Overview

This product is a carrier board or breakout board for TI’s DRV8834 low-voltage stepper motor driver; we therefore recommend careful reading of the DRV8834 datasheet before using this product. This stepper motor driver lets you control one bipolar stepper motor at up to 2 A output current per coil (see the Power Dissipation Considerations section below for more information). Here are some of the driver’s key features:

• Simple step and direction control interface
• Six different step resolutions: full-step, half-step, 1/4-step, 1/8-step, 1/16-step, and 1/32-step
• Adjustable current control lets you set the maximum current output with a potentiometer, which lets you use voltages above your stepper motor’s rated voltage to achieve higher step rates
• Intelligent chopping control that automatically selects the correct current decay mode (fast decay or slow decay)
• 2.5-10.8 V supply voltage range
• Built-in regulator (no external logic voltage supply needed)
• Can interface directly with 3.3 V and 5 V systems
• Over-temperature thermal shutdown, over-current shutdown, and under-voltage lockout
• Short-to-ground, short-to-supply, and shorted-load protection
• 4-layer, 2 oz copper PCB for improved heat dissipation
• Exposed solderable ground pad below the driver IC on the bottom of the PCB
• Module size, pinout, and interface match those of our A4988 stepper motor driver carriers in most respects (see the bottom of this page for more information)

This product ships with all surface-mount components—including the DRV8834 driver IC—installed as shown in the product picture.

For alternative, pin-compatible stepper motor drivers that work with higher motor supply voltages, consider our DRV8825 carrier, DRV8880 carrier, MP6500 carrier, and A4988 carrier (also available in a Black Edition and a version with voltage regulators).

Some unipolar stepper motors (e.g. those with six or eight leads) can be controlled by this driver as bipolar stepper motors. For more information, please see the frequently asked questions. Unipolar motors with five leads cannot be used with this driver.

Dimensions

General specifications

Identifying markings

Notes:

1

Without included optional headers.

2

Without a heat sink or forced air flow.

3

With sufficient additional cooling.

4

This driver works with 2.5 V to 5.25 V logic. It does not take an external logic power supply.