Two motors - one Picaxe

[J A Hawtin]

Please can you help?
I want to run two stepper motors both at the same time in the same direction with the same number of steps. In other words one motor to be a repeater of the main motor. Is it possible to run two motors in parallel off one L293 driver? If not, is it possible to have two L293 drivers off one set of output pins from one Picaxe?

 

[geoff07]

I'm not sure it would be reliable to run two motors in parallel off a single set of drivers, but you could certainly run two L293s from the same logic pins. However, independent pins or even two picaxes would give you more flexibility when you want it to be doing something slightly different.

 

[BeanieBots]

There is no problem with either method. Just make sure that whatever you do, it can handle the required current.
The only issue is that if either motor should stall, there is no method to re-synchronise.

 

[matherp]

Depends what voltage you are using to drive the steppers. The standard approach in homebuilt 3D printers where two steppers are used for the Z axis is to run them in series. This is done using current limiting drivers.

 

[J A Hawtin]

Thank you very much for you quick replies.
When set up on the breadboard I use the same voltage that powers the IC, regulated +5v. In practice, because the main motor is remote from the control box I will use a separate 12v supply for both motors. As for synchronising the motors I’ll have to think about that with perhaps the use of a reference opto switch!