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How to Build a Step Motor Driver

When a need arises for precise control of the shaft position of a motor, the step motor is a logical choice. Unlike traditional DC motors, a step motor's rotation is determined by a series of electronic pulses. These pulses determine how fast the shaft rotates and at what position the shaft starts and stops turning. In order to use this motor in any application, you will need a step motor driver that will deliver the necessary pulses with the necessary amount of current.

Things You'll Need

Stepper motor driver kit
Rosin-core solder
Soldering iron
Electronic work vise
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters
Spray flux cleaner

Instructions

- 1
  Review the assembly directions and take inventory of your parts. Make sure you have everything you need to complete the assembly, and be certain that you understand the schematic and all accompanying instructions.
- 2
  Dry fit the components into the circuit board. The obvious components like IC sockets and transistors will fit in the holes through the board with little or no coaxing. However, resistors will need the most work so that they fit through the holes. Use needle nose pliers to bend the leads so that resistors and any other component of similar packaging will fit through the circuit board traces while keeping the component as flush with the board as possible.
- 3
  Secure the circuit board in place for soldering. As per the design of your electronic work vise and any accompanying instructions, clamp the circuit board in place and adjust it so that the circuit board is at an angle where the components will stay in the board while they await soldering.
- 4
  Solder the components onto the circuit board. With a hot soldering iron tip on one side of a component lead, touch the solder to the opposite side. Remove the solder when it has formed a small cone of solder at the base of the circuit board trace and component lead. Leave the tip in place for a couple seconds to cook out any of the rosin flux that may otherwise become trapped in the solder joint and result in a bad connection. Remove the soldering iron from the solder joint and complete the rest of the joints in this same manner.
- 5
  Trim the component leads. Using the wire cutters, remove the excess ends of the component leads so that they are flush with top of each solder joint cone. Remove the circuit board from the vise.
- 6
  Clean the solder flux from the circuit board. Spray the flux cleaner on the side of the board with all the solder joints. This will remove all the excess flux from the circuit board and reduce the likely hood of a short circuit caused by ionic contaminants suspended in the flux. Once the board has dried, it is ready for you to connect to the step motor or step motors to test it.

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