Buy 3D printer stepper drivers in IT

Stepper drivers for your stepper motors

Stepper drivers are an important electronic component of a 3D printer or CNC machine. They respond to instructions communicated by the controller board and have the task of powering stepper motors in a series of different steps. Together, stepper drivers and stepper motors ensure the precise positioning of the 3D print head on the print surface along the axes. They also ensure accurate movement and orientation for CNC tool heads or laser engravers. Movements happen in steps known as microstepping. Microstepping is a subdivision of regular steps for higher precision and results in 3D prints with increased resolution.

TL smoother 3D printer upgrade

Easily enhance the printing quality and reduce any noise caused by the stepper motors with the TL smoother for a quick and useful upgrade. The TL smoother can be placed between the stepper driver and stepper motors to improve the waveform. It functions well with the Pololu-compatible stepper drivers but is not necessary for more modern TMC chips. 

The Pololu-style stepper drivers work with RAMPS, megatronics, and other controller boards that have a Pololu-compatible slot. It is also possible to use the External stepper driver v2.0 to use free I/O ports in your electronics to increase the number of stepper motors. This will also require a firmware switch to make sure everything is running smoothly. The external stepper drivers can be used with development boards like Arduino. We offer a range of products for your 3D printer by Duet3D and other premium 3D brands. Moreover, find fitting heatsinks and thermal glue to accompany your device. Use the filter menu to pick out different features of our available stepper drivers!

Selecting your driver module for your 3D printer motors

There are quite some considerations to take into account when it comes to selecting stepper drivers for your 3D printer or CNC machine. Firstly, choose the voltage and current that will suit your machine. High voltage tends to generate more power at the same amperage. With increased power, you get faster and stronger movements, allowing you to complete projects at a higher pace than when using lower voltages. You may need to upgrade your 3D printer with a new power supply, and ensure that the components accept a higher voltage. Nowadays, 24V is the most commonly used voltage.

An additional factor to consider is the precision required for your DIY 3D project. You can choose a stepper driver that is compatible with a stepper motor with several subdivisions of steps. With better microstepping, the stepper motors will have fewer vibrations and consequently produce less noise. The microprocessor can also limit the stepper drivers’ performance. In some cases, stepper drivers execute interpolation, where they take the responsibility of dividing the steps themselves. The microprocessor will send a step command and the stepper driver will know to smoothly run all microsteps. In other cases, stepper drivers will require a step pulse for every microstep which will overload a slower microprocessor when moving faster.

Compare 3D printer stepper drivers

Using the compare feature, you can easily check the difference between similar products and look at the specific attributes that will work best for your 3D printer. Check out the product details to receive all the information on the stepper motor drivers.

TIP: Cool a 3D printer’s stepper drivers

A stepper driver will mostly have a safety feature for overheating. It will shut down for a short period of time when triggered until the temperature has cooled down. This will cause a printing failure and should be largely avoided by selecting appropriate cooling methods. We advise using fans and heatsinks to minimize and dissipate heat.

Controlling a stepper motor driver

Stepper motor drivers are electronic 3D components that are controlled by step pulses. Every pulse is known as a step. The dir pin will be set at high or low to determine the spinning direction of a stepper motor. The enable feature will determine whether the stepper drivers are on or off. We offer an external stepper driver 2.0 that connects external stepper drivers for all axes. Easily hook up as many stepper drivers as you need for you to complete your latest designs. Discover our stepstick differential line driver that will control external stepper drivers from a Pololu compatible slot.

Would you like to know more about stepper drivers? For all questions, please reach out to our customer service team.