Controlling steppers

I'm building a repstrap. I will be getting the NEMA17 stepper mothers first, long before my electronics. I would want to use the steppers during building to test the axis. Is there an easy way to just get the motors to run forward/backward without using a motherboard and stepper driver boards??

Note: I have a lot of experience in soldering. Sadly that is only on copper water-pipes...... From electronics I know nothing, haha!!

regards,
Tom
My Junk Strap in Progress

... its not worth the hassle of designing a discrete driver with transistors, when you're awaiting the correct drivers either.

But you can stack together some LED's wired to the DIR/CLCK-pins, so you'll have som blinking when running the program ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

thanks Viktor.
So I understand I can't just put 2 ~ 2.5 volts to the motor to make it run?

regards,
Tom

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2010 05:51AM by TomCeeMe.

Hi Tom,

... steppers aren't driven by a constant voltage.

They have two (or more) coils which will hold the rotor in a specific position when energitising a coil.

For turning the rotor you change the energitised coils and/or the direction of the current in the activated coils, what's moving the rotor a specific angle or 'step' in one direction.

So you need a couple of transistors forming a complex arrangement for defining the correct current flows and a corresponding activation-pattern of the transistor-bridges for moving the motor in a defined position at a defined speed ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

ahh,bummer! But I understand now.
When I've finished my strap (or while waiting for the delivery of my electronics) I have a lot of reading to do on electronics to catch up.
Thanks for your prompt answer!

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regards,
Tom

Hi Tom,

... you're welcome

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]