A three-axis stepping drive circuit and driver

Abstract

The application provides a three-axis stepping driving circuit, three sets of independent main control circuits are integrated in a single driver entity, each main control circuit comprises a first interface for receiving signals, a signal processing module, a main control unit and a second interface for driving output, and a power supply module is shared, the three-axis motion control system is integrated in the same driver, so that the number of drivers is reduced to save installation space, reduce hardware cost and simplify wiring and maintenance, and independent interfaces and main control circuits are designed to ensure that the three motors can still be independently controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of drivers, and more particularly to a three-axis stepper drive circuit and driver. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as industrial automation and precision machinery manufacturing, stepper motors, as actuators that convert electrical pulse signals into angular or linear displacement, are widely used in scenarios requiring precise positioning and speed control.

[0003] In some 3D printing platforms or X, Y, and Z-axis motion control platforms, three stepper motors are needed to coordinate the control of the X, Y, and Z axes. Currently, traditional stepper motor drive solutions generally adopt a "one-to-one" control mode, where one driver connects to and drives only one stepper motor. Specifically, each driver is independently configured with a power supply module, signal processing unit, and main control unit. By receiving external pulse signals and direction signals, it individually controls the stepper motor connected to it to achieve start / stop, speed, and direction adjustment. However, in scenarios where multiple stepper motors need to be controlled simultaneously, such as in three-axis motion control systems, the above-mentioned "one-to-one" solution has significant drawbacks: to achieve independent control of three motors, three independent drivers are required, and each driver occupies a certain amount of installation space. This directly leads to an increase in the size of the equipment in the motor control cabinet and a significant increase in installation space requirements. At the same time, the use of multiple drivers not only increases the overall cost of the system but also increases the complexity of wiring and the difficulty of later maintenance, which contradicts the development trend of miniaturization and integration of industrial equipment.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to provide a three-axis stepper drive circuit and driver. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a three-axis stepper drive circuit to solve the above problems.

[0006] Embodiments of this application provide a three-axis stepper drive circuit for connecting and driving a stepper motor, comprising:

[0007] Power supply module;

[0008] The signal input module has three independent first interfaces for receiving pulse signals and direction signals;

[0009] The signal output module has three independent second interfaces, each of which is connected to a first interface, and each of the second interfaces is connected to and drives a stepper motor.

[0010] Each of the first interfaces and the second interfaces is connected to a main control circuit. The main control circuit includes a signal processing module and a main control unit. One end of the main control unit is connected to the signal processing module to receive processed pulse signals and direction signals, and the other end is connected to the second interface.

[0011] In at least one embodiment of this application, the first interface has:

[0012] The pulse signal pin is used to output pulse signals to control the speed of the corresponding stepper motor.

[0013] The direction signal pin is used to output a direction signal to control the direction of the corresponding stepper motor.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of this application, the signal processing module includes:

[0015] An isolation element, the input of which is connected to the first interface, to provide electrical isolation for pulse signals and direction signals input to the first interface;

[0016] An amplifying element is provided, the input of which is connected to the output of the isolation element, and the output of which is connected to the main control unit, to amplify the isolated signal.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of this application, the isolation element is an optocoupler chip, and the amplification element is a transistor.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of this application, the main control unit includes:

[0019] A pulse input pin, wherein the pulse input pin is connected to the pulse signal pin via the signal processing module;

[0020] A direction input pin is provided, which is connected to the direction signal pin via the signal processing module.

[0021] In at least one embodiment of this application, the main control unit further includes:

[0022] The output pin is connected to the second interface and is used to output drive signals and transmit them to the connected stepper motor.

[0023] In at least one embodiment of this application, the main control circuit further includes a driving circuit, the driving circuit including a driving chip and a field-effect transistor, the input terminal of the driving chip is connected to the output pin, the output terminal of the driving chip is connected to the field-effect transistor, and the field-effect transistor is connected to the second interface.

[0024] In at least one embodiment of this application, the main control unit further includes an overcurrent protection pin, wherein the overcurrent protection pin is PB12.

[0025] In at least one embodiment of this application, each of the main control units uses a GD32F330C8T6 chip, the pulse input pin is PA0, the direction input pin is PA6, and the output pins include PA8, PA9, PA10 and PA11.

[0026] This application provides a driver, including any one of the three-axis stepper drive circuits described in the previous application.

[0027] The three-axis stepper drive circuit described above integrates three independent main control circuits within a single driver entity. Each main control circuit includes a first interface for receiving signals, a signal processing module, a main control unit, and a second interface for drive output, and shares a power supply module. By integrating the three-axis motion control system into the same driver, the number of drivers is reduced to save installation space, lower hardware costs, and simplify wiring and maintenance. At the same time, the independent interface and main control circuit design ensure that the three motors can still be controlled independently. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram of a three-axis stepper drive circuit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram of the signal processing module in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 3 This is the circuit diagram of the main control unit.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of the field-effect transistor in the driving circuit of an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a circuit diagram of the driver chip in the driver circuit of this application embodiment.

[0033] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0034] 100. A three-axis stepper drive circuit; 10. Power supply module; 20. Signal input module; 21. First interface; 30. Signal output module; 31. Second interface; 40. Main control circuit; 41. Signal processing module; 42. Main control unit; PUL, pulse signal pin; DR, direction signal pin; U300, isolation element. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0036] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may also have an intervening component. When a component is considered to be "placed" on another component, it can be directly placed on the other component or may also have an intervening component. The terms "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only.

[0037] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0038] according to Figures 1-5 This application provides a three-axis stepper drive circuit 100 for connecting and driving a stepper motor, including:

[0039] Power supply module 10;

[0040] The signal input module 20 has three independent first interfaces 21 for receiving pulse signals and direction signals;

[0041] The signal output module 30 has three independent second interfaces 31, each of which is connected to a first interface 21, and each of the second interfaces 31 is connected to and drives a stepper motor.

[0042] Each of the first interface 21 and the second interface 31 is connected to a main control circuit 40. The main control circuit 40 includes a signal processing module 41 and a main control unit 42. One end of the main control unit 42 is connected to the signal processing module 41 to receive processed pulse signals and direction signals, and the other end is connected to the second interface 31.

[0043] Specifically, the power supply module 10 provides a stable power supply for the entire three-axis stepper drive circuit, including the signal input module 20, the main control circuit 40, the signal output module 30, and other electronic components. It can convert the external input power supply into the appropriate voltage required by each module. By providing unified power supply for the three drive channels through a single power supply module 10, the number of power supply modules required in the traditional method of connecting one driver to one power supply module 10 is reduced, thereby lowering hardware costs.

[0044] Furthermore, the three independent first interfaces 21 respectively receive pulse signals and direction signals sent by the external control system, and each interface is electrically isolated to ensure signal independence and avoid mutual interference.

[0045] Each main control unit 42 corresponding to the connection between the first interface 21 and the second interface 31 is a GD32F330C8T6 main control chip with a main frequency of 84MHz and 48 pins. In this embodiment, three identical main control chips are used to control the stepper motors connected to each of the first interface 21 and the second interface 31.

[0046] Three independent second interfaces 31 are connected to three stepper motors respectively. It should be noted that one stepper motor drives one direction of motion axis, and the three stepper motors output three motion directions on the X, Y, and Z axes respectively. By transmitting the drive current signal output by the main control circuit 40 to the motor, the motor is directly driven to run, thereby controlling the stepper motor connected to the main control circuit 40.

[0047] Furthermore, the signal processing module 41 amplifies and isolates the pulse and direction signals input from the first interface 21, ensuring that each signal input through the first interface 21 is transmitted to the corresponding main control unit 42 via the signal processing module 41. Upon receiving the signal processed by the signal processing module 41, the main control unit 42 generates a PWM drive signal or current regulation signal through its internal system and transmits it to the corresponding second interface 31 connected to the main control unit 42, ultimately controlling the speed, direction, and start / stop of the stepper motor connected to the second interface 31.

[0048] In summary, the power supply module 10, after being connected to an external power source and converted to an appropriate voltage, supplies power to the signal input module 20, the three independent main control circuits 40, and the signal output module 30, thus putting the entire circuit into operation. The external control system sends pulse signals and direction signals to the three first interfaces 21 of the signal input module 20, respectively. The three signals are designed for independent transmission without interference. The signal processing module 41 connected to each first interface 21 processes the input signal and transmits the processed signal to the corresponding main control unit 42. The main control unit 42 receives the processed signal, analyzes the pulse frequency and direction signal internally, and generates the corresponding drive output signal. The main control unit 42 transmits the drive output signal to the corresponding second interface 31 connected to the main control unit 42. The second interface 31 converts the signal into drive current, thereby driving the stepper motor connected to the second interface 31.

[0049] The operation of the three channels is synchronous and independent. If different signals are input from the outside, the three stepper motors can run according to different parameters to achieve independent motion control of the three axes.

[0050] It should be noted that the circuit connection principle between the electronic components inside each first interface 21, main control circuit 40 and second interface 31 in this embodiment is the same.

[0051] In one specific embodiment, the first interface 21 has: a pulse signal pin PUL for outputting a pulse signal to control the speed of the corresponding stepper motor; and a direction signal pin DR for outputting a direction signal to control the direction of the corresponding stepper motor.

[0052] Specifically, the pulse signal pin PUL is used to transmit pulse signals sent by the external control system. Its pulse frequency directly determines the rotation speed of the stepper motor. The higher the pulse frequency, the faster the motor speed. The angular displacement or linear displacement of the stepper motor can be precisely controlled by counting pulses.

[0053] The direction signal pin DR is used to transmit direction control signals, providing the main control unit 42 with the corresponding steering command for the stepper motor, ensuring that the stepper motor runs in the preset direction.

[0054] In one specific embodiment, the signal processing module 41 includes: an isolation element U300, the input terminal of which is connected to the first interface 21 to electrically isolate the pulse signal and direction signal input to the first interface 21; and an amplification element, the input terminal of which is connected to the output terminal of the isolation element U300, and the output terminal of which is connected to the main control unit 42 to amplify the isolated signal.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, the isolation element U300 is an optocoupler chip, and the amplification element is a transistor.

[0056] Specifically, through an optocoupler chip, the pulse signal and direction signal input to the first interface 21 are electrically isolated from the main control circuit 40 via photoelectric conversion, cutting off the direct electrical connection in the signal transmission path. Optocoupler isolation physically cuts off the path of external interference into the internal main control circuit 40, ensuring that the processing of each signal in the three main control circuits 40 is completely independent, avoiding malfunctions caused by crosstalk between channels and external noise.

[0057] The isolated pulse signal and direction signal are amplified by using a transistor amplifier.

[0058] In an embodiment of this application, a signal processing module 41 has two transistors for amplifying pulse signals, namely Q304 and Q306, and two transistors for amplifying direction signals, namely Q300 and Q302, thereby outputting amplified pulse signals and direction signals.

[0059] Furthermore, the pulse signal and direction signal input via the external input first interface 21 are electrically isolated by the isolation element U300. After isolation, the pulse signal is amplified by transistors Q304 and Q306, and the direction signal is amplified by transistors Q300 and Q302. The amplified pulse signal and direction signal are both input to the connected main control unit 42 for further processing.

[0060] In one specific embodiment, the main control unit 42 includes: a pulse input pin and a direction input pin.

[0061] The pulse input pin is connected to the pulse signal pin PUL via the signal processing module 41. The direction input pin is connected to the direction signal pin DR via the signal processing module 41.

[0062] Specifically, the pulse input pin is the PA0 pin in the main control chip. The pulse input pin is directionally connected to the pulse signal pin PUL of the first interface 21 through the signal processing module 41, receiving isolated and amplified pulse signals to provide input signals for the main control unit 42 to parse motor speed commands. Simultaneously, the pulse input pins of the three main control units 42 are independent and can respond to three pulse signals respectively, thereby realizing the control of the corresponding three stepper motors.

[0063] The direction input pin is PA6 pin in the main control chip. The direction input pin is directionally connected to the direction signal pin DR of the first interface 21 through the signal processing module 41. It receives the isolated and amplified direction signal and provides clear instructions to the main control unit 42 to determine the direction of the stepper motor.

[0064] In one specific embodiment, the main control unit 42 further includes an output pin, which is connected to the second interface 31 and is used to output a drive signal and transmit it to the connected stepper motor.

[0065] Specifically, the output pins include PA8, PA9, PA10 and PA11 in the main control unit 42, which are used to connect to the second interface 31 and output PWM signals to the second interface 31.

[0066] The output pin serves as the connection pin for the main control unit 42 to transmit drive signals to the second interface 31. It directs the control signals generated by the main control unit 42 to the second interface 31 of the signal output module 30, and finally converts them into current signals that drive the stepper motor.

[0067] Furthermore, from the perspective of signal flow, the main control unit 42 receives the signal processed by the signal processing module 41 through the pulse input pin and the direction input pin. Then, through the internal drive logic of the main control unit 42, the PWM duty cycle is calculated based on the pulse frequency, the current direction is determined based on the direction signal, and the drive logic is converted into an electrical signal through the output pin and transmitted to the second interface 31.

[0068] From a hardware connection perspective, the output pins and the motor terminals of the second interface 31 form a one-to-one correspondence, ensuring that the drive signal directly acts on the corresponding connected stepper motor.

[0069] In one specific embodiment, the main control circuit 40 further includes a driving circuit, which includes a driving chip and a field-effect transistor. The input terminal of the driving chip is connected to the output pin, the output terminal of the driving chip is connected to the field-effect transistor, and the field-effect transistor is connected to the second interface 31.

[0070] Specifically, the driving circuit is a power driving circuit. A half-bridge driver chip serves as the main control chip in the driving circuit; in this embodiment, the half-bridge driver chip is an IRS2003S. A field-effect transistor acts as a power switching device, turning on or off after receiving the control signal from the driver chip, converting the DC power supplied by the power supply module 10 into the driving current required by the stepper motor windings, thereby driving the stepper motor to operate.

[0071] In this embodiment of the application, the input terminals of the driver chip, namely the HIN and LIN pins, are connected to the output pins of the main control unit 42 to receive the PWM signal output by the main control unit 42, and the output terminals of the driver chip, namely the HO and LO pins, are connected to the gate of the field-effect transistor.

[0072] The field-effect transistor is a JCS50N06H NMOS transistor. The drain of the field-effect transistor is connected to the voltage output terminal of the power supply module 10, and the source of the field-effect transistor is connected to the output terminal of the motor interface module, namely PA-H3 and PA-L3, thereby amplifying the received PWM signal into the drive current.

[0073] It should be noted that in the same three-axis drive circuit, the three drive circuits use the same type of drive chip and field-effect transistor.

[0074] In one specific embodiment, the main control unit 42 further includes an overcurrent protection pin, which is PB12.

[0075] Specifically, PB12 serves as the overcurrent detection interface for the main control unit 42. By connecting current sampling elements in the drive circuit, such as sampling resistors, it forms a protection circuit to monitor the winding current or bus current of the stepper motor in real time. When the detected current exceeds a preset threshold, the PB12 pin transmits an overcurrent signal to the core of the main control unit 42, triggering a protection mechanism to prevent excessive current from burning out the motor or drive circuit.

[0076] In a three-axis stepper motor drive circuit, the power drive circuit and the protection circuit are the main core layers of the stepper motor drive, providing coordinated operation between the power drive circuit and the protection circuit to drive the stepper motor and ensure stable system operation.

[0077] In one specific embodiment, each of the main control units 42 uses a GD32F330C8T6 chip, the pulse input pin is PA0, the direction input pin is PA6, and the output pins include PA8, PA9, PA10 and PA11.

[0078] This application provides a driver, including a three-axis stepper drive circuit 100 as described in any one of the claims.

[0079] Specifically, the stepper drive circuits for the X, Y, and Z axes are integrated into a single driver, thereby reducing the number of drivers to save installation space and lower hardware costs.

[0080] Therefore, the three-axis stepper drive circuit 100 provided above integrates three independent main control circuits 40 within a single driver entity. Each main control circuit 40 includes a first interface 21 for receiving signals, a signal processing module 41, a main control unit 42, and a second interface 31 for drive output, and shares a power supply module 10. By integrating the three-axis motion control system into the same driver, the number of drivers is reduced to save installation space, reduce hardware costs, and simplify wiring and maintenance. At the same time, the independent interface and main control circuit 40 design ensures that the three motors can still be controlled independently.

[0081] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this application, but these improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A three-axis stepper motor drive circuit for connecting and driving a stepper motor, characterized in that, include: Power supply module; The signal input module has three independent first interfaces for receiving pulse signals and direction signals; The signal output module has three independent second interfaces, each of which is connected to a first interface, and each of the second interfaces is connected to and drives a stepper motor. Each of the first interfaces and the second interfaces is connected to a main control circuit. The main control circuit includes a signal processing module and a main control unit. One end of the main control unit is connected to the signal processing module to receive processed pulse signals and direction signals, and the other end is connected to the second interface.

2. The three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first interface has: The pulse signal pin is used to output pulse signals to control the speed of the corresponding stepper motor. The direction signal pin is used to output a direction signal to control the direction of the corresponding stepper motor.

3. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The signal processing module includes: An isolation element, the input of which is connected to the first interface, to provide electrical isolation for pulse signals and direction signals input to the first interface; An amplifying element is provided, the input of which is connected to the output of the isolation element, and the output of which is connected to the main control unit, to amplify the isolated signal.

4. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The isolation element is an optocoupler chip, and the amplification element is a transistor.

5. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main control unit includes: A pulse input pin, wherein the pulse input pin is connected to the pulse signal pin via the signal processing module; A direction input pin is provided, which is connected to the direction signal pin via the signal processing module.

6. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main control unit also includes: The output pin is connected to the second interface and is used to output drive signals and transmit them to the connected stepper motor.

7. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The main control circuit also includes a driving circuit, which includes a driving chip and a field-effect transistor. The input terminal of the driving chip is connected to the output pin, the output terminal of the driving chip is connected to the field-effect transistor, and the field-effect transistor is connected to the second interface.

8. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control unit also includes an overcurrent protection pin, which is PB12.

9. A three-axis stepper drive circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the main control units uses a GD32F330C8T6 chip, with the pulse input pin being PA0, the direction input pin being PA6, and the output pins including PA8, PA9, PA10, and PA11.

10. A driver, characterized in that, Includes a three-axis stepper drive circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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