...whose answers may be buried in the millions of threads available about stepping motors. :?
So I resurected my old unipolar motor, modify the code to run on a M164 rather that the 90S8535 with a ICE200...and it runs. However some questions have arisen which don't seem to be covered on the various SM threads here.
1) Step motors coils must be energised at all times from the time the motor is first run. Correct?
therefore
2) Step motors run hot enough to bake miniature pizzas on them.
3) There is no way of finding out the position of the coils so that an index could point to the correct step phase out of the 4 phases during init. Up to 3 steps could be missed when pulses are first applied to the motor or the motor may even run backwards for 1 pulse untill the correct phase is hit.
4) Stopped motors (ie after reaching the desired position, similar to 1) must have power applied to the coils according to the last step untill the motor needs to move again. If power is removed it is likely that the motor may move due to loading. (maybe not if some sort of worm drive is used between the motor and load??)
I'm sure I'll have some more. :)