Overview

The Tic family of stepper motor controllers makes it easy to add basic control of a bipolar stepper motor to a variety of projects. These versatile, general-purpose modules support six different control interfaces–USB for direct connection to a computer, TTL serial and I²C for use with a microcontroller, RC hobby servo pulses for use in an RC system, analog voltages for use with a potentiometer or analog joystick, and quadrature encoder for use with a rotary encoder dial–and offer many settings that can be configured using our free configuration utility (for Windows, Linux, and macOS). This software simplifies initial setup of the device and allows for in-system testing and monitoring of the controller via USB (a micro-B USB cable is required to connect the Tic to a computer).

The Tic family currently has two members: the Tic T825, which operates from 8.5 V to 45 V, and the Tic T834, which operates from 2.5 V to 10.8 V. Both can deliver up to 1.5 A continuous per phase without a heat sink or forced air flow.

Features and specifications

• Open-loop speed or position control of one bipolar stepper motor
• A variety of control interfaces:
  • USB for direct connection to a computer
  • TTL serial operating at 5 V for use with a microcontroller
  • I²C for use with a microcontroller
  • RC hobby servo pulses for use in an RC system
  • Analog voltage for use with a potentiometer or analog joystick
  • Quadrature encoder input for use with a rotary encoder dial, allowing full rotation without limits (not for position feedback)
  • STEP/DIR inputs for compatibility with existing stepper motor control firmware
• Acceleration and deceleration limiting
• Maximum stepper speed: 50,000 steps per second
• Very slow speeds down to 1 step every 200 seconds (or 1 step every 1428 seconds with reduced resolution).
• Six different microstep resolutions: full step, half step, 1/4 step, 1/8 step, 1/16 step, and 1/32 step
• Digitally adjustable current limit
• Optional safety controls to avoid unexpectedly powering the motor
• Input calibration (learning) and adjustable scaling degree for analog and RC signals
• 5 V regulator (no external logic voltage supply needed)
• Optional kill switch inputs
• Connects to a computer through USB via a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included)
• Free configuration software available for Windows, Linux, and macOS
• Comprehensive user’s guide

The user’s guide is available but not finished yet, and a software download for macOS is coming soon.

Details for item #3133

The Tic T834 is based on the DRV8834 IC from Texas Instruments. It can operate from 2.5 V to 10.8 V and can deliver up to approximately 1.5 A continuous per phase without a heat sink or forced air flow (the peak current per phase is 2 A). This version is sold unassembled so soldering is necessary to use it.