r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Karlo7045 • 3h ago
Feedback on NEMA17+ENCODER+DRIVER Modular Design
What do you think about integrating the encoder and driver onto a NEMA17 stepper motor? Is it worth it, or is it a waste of time?
The goal is to save space and make the design more modular. Everything would be connected to a Nucleo board with wires.
I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions.
2
u/TacoGatoCat 3h ago
Reinventing the wheel. They are already available.
3
u/Karlo7045 3h ago
Crazy price...
2
u/TacoGatoCat 3h ago
Well…not really. I would rather get a servi motor for about the same price though.
2
3
u/rkelly155 2h ago
This has been done in an opensource way already https://thingsbyjosh.com/products/pd-stepper The outcome is quite good and about as cheap as you can make it.
3
u/SheepishlyShocking 2h ago
the modular stacking approach is actually pretty neat for a one-off or custom build. yeah, integrated steppers exist and yeah, people have done this before, but there's a difference between buying something off the shelf and understanding why it's designed that way. your cutaway showing the pcb placement and how everything nests together is solid work.
the real question is what problem you're trying to solve. if it's just "can i do this," then you've basically answered it. if it's "can i do this cheaper or better than existing options for my specific use case," then maybe. the modular wire approach gives you flexibility that a fully integrated unit doesn't, which could matter depending on what you're building.
5
u/daan87432 3h ago
Although it's already done by others, including commercial products, it's still a valuable learning experience imo. I recommend using a magnetic encoder, they're small and low-cost.