2 Phase Stepper

Im just getting into stepper motors and all that, the reason being is because I want to make a dividable headstock for my lathe (its basically mounting on the side to turn the spindle when the lathe is off). I used a small PIC micro, the code works, I tested it on a scrap stepper motor from a old printer. Im using the "wave" drive method just to test things out. I know there is the "full" step drive, but thats for later (I digress though, I got lazy in coding). But it oddly wont work on this stepper motor that I want to use.

here is where I got it from:
https://www.allelectronics.com/make...RESOLUTION-BI-POLAR-STEPPER-MOTOR-USED/1.html

And this is the link to the spec sheet via the manufacturer:
https://catalog.orientalmotor.com/item/stepping-motors--1068/pk-series-stepping-motors/pk244m-01aa

But its not really bi-polar. It's unipolar (6 leads). So Im a bit confused here. Maybe I can only use it in bipolar mode? I feel the motor getting pulses (it vibrates a little bit and the shaft is hard to turn) but it wont turn. Ive moved around the phases, I even tried manually operating it, and it just wont budge.

Hi,

If your driver is made for bipolar then you can only use 4 leads of the motor, two from each phase. Try using the ENDS of each winding and ignoring the center taps. That will drive it as a bipolar even though it has unipolar windings. There's a difference in torque, that's the difference. For a similar torque the drive voltage would have to be higher.
Be sure to use protection diodes unless the driver has them built in.

MrAl said:

Hi,

If your driver is made for bipolar then you can only use 4 leads of the motor, two from each phase. Try using the ENDS of each winding and ignoring the center taps. That will drive it as a bipolar even though it has unipolar windings. There's a difference in torque, that's the difference. For a similar torque the drive voltage would have to be higher.
Be sure to use protection diodes unless the driver has them built in.

Click to expand...

Wont I need a H bridge for Bipolar driving?