numbers gives you the relative value of any drive; how much performance you get for the money you spend." ^

Although they are excellent drivers, purchasing a set of three Geko G250 ( 3.5A * 50VDC / $81 = 2.16 ) for $243 is still a waste of money if you are driving smaller motors. The Linistepper will cost you $90 for 3 axis plus your time assembling the kit and has a 2A * 35V / $30 = 2.33 "Mariss rating". Geko's are the best drivers in the industry for large bipolar motors at ultra high (>1000 rpm) speeds. If you are running anything up to a couple amps, the Linistepper and your soldering iron will give you  close to the same performance (smooth, low resonance, best torque) at half the price with motors you pulled from a printer, fax or copier, or purchased used or on the cheap.

Connect to your PC or stand alone: *NEW* 4 Axis/Pluse/Power Kit A new combined 4 axis kit supports: - PC parallel port or bread board connection, multiple cable options - PIC Pulse generator option for testing and stand alone operation, - 5 volt regulated supply. - low cost cable option for connection to up to 4 drivers - Connection points for Limit or Jog switches  Perfect for connecting up to 4 Linisteppers to your PC for CNC operation! 4 Axis PCB: Price reduced! Again! $8 Standard 4 axis parts kit: PCB, 5V regulator, and parallel port cable for your PC. Just add your power supply, drivers, driver cables, motors, and heatsinks. * $1995

FULL AXIS KIT! Everything you need to run one stepper axis from your PC parallel port. Just add motor, power, and heatsink.* $5095 3 AXIS FULL KIT! Complete kit to run a three axis system from your PC. Just add motors, power, and heatsinks.* $9990 * This are electronics KITs, you need to solder them together.

• posix says: [ed: Please read these comments to the end as posix learns how to correctly use the Linistepper]

  BTW to all those newbies out there Linisteppers impressed me as a newbie but then they were starting to show their weakness - they were sloooow. At least I thought it's due to linisteppers. Well, I can report that with 24v and laserjet steppers these things are SCREAMING!!! I'm running them nicely at 20revs/sec (albeit 1 minute at a time, until I've sorted out my cooling problems) with my very rough machine that hasn't been executed too precisely or adjusted properly. Before at 12v the motors would stall at the slightest misalignment and 6revs/sec was all I could get out of them reliably. Once all that is ironed-out I'm thinking 30revs/sec (1.75mm lead) would be attainable.

  ...

  [The Linisteppers] only deficiency, it seems, is the transistor heat. I have a chopper here and a linistepper and they both run at 24v. Linistepper "sounds" sweeter and it seems it runs faster as well before stalling. This is strange as I always thought a chopper would go faster and stall higher up in the rev range.

  ...

  I don't know what I like better, burning my finger on the driver board or burning my finger on the motor. Which do you prefer? P.S. it seems that once I switched to a chopper driver all that heat that used to be on linisteppers just transferred to motors themselves!

  ...

  [ed, at this point, we find out that there was NO heatsink on the linisteppers power transisters]
  Since I burned my fingers on a motor that was driven by a chopper (and that motor was actually HOTTER than linisteppers driving other motors) I have decided to stick to linisteppers. It's easier to worry about heat in one place than 3 separate locations. Went down to my local PC shop and they'll have some 2nd hand pentium II coolers with fan in by monday.

  ...

  Ok, I have re-assembled one of my linis, applied thermal paste, applied isolators to each, mounted the brackets and laid a 12v computer fan on the brackets blowing DOWN through the brackets and onto the lini. The lini transistors are now as cool as ice.

• Russell (epineh) says: "Fired up one of the boards today... that is one sweet driver on full microstepping! ... If I tried these drivers first I wouldn't have chosen to upgrade to servo's on my router... P.S. Did I mention that the motion was smooooth ?"
   
• Brian Gerber says: "with 118 oz inch motors and 1/4-28 threaded rod at 5 ipm I'm getting 50 pounds of force on the axis!"
   
• tommylight says: "I did try linisteppers and they work like a charm, i also have geckos and some other drivers, but for the money you won't find anything better than lini's ."
   
• terry+ says: "hi, got your kit [linestepper] it is great and works super, i have used other one's that cost many times more but have less fetures
  i would highy reccomend you unit. thank you!"
  
• Brian Bartholomew says: "My compliments on the high quality of the kits! I can't imagine how you do it at that price, but I am thrilled that you do."
   
• Chad Richardson says: "I like your Linistepper control boards. I think the quality is great and the price is very nice as well. The kits are a really good value."
   
• @spam@indenr-cnc@spam@ at yahoo.com " Oops ... the correct cap values ARE in the printed doc. Sorry 'bout that." James Newton replies: Actually it wasn't but I updated the documentation between your two orders. +

  +

• @spam@indenr-cnc@spam@ at yahoo.com

  Suggestion: Make a note of the changed capacitor values in the printed instructions.
  Request 1: Make a bipolar controller next! (3 or 4 wire) Please!
  Request 2: Offer or specify "upgrade kit" with *specific* directions of what to change, for higher amp motors (for people like me who don't know what they're doing).
  Compliment: Very professional looking. I'm sure I'll be pleased with the performance, when I finally finish one.

  James Newton replies: I'll do that. {done}
  Bipolar controllers are inherently more expensive (4 times the power transistors) and less attractive in a hobby market.
  People who don't know what they are doing should learn but I've been thinking I should try to write some sort of "expert system" to help that along. {done: see Tuning for higher power} Thanks and best of luck.+

  +

• Mike Henry says: " I have just recieved the package of 4 linistepper kits. Thanks. verry much. They were 2 days earlier than I expected. I am going to be out of Town on bussiness and have decided to leave a careful examination of the bits and pieces till I return on Monday. However , I have looked at them and they look very professional . You and your associates can rightly be proud of the Kit."
   
• Sam Colwell sent pictures of his CNC machine. "Thanks again for your linistepper kits. They were a pleasure to construct and use, and your documentation is excellent."
   
• Dustin Nelson says "THESE CONTROLLERS ARE AWESOME. I BOUGHT THREE THAT ARE RUNNING A SMALL MILLING MACHINE." (as he orders 3 more)
   
• John Zeigler of johnstelescopes.com and mirrorkits.com I received the three board kits in the mail a few days ago, and I was very impressed with the quality of the kit and circuit board.
   
• Karl Friend says: "Holy smokes was that a fast delivery - even for the USPS! I have never ordered something online and received it in 2 business days... ...Everything looks good, and the PCB is of a professional level."
   
• Luberth Dijkman of http://www.luberth.com/plotter/plotter.htm says:

  Hello,

  Received your kit today (saturdaymorning 9 Nov.) Thank you Verry Much!

  Looks verry Proffesional made!
  I do not have the time at the moment to build an test it and i don't have the alluminium heatsink at home

  i have placed the components on the board all fits well i think except C3 holes are 2,54mm wide and should be 5,08mm wide {Ed: Component changes caused that... The leads can be bent to fit for now}

  also it would be better to place picture off the caps position on your kitassemble page people look better than they read or place caps + - on the silkscreen off the board {Ed: Done!}

  maybe you could give some more info/pictures about the resistors and colors on your kit assemble page maybe a picture with lines outside the picture with describing text off resistors (colors) {Ed: Done!}

  think this could help other people making mistakes placing components

  verry nice kit

  question where do you get this good quality pcb board made?? {Ed: GRIN!}

  greetings luberth
  netherlands

• JB says:" Thanx....... I got home yesterday, and they were already there! BOY, that was fast!!! I have got to say that they are good looking kits, and will serve the purpose well, I'm sure. Thanx again" {JB ordered with the fedex option... we don't always get orders out the same day, but we do try.}
   
• Don Pastuck says: "Give me a price on (6) more plus shipping. Ground OK no rush for these. Board works like a charm when you put the connectors on the right direction." {I'm pleased that the board worked well and that I'm not the only person in the world who manages to put the connectors on backwards from time to time! <GRIN>}
   
• Norbert says: "I GOT ALL THREE BOARDS RUNNING AND THEY WORK ABSOLUTELY MARVELLOUSLY. PLEASE ACCEPT MY COMPLIMENTS FOR THIS EXCLLENT TECHNOLOGY."
   
• Vince Negrete says: "Hi James, Just got the kits after 2pm today, thank you for not delaying shipping. I was worried since I never heard back from you after payment. Thanks man. Nice kit.!"
   
• John Papin says: "Just to let you know I received your boards. Thanks again. Really nice work. "
   
• Earl says: "...I layout boards for a living and was impressed with your layout.... " {Romans layout, but thanks!}
   
• Martjin Mulder says: "Hi James, I did some homework, i will order the bare boards, program the pic proccessor ... and snif in the [junkbox for parts]... Thanks for youre support so far ! I'll order the boards right away."
   
• Hugh says: "Thank YOU very much - nice package for hobbyists -"
   

Comments:

Questions:

• +

• @spam@rww549@spam@ at aol.com asks:

  My Linistepper is rotating in random directions when pulsed. The voltage to pin 18 of the pic reads about 5.3v for forward, and about .25 for reverse. I think I might have a fried chip, and will swap it out, but is there anything else you can think of that might cause this? Thanks for any help you can offer.

  James Newton of MassMind replies: good, I see you checked the voltage AT the pin. Yes, it does sound like a fried chip. Now the question is why? 5.3 volts is a bit high... PIC's aren't supposed to be over 5.5 volts on VDD, and the input shouldn't be more than VDD, so that 5.3 is ok only if VDD is more than 5.3 +

  +

  .