[A. Shuford]

Some time ago I had a friend that sent me some Minebea 8 lead LM23 stepper motors. I am currently build a cnc router using a 3 axis Xylotex Driver. I'd like to use these motors. I want to run them in bipolar series configuration. The problem is that I can not determine the leads. I can determine which winding are what but to get them tied to phases is beyond me.

These leads are color coded with each lead being a seperate color. For example one winding may have a blue and pink lead.

I asked this question on the Xylotex Forum and a guy suggested I use a dual trace scope to determine phase angle. I have a Techtronic 450 and did so. Still I never could determine exactly what was going on when I rotated the motors.

I know somewhere in the world, someone else has some of these motors. They came from a large printer as I understand. Anyway, thanks for you time and effort. I can be contacted at [email protected].

:drowning:

[tachus42]

Try putting putting a battery or supply onto one winding and let the motor move to position. Now try and find another winding where the motor dosn't move when you supply voltage to it. You might need to reverse the supply as you do this. When you have two windings / polarity combinations which produce no movement you have identified a phase.

[A. Shuford]

Thanks tachus42,

This morning I got your message and hastly went to the shop to experiment. My motors have some strange leads, like blue-tan, orange-green,pink-black,white-yellow for pairs. I took a 12 volt battery and tried the pairs. Sure enough I managed to move the rotor with a +blue & -tan. Then I tried the orange and green. I think that I found that the orange was +. I tied these as series. Thje same was done with the other two pairs.

Then I tied the two sets of (seried) pairs to the two (dual) traces on my scope. I rotated the motor with a portable drill. I got two phases at 13 volts each and they appear to be running 90 degrees out of phase.

Am I getting close. I certainly appreciate this help. I have access to several of these motors if I can make them run. My power supply is almost finished, and I'll test them on the Yxlotex driver.

[tachus42]

Glad to be of help. Sounds like you got it.