Stepper motor with driver module in Arduino - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Stepper motor with driver module

📖 Scenario: You want to control a stepper motor using an Arduino and a driver module. This setup is common in robotics and automation projects where precise motor control is needed.

🎯 Goal: Build a simple Arduino program to rotate a stepper motor 200 steps forward and then 200 steps backward using a driver module.

📋 What You'll Learn

Use the Stepper library

Create a Stepper object with 200 steps per revolution

Set the motor speed to 60 RPM

Rotate the motor 200 steps forward

Rotate the motor 200 steps backward

Print messages to the Serial Monitor indicating motor movement

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Stepper motors with driver modules are used in 3D printers, CNC machines, and robots to move parts precisely.

💼 Career

Understanding how to program stepper motors is important for embedded systems engineers, robotics developers, and automation technicians.

1

Setup the Stepper motor object

Include the Stepper library and create a Stepper object called myStepper with 200 steps per revolution connected to pins 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Arduino

# Include the Stepper library and create the Stepper object
// Your code here

Hint

Use #include <Stepper.h> to include the library. Then create Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8, 9, 10, 11); with stepsPerRevolution set to 200.

2

Set motor speed

In the setup() function, set the motor speed of myStepper to 60 RPM and start the Serial communication at 9600 baud.

Arduino

#include 

const int stepsPerRevolution = 200;

Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8, 9, 10, 11);

void setup() {
  // Set motor speed and start Serial communication
  // Your code here
}

void loop() {

}

Hint

Inside setup(), use myStepper.setSpeed(60); and Serial.begin(9600);.

3

Rotate the motor forward and backward

In the loop() function, print "Rotating forward" to Serial, rotate myStepper forward by 200 steps, then print "Rotating backward" and rotate backward by 200 steps.

Arduino

#include 

const int stepsPerRevolution = 200;

Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8, 9, 10, 11);

void setup() {
  myStepper.setSpeed(60);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  // Print messages and rotate motor forward and backward
  // Your code here
}

Hint

Use Serial.println() to print messages and myStepper.step(200); to move forward, myStepper.step(-200); to move backward.

4

Display motor movement messages

Upload the program and observe the Serial Monitor. The output should show "Rotating forward" followed by "Rotating backward" repeatedly.

Arduino

#include 

const int stepsPerRevolution = 200;

Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8, 9, 10, 11);

void setup() {
  myStepper.setSpeed(60);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  Serial.println("Rotating forward");
  myStepper.step(200);
  Serial.println("Rotating backward");
  myStepper.step(-200);
  // Observe output in Serial Monitor
}

Hint

Open the Serial Monitor at 9600 baud to see the messages printed repeatedly.