Volume 7, Issue 9, September – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Arduino Uno and Bluetooth based Speed Control of

DC Stepper Motor with Reduced Jerking Level
Soumyendu Banerjee Dibyajyoti Das
Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Engineering and Management Kolkata University of Engineering and Management Kolkata
Kolkata, India Kolkata, India

Sanjay Bhadra Debayan Ghosh

Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Engineering and Management Kolkata University of Engineering and Management Kolkata
Kolkata, India Kolkata, India

Abstract:- This work suggests controlling the speed of a external driver module [6]. The driver increases the current
stepper motor using an Arduino Uno. The HC-05 level to provide necessary amount of power to drive the motor.
Bluetooth module and an Android application were used
to implant the control scheme, providing the stepper The step angle, rotor speed, and produced torque in the
motor with wireless control. The main goal of this study, rotor shaft are taken into account and used for managing the
along with speed control, was to lessen the stepper motor's further rotation of the rotor shaft, however, in the controlling
jerking while changing each step. The stepper motor's strategy of stepper motor employing microcontroller unit like
jerking is a serious issue since it occasionally prevents the Arduino, Raspberry Pi [7]. Additionally, a crucial role is
desired step count from being reached and makes noise played by time-optimized stepper motor control mechanisms
while the motor is running. The jerking intensity was to modify the driving mechanism of stepper motors [8].
therefore reduced in this work by using a sinusoidal pulse
amplitude modulation (PAM) to lessen the rapid change In addition, rotor shaft acceleration and deceleration
in input signal. Using the accelerometer ADXL345 to test control is a crucial field of research using optimization
the jerking level, it was determined that sinusoidal PAM approaches. Additionally, it improves the topology of the
could lessen the stepper motor's jerking even when the interface and lowers the noise level for the motor system. By
step input signal was given directly. offering a closed loop control technique, MATLAB simulating
software [9-11] played a crucial contribution in the field of
Keywords:- Stepper Motor; Arduino Uno; Jerking Level; stepper motor speed control. Therefore, better precession and
Sinusoidal PAM increased current level are demonstrated using vector control
drive for stepper motors [12].
I. INTRODUCTION
The stepper motor now exhibits jerking during each step
Stepper motors are a kind of electromechanical of rotation during the transition phase of the input signal,
transmission device, which converts digital pulse signal into which breaks down the system and produces undesired noise
angular or linear displacement. Driving mobile or moving [13]. Although the amount of jerking cannot be directly
objects from one place to another is the primary function of a detected, an accelerator is a sensor that can measure
stepper motor. Three stages, acceleration, and constant-speed acceleration, static and dynamic vibration, and other things
deceleration are part of the process. More advanced, [14-15]. An accelerometer will henceforth be utilized for
customized, and regulated stepper motors are now available on measuring earthquakes, motion detection, and servomotor
the market thanks to control systems. Stepper motors are control. In essence, the accelerometer output signal detects the
primarily used in controlling of various types of joints in amount of vibration whenever a vibration occurs. In this study,
robotics [1] and mechanized assembly lines in many sectors a stepper motor's jerking was measured using an
such as open and closing doors etc. [2-3]. accelerometer, model ADXL335. To lessen vibration and
resonance in the system, research is also being done on hybrid
Now, as implied by its name, a stepper motor operates in stepper motors to minimize damping, noise, and jerking levels.
steps, mostly dependent on input pulse signals supplied by a
microcontroller unit to each phase wire of the stator To lessen the jerking level in this work, we employed
component [4]. By modifying the appropriate logic to run the sinusoidal PAM signal in place of a direct step input signal to
motor as necessary, the use of a microcontroller unit makes the the stepper motor [16]. Wave drive, full step, and half step
provision of input pulses much simpler [5]. This unit requires modes were used to operate the steeper motor (micro stepping
low power consumption components, but their main drawback were neglected). Using an accelerometer to generate a normal
is that they frequently fail to supply the motor with the step input signal, the amount of jerk in each step was
required level of current, necessitating the attachment of an measured. The same driving modes were employed in the

IJISRT22SEP227 www.ijisrt.com 596

Volume 7, Issue 9, September – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
following phase's sinusoidal PAM, and the jerking level was A. Normal operation of 8-pole stepper motor
once more measured. When comparing these two Arduino Uno is an open source platform based on
measurements of jerking, it can be shown that the average ATmega328 microcontroller. It comes with a programmable
amount of jerk is significantly less for sinusoidal PAM signals. circuit board i.e., microcontroller and a software to control
Arduino Uno board, shown in Fig. 1. Specifications of this
board is tabulated in Table I.

A 28Ybj-48 DC, 5V, 4 phase, 5 wire stepper motor with

a ULN2003A Driver Board was utilized in this project. In
essence, it is a unipolar stepper motor with five wires
connecting to the main supply voltage and one wire for each
phase. In Section III, Fig. 5 depicts the internal wiring diagram
of a unipolar stepper motor. The phase pins are illuminated as
necessary in accordance with the direction of rotation, and the
COM pin is constantly linked to a high input signal. The
phases A, B, C, and D need to be activated for rotation in the
FORWARD mode, which is counterclockwise, while phase D,
Fig 1:- Picture of an Arduino Uno board. C, B, and A need to be energized for rotation in the
BACKWARD mode. Both situations have unidirectional, or
Working Voltage 5V unipolar, current in each phase.
Input voltage 7-12 V
Input voltage 6-20 V Now, the order in which each of the four phases is
energized determines the step angle for rotation and the torque
Digital I/O Pins 14
that is created in the rotor. The stepper motor, as its name
DC current per I/O pin 40 mA
implies, requires a step input signal to rotate. For each step
DC current for 3.3V pin 50 mA rotation, one or two phases are activated, and the remaining
Flash Memory 32 KB phases are left un-powered. A stepper motor typically operates
SRAM 2 KB in three different modes: 1) Full Step, 2) Half step, 3) Wave
EEPROM 1 KB drive mode. Each mode is described below
Clock Speed 16 MHz
Table 1:- Arduino Uno specifications B. Wave drive mode
In this mode, each phase are energized at each time with
II. METHODOLOGY other phases are un-energized. Fig. 2(i) shows the step input
signal for wave drive mode. The main disadvantage of this
Stepper motors are used in a variety of items, including mode is jerking level is very high. Also, as each phase is
robotics, telescopes, surveillance equipment, and medical energized at each time, magnetic field strength is also lower,
devices. The key benefit of utilizing a steeper motor is that it thus torque is also low, but in this mode, the motor rotates on
rotates using a step signal, allowing the speed and position of its normal step angle.
the rotor to be adjusted in accordance with changes in step
angle. However, step change causes the rotor to jerk during the C. Full step mode
transition time of each step input signal, resulting in undesired In this mode, the next two phases in line are always
noise and system failure. So, the primary goal of this study was energized while the other phases are de-powered. The step
to reduce the level of jerking. Due to this, even though the input signal for complete step mode is shown in Fig. 2(ii).
motor was receiving step signals, sinusoidal PAM was still Since two phases are activated simultaneously, this mode has
delivered with each step using an Arduino Uno, and the degree the advantage of a stronger magnetic field than wave drive
of jerking was determined using an accelerometer. Arduino mode. As a result, torque is higher in this mode compared to
Uno received the control signals via Bluetooth and an Android wave drive mode, but since rotation is still based on a full step
app. Finally, a comparison of jerking measurement between a angle, jerking level is also higher, almost on par with wave
sinusoidal PAM and a regular step signal was given. The drive mode.
following parts provide an explanation of the entire process.

Fig 2:- Stepper motor driving modes: (i) wave drive mode; (ii) full step; (iii) half step.

IJISRT22SEP227 www.ijisrt.com 597

Volume 7, Issue 9, September – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
D. Half step mode 4.52 925
In this mode, a phase is first activated, followed by that 4.75 973
phase and its subsequent phase. The step input signal for 4.91 1005
complete step mode is shown in Fig. 2(iii). The primary 4.99 1021
benefit of this mode is that the average magnetic field strength 5 1022
and torque are between those of the full step and half step Table 2:- PAM signal values
modes. However, because the rotor rotates in this mode at half
its regular step angle, the jerking level is the lowest of these III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
three modes.
An accelerometer was fixed to the main motor to
E. Sinusoidal PAM measure how much each of the stepper motor's three operating
In each of these modes, a step input signal is sent to all modes jerked. The degree of jerk was then shown on the serial
phases; hence, only one phase needs a HIGH input signal, or a monitor of Arduino Uno and over Bluetooth in an android
5 V supply, from the controlling device for the duration of time application. Fig. 4 depicts the measured jerking levels for the
‘t1’. Fig. 3 is an illustration of this. Fig. 3(i), where a single- wave drive, full step, and half step modes of operation. Each
phase 5 V input signal is given for the time period ‘t1’, as step figure displays the jerking level for the step input signal in
signal. The main drawback of this input signal is that, during ‘blue’ and the PAM signal in ‘orange’. These statistics clearly
the transition periods, from ‘a’ to ‘b’ and from ‘c’ to ‘d,’ the show that, despite the use of step signals, the jerking level is
input voltage abruptly increases quickly from 0 to 5 V and 5 significantly decreased for PAM input signal. For wave drive,
to 0 V, respectively, which causes the system to jerk full step, and half step, respectively, the jerking level was
excessively. This primary goal of this paper was to, despite reduced by approximately 71.43%, 68.72%, and 66.34%. In
direct step input, lower the jerking intensity at the input Fig. 5, the circuit schematic is displayed. As an extension of
signal's transition time by using sinusoidal PAM signal, shown this study, this technique can be evaluated using Raspberry-Pi
in Fig. 3(ii). It is evident that sinusoidal PAM reduces jerking [17-20].
since there is no abrupt or quick shift in input voltage level.
We used the analogue input/output pins of the Arduino Uno to
supply this sinusoidal value so that the values could be
changed appropriately, which is not possible in the digital
realm. Table II displays the values that were selected for a
sinusoidal input signal. For the Arduino Uno, the maximum
input voltage of 5 volts was scaled to an analogue output value
of 1023, and this value was sent to analogue pins. In this
approach, the analogue values, ranging from 0 to 1023, were
scaled down from the range of input voltage levels in the
digital domain, between 0 and 5 V.

Fig 3:- Input signal pattern: (i) step input; (ii) sinusoidal
PAM.

Analog input voltage Corresponding Arduino values

0 0
0.6265 128
1.24 254
1.83 377
2.40 493
2.93 601 ii
3.42 700
3.85 788
4.22 863

IJISRT22SEP227 www.ijisrt.com 598

Volume 7, Issue 9, September – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
IEEE 8th Intern. Conf. Intel. Comp. Tech. Autom., pp.
844-847, 2015, China.
[6]. L. Zhang et al., “Research on stepper motor motion
control based on MCU”, in proc of IEEE Chin. Auto.
Cong., 2017, pp. 3122-3125, China.
[7]. Ł. Przeniosło and M. Hołub, “Development of
microprocessor, time optimized stepper motor driving
algorithm,” in proc of IEEE 22nd Intern. Conf. Meth.
Mod. Autom. Robot., pp. 174-179, 2017, Poland.
[8]. C. -K. Lai, J. -S. Ciou and C. -C. Tsai, “FPGA-based
stepper motor vector control system design,” in proc of
IEEE Intern. Auto. Cont. Conf., pp. 1-5, 2017, Taiwan.
iii [9]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “Deep neural network
Fig 4:- Jerking level measurement using step and PAM input. based missing data prediction of electrocardiogram
signal using multiagent reinforcement learning,”
Biomed. Sig. Proc. Cont., vol. 67, 102508, 2021.
[10]. S. Banerjee, R. Gupta, J. Saha, “Compression of
Multilead Electrocardiogram Using Principal
Component Analysis and Machine Learning
Approach,” in proc of IEEE App. Sig. Proc. Conf., pp.
24-28, 2018, Kolkata, India.
[11]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “Quality Aware
Compression of Multilead Electrocardiogram Signal
using 2-mode Tucker Decomposition and
Steganography,” Biomed. Sig. Proc. Cont., vol. 64,
102230, 2020.
[12]. TH Itkonen, et al., “Trade-off between jerk and time
Fig 5:- Circuit connection of proposed work. headway as an indicator of driving style,” PLoS One.,
vol, 12, no. 10, pp.1-19, 2017.
[13]. Z. Ling, J. Ju-min, L. Chang-an and C.Ying, “The
IV. CONCLUSION
detection system of vehicle driving simulator attitude
This paper proposes a topology for controlling the speed based on ADXL335,” in proc of IEEE 2nd Intern. Conf.
of a DC stepper motor using an Arduino Uno. Along with it, Mech. Auto. Con. Eng., pp. 4541-4543, 2011, Hohhot.
the main emphasis was placed on lowering the stepper motor's [14]. K. W. -H. Tsui, N. C. Cheung and K. C. -W. Yuen,
jerking intensity when changing each step. In order to do this, “Novel Modeling and Damping Technique for Hybrid
sinusoidal PAM with the same time period was delivered to Stepper Motor,” IEEE Trans. Indus. Elect., vol. 56, no.
each phase despite employing a direct step input signal. An 1, pp. 202-211, 2009.
accelerometer was used to measure the jerking level reduction, [15]. M. Giriraj and P. Anvesh, “Contolling of servomotors
and an overall reduction of 68.83% jerking level was attained. according to pitch and yaw and roll motions of
accelerometer,” in proc of IEEE Intern. Conf. Ene. Effi.
Tech. Sust., pp. 886-889, 2016, India.
REFERENCES
[16]. D. R. Gaan, M. Kumar and C. G. Majumder, “Variable
[1]. S. Banerjee, G. K. Singh, “Feedback Control Topology rate based microstepping of stepper motor using
of n-DOF Robotic Manipulator and Optimum MATLAB GUI,” in proc of IEEE Indian Cont. Conf.,
Positioning of End-Effector using PSO,” in proc of 2nd pp. 385-390, 2017, India.
IEEE Conf. on Applied Signal Processing, pp. 41-45, [17]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “A Robust Bio-signal
2020, Kolkata, India. Steganography with Lost-data Recovery Architecture
[2]. Ł. Przeniosło and M. Hołub, “Development of using Deep Learning,” IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol.
microprocessor, time optimized stepper motor driving 71, pp. 1-10, 2022, 4007410, 2022.
algorithm,” in proc of IEEE Intern. Conf. Meth. Mode. [18]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “Quality Guaranteed ECG
Autom. Rob., pp.174-179, 2017, Poland. Signal Compression using Tunable-Q Wavelet
[3]. T. Kanjo and A. Sugawara, “Stepping Motors and Their Transform and Möbius Transform based AFD,” IEEE
Microprocessor Controls”. Oxford, U.K.: Clarendon, Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol. 70, 4008211, 2021.
[19]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “Monte Carlo Filter based
1994.
[4]. D. O. Carrica, S. A. Gonzalez, M. Benedetti, “A high Motion Artifact Removal from Electrocardiogram
speed velocity control algorithm of multiple stepper Signal for Real-time Telecardiology System,” IEEE
motors,” Mechatronics, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 675-684, Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol. 70, 4006110, 2021.
2014. [20]. S. Banerjee and G. K. Singh, “A new approach of ECG
[5]. W. Ruifeng, W. Zhe and W. Liying, “Stepper Motor steganography and prediction using deep learning,”
Control based on AT89S51 Microcontroller,” in proc of Biomed. Sig. Proc. Cont., vol. 64, 102151, 2021.

IJISRT22SEP227 www.ijisrt.com 599