SparkFun AutoDriver - Stepper Motor Driver (v13)

The SparkFun AutoDriver board, based on the STMicro L6470 dSPIN stepper motor driver, is an advanced solution for controlling stepper motors. This chip can handle voltage from 8 to 45V at 3A_rms and operates via an SPI connection. The board is designed for seamless integration into any project, even with multiple boards, connecting easily with your motors and SPI-capable microcontroller.

The L6470 is a 3A, 8--45V bipolar stepper motor driver by STMicro. It is equipped with overcurrent detection, undervoltage detection, overtemperature detection, stall detection, a 5-bit ADC, and a switch input for user jog control or hard stop function. It supports up to 128 microsteps per full step and features PWM drive voltage limiting. Please note that the L6470 demands more configuration and adds software complexity to your system.

What sets the dSPIN apart from other stepper motor drivers is its SPI link control. It comes with a 16MHz onboard oscillator, enabling it to execute movement commands autonomously. This eliminates the need for counting steps in your code! It also allows for custom acceleration and deceleration profiles to avoid abrupt starts and stops. Onboard registers keep track of the current speed and location.

The latest version of the SparkFun AutoDriver has been redesigned for easier daisy-chaining of multiple boards. Just use simple 10-conductor ribbon cables for data and 6-conductor ribbon cables for control. The library has also been updated, with more details available in the Hookup Guide.

The logic supply voltage is compatible with both 3.3V and 5V I/O levels.

Features:

• Supports up to 128 Microsteps per Full Step
• Daisy-Chain Capable
• Over-Temperature Detect
• Over-Current Detect
• Under-Voltage Detect
• PWM Drive-Voltage Limiting
• SPI Controlled
• Onboard Oscillator and Speed/Location Registers
• Stall Detection
• 5-bit ADC

Documents:

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Hookup Guide
• Datasheet (L6470 dSPIN)
• AutoDriver Library
• GitHub