Stepper Motor Controller with TB6600 Driver

A comprehensive stepper motor control system featuring an ESP32-based controller with serial command interface and a professional desktop GUI application. Perfect for CNC machines, 3D printers, robotics, and automation projects.

✨ Features

🎛️ Hardware Control

• ESP32 Microcontroller with TB6600 stepper driver compatibility
• High Precision Control with microstepping support (up to 1/32 step)
• Flexible Configuration for steps per revolution, speed, and acceleration
• Safe Operation with emergency stop and controlled deceleration

💻 Desktop GUI Application

• Cross-Platform Python/PyQt6 application (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Real-time Monitoring with comprehensive serial monitor
• Intuitive Controls for both absolute and relative positioning
• Professional Interface with grouped controls and status display

🔧 Control Modes

• Absolute Positioning - Move to specific step positions
• Relative Movement - Move by revolutions with decimal precision
• Continuous Rotation - Run at constant speed in either direction
• Homing & Zeroing - Return to home position or set current position as zero

🛠️ Hardware Setup

Required Components

• ESP32 Development Board
• TB6600 Stepper Motor Driver
• NEMA 17 or similar stepper motor
• 12-24V Power Supply for motor
• Jumper wires and connectors

Wiring Diagram

ESP32 ↔ TB6600
GPIO13  → PUL+ (Step Pulse)
GPIO14  → DIR+ (Direction)
GND     → PUL- & DIR- (Common Ground)

Motor Power:

• TB6600 VCC: 12-24V DC
• TB6600 GND: Power supply ground
• A+, A-: Stepper motor coil A
• B+, B-: Stepper motor coil B

📋 Software Installation

ESP32 Firmware

1. Install Arduino IDE with ESP32 support
2. Install required libraries:
   • AccelStepper by Mike McCauley
3. Upload firmware.ino to your ESP32
4. Open Serial Monitor at 115200 baud to verify operation

Desktop GUI

# Install required Python packages
pip install pyserial pyqt6

# Run the application
python gui.py

🚀 Usage Guide

Basic Operation

1. Connect Hardware: Wire ESP32 to TB6600 and power up
2. Launch GUI: Run gui.py to start the control application
3. Establish Connection: Select COM port and click "Connect"
4. Configure Motor: Set steps per revolution (default: 1600 for 1/8 microstepping)
5. Start Controlling: Use movement controls to operate the motor

Movement Controls

• Revolutions: Move by exact revolutions (supports decimals)
• Absolute Position: Move to specific step count
• Continuous Run: Constant speed operation
• Quick Buttons: Pre-set movements (1, 10 revolutions)

Safety Features

• ⏸ STOP: Controlled stop with deceleration
• 🛑 E-STOP: Immediate emergency stop
• 🏠 Home: Return to zero position
• ⭕ Zero: Set current position as new zero

📁 Project Structure

Stepper-Controller-with-TB6600-Driver/
│
├── firmware.ino              # ESP32 main controller firmware
├── first_test.ino           # Basic test and verification sketch
├── gui.py                   # Python desktop control application
└── README.md               # This file

🔌 Serial Protocol

The ESP32 firmware implements a simple text-based protocol:

Configuration Commands

• P<steps> - Set steps per revolution
• V<speed> - Set maximum speed (steps/sec)
• A<accel> - Set acceleration (steps/sec²)

Movement Commands

• M<steps> - Move to absolute position
• R<revolutions> - Move by revolutions
• C<speed> - Continuous run at speed

Control Commands

• X - Stop with deceleration
• E - Emergency stop
• G - Go home (position 0)
• Z - Set current position as zero
• S - Show status
• H or ? - Show help

⚙️ Configuration Examples

Common Microstepping Settings

• Full step: 200 steps/rev
• 1/2 step: 400 steps/rev
• 1/4 step: 800 steps/rev
• 1/8 step: 1600 steps/rev (default)
• 1/16 step: 3200 steps/rev

Performance Tuning

• Max Speed: 5000-20000 steps/sec (depending on motor)
• Acceleration: 1000-5000 steps/sec² for smooth operation
• Microstepping: Higher values for smoother movement, lower for more torque

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Motor not moving

   • Check power supply to TB6600
   • Verify DIR/PUL connections
   • Confirm enable pin settings on TB6600

2. Wrong direction

   • Use stepper.setPinsInverted(false, true, false) to invert direction
   • Swap motor coil wires A+/- or B+/-

3. Serial connection fails

   • Check COM port selection
   • Verify baud rate (115200)
   • Ensure no other program is using the serial port

4. Motor stalling or missing steps

   • Reduce maximum speed
   • Increase acceleration time
   • Check power supply voltage and current

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues for:

• Bug fixes
• New features
• Documentation improvements
• Performance enhancements

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• AccelStepper Library by Mike McCauley for robust stepper control
• PyQt6 Team for the excellent GUI framework
• ESP32 Community for comprehensive documentation and support

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⭐ If this project helped you, please consider giving it a star on GitHub!

For questions and support, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.