MP6500 Stepper Motor Driver Carrier, Digital Current Control

This breakout board for the MPS MP6500 microstepping bipolar stepper motor driver is Pololu’s latest stepper motor driver. The module has a pinout and interface that are very similar to that of Pololu's popular A4988 carriers, so it can be used as a drop-in replacement for those boards in many applications. The MP6500 offers up to 1/8-step microstepping, operates from 4.5 V to 35 V, and can deliver up to approximately 1.8 A per phase continuously without a heat sink or forced air flow. This version of the board allows for dynamic current limit control through a pair of digital inputs, and the board ships with 0.1″ male header pins included but not soldered in.

Features:

• Simple step and direction control interface
• Four different step resolutions: full-step, half-step, 1/4-step, and 1/8-step
• Adjustable current control lets you set the maximum current output, which lets you use voltages above your stepper motor’s rated voltage to achieve higher step rates
• Digital Current Control — this carrier version allows a microcontroller to dynamically adjust the current limit up to around 2 A
• Internal current sensing allows the driver to automatically adjust the decay mode as necessary to provide the smoothest current waveform
• 4.5 V to 35 V supply voltage range
• Can deliver 1.8 A per phase continuously without additional cooling
• Built-in regulator (no external logic voltage supply needed)
• Can interface directly with 3.3 V and 5 V systems
• Over-temperature thermal shutdown, over-current shutdown, short circuit protection, and under-voltage lockout
• 4-layer, 2 oz copper PCB for improved heat dissipation
• Exposed solderable ground pad below the driver IC on the bottom of the PCB
• Module size, pinout, and interface match those of Pololu's A4988 stepper motor driver carriers in most respects

Specifications:

• Minimum operating voltage: 4.5 V
• Maximum operating voltage: 35 V
• Continuous current per phase: 1.8 A
• Maximum current per phase: 2 A
• Minimum logic voltage: 2.1 V
• Maximum logic voltage: 6 V
• Microstep resolutions: full, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8
• Current limit control: digital
• Reverse voltage protection?: N
• Header pins soldered: N