Connecting and controlling a single (for now) stepper motor?

Macboy

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Jul 11, 2019
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15
I'm sure I'm not the only one that's run across this but in all the searching done by myself and a friend of mine we're not coming up with anything definitive. All I want to do is control the rotation of a stepper motor (NEMA 17/23) through XLights as part of my display. What do I need in order to make this happen? I'm running Ron's Holiday Lights 4 universe controllers and ESP Wifi sticks.

Do I need to connect the DMX outputs on the controller to a DMX specific controller and if so - what is this controller? I've seen lots of arduino references - do I need to build up an Arduino to act as a controller?

I've watched and rewatched the Canispater Christmas moving head light but he's using a Falcon F16v3 controller which may have capability my controller does not?
 

OzAz

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Dec 29, 2015
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Newcastle
Don't know about those controllers, link?

Is the stepper motor just on off, or variable speed? If just on/off a cheap DMX relay board may be all you need if those (rons) boards have a dmx output
 

drakky

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Dec 2, 2012
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515
pixel2things dc controller I think will do it check out can control 6 servos
thinks the servo is a pixel just connect to your string of lights
Board Type Pixel2DC/DC9S6
Input Pixel Type Any WS2811 Pixel
Input Pixel Voltages 5V, 12V or 24V
Output Data Types WS2811 & DMX
# of DMX Channels Output 480
DC Voltage 5V - 30V
# of DC Inputs 1
# of DC Outputs 9
Supported Servo Types 50hz Frequency
1ms - 2ms Pulse Width
5V or 6V Signal
5V - 36V Servo Power
# of Servo Power Inputs 1
# of Servo Outputs 6
# of Pixels/Nodes Consumed 5
# of Channels Consumed 15
Board Max Amps / Fuse Size 10A max per board
Output Max Amps 5A max per output

https://www.pixel2things.com/9-DC-6-Servo-Outputs-Fully-Assembled-p137348805
 

David_AVD

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Jun 12, 2010
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The OP is talking about stepper motors which are a very different beast to servo or DC motors.

The easiest way would be to find a stepper motor control board with DMX input and drive that with the DMX output on your pixel controller.
 
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