power supplies

[itsme]

Hi there,

I've ordered a 4-axis unipolar kit from Xylotex and I have also bought some motors. The motors are rated at 4.5V and 2.5A/phase and I currently have 3 of them, but plan on getting a 4th motor in the near future.

What would the ideal power supply be (ie. current and voltage) for this setup?

I'd also like to check if it is definitely safe to run stepper motors at a higher voltage than they are rated at. I still have my doubts about running them higher than they are rated and would hate to destroy them, because I wasn't paying attention... (can anyone convince me???)

If they can be run at higher voltages, would a 12V 10A supply work (I can probably get a PC power supply like this for almost nothing...)? Also, would a 24V 14A supply work?

Finally, I'd just like to check, there is no current limit on these Xylotex boards, is there? The only limit is voltage, right?

Thanks (and sorry for the question overload )
Warren

[Al_The_Man]

Boards such as these operate up to 35vdc and are settable for up to 2.5amps, The PWM technology ensures that the maximum POWER to the particular winding is not exceeded, the characteristics of a stepper motor change with step rate speed, so the PWM adjusts the Average power for a constant so that maximum torque is possible throughout the speed range, The on board setting is for maximum current that your motor is rated at.
Al

[itsme]

Hi Al,

The board that I am talking about is the 4 axis unipolar board. This board is rated at 3A and has a maximum voltage of 44V. Does this change anything that you mentionaed in your reply?

Warren

[Al_The_Man]

That states 3amp/phase max current set by pot's, which is essentially the same as my previous post.
Al

[ger21]

You should email Jeff at Xylotex, he's great with replying to questions. I'd say you'd want around 35V, 10a, but I'm just guessing.

[itsme]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, I'll contact Jeff from Xylotex as well. I'm just trying to get as many different views on this as I possibly can.

Warren