3A/35V Single-Axis Stepper Motor Controller and Driver IC
Trinamic Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG launched the TMC5160 SilentStepStick, a high-power, single-axis stepper motor controller and driver IC with serial communication interfaces. The IC combines a flexible ramp generator for automatic target positioning with what the company claims to be the industries' most advanced stepper motor driver.
With external transistors, the company says that highly dynamic, high torque drives can be realized. This tiny breakout board with the TMC5160 can drive motors up to 3A with phase current at 35V. As with the previous StepSticks, Watterott collaborated with Trinamic and open-source to design these the SilentStepSticks.
"The SilentStepSticks revolutionized the 3D printing industry, making 3D printers silent," explains Jonas P. Proeger, Marketing Director at Trinamic. "With the more powerful TMC5160 SilentStepStick, makers can easily scale up their printers or transform their CNC routers or engraving machines."
The TMC5160 SilentStepStick not only extends the product family by providing a more powerful solution than the company's previous models, it's also more advanced.
The microcontroller contains the latest version of both StallGuard and StealthChop thanks to Trinamic's TMC5160 controller/driver IC. According to Trinamic, these features improve the user experience while enabling cleaner machines with fewer parts because limit switches are no longer needed.
Besides StallGuard and StealthChop, the TMC5160 SilentStepStick allows for up to 256 microsteps per full step. With such smooth and precise motion control, the company says that 3D printers can turn ideas into tangible products better than before.
Features and Benefits
- Step/Dir and SPI interface
- Configuration via SPI or CFG pins
- Up to 256x microstepping
- 3V to 5V logic supply voltage
- For 10V to 35V motors with up to 3.0A RMS
- Standby current reduction
- Supply voltage 9V to 36V (40V MOSFETs are used)
- Iphase, RMS up to 3.0A (rms) = 4.2A (peak)
- Step & direction control mode
- Board width 0.6in, board height 0.8in
- 2x8 pin 0.1in header rows for pins/connectors
