I believe the flat part of the curve is defined by the motor thermal limits. Is 
this correct?

> On Feb 5, 2022, at 11:44 AM, John Dammeyer <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> All fine and good but doesn't help anyone choose a stepper motor.  For 
> example:
> https://www.geckodrive.com/support/step-motor-basics.html
> tries to explain corner speed but fakes the curves by showing that the torque 
> of a stepper motor is constant up to a certain speed.  I've yet to see any 
> curves of real motors that look like that.
> 
> Perhaps you can find some and post those that do show flat torque up to a 
> 'corner speed'?
> 
> In either case that doesn't really help anyone choose a motor so that Gecko 
> article and corner speed are effectively techo-babble framed in a way to help 
> them sell their drivers which are limited to 80VDC.
> 
> Similarly the stepper motor suppliers provide 1/2 step curves leaving out the 
> resonance point so unless you stay below this 'corner frequency' and never 
> reach that point the torque curves are somewhat obscure.
> 
> Perhaps explain how _you_ choose a stepper motor for a given axis?  What 
> process do you go through to do this?  That might help more.  
> 
> John
> 
> 
> 
>> From: Robin Szemeti via Emc-users [mailto:[email protected]]
>> 
>> "comment about corner frequency with stepper motors _might_ well be valid
>> as long as the maximum current for each step is reached before or at the
>> end of the ste"
>> 
>> Yes, that is exactly what the corne frequency is ... the step frequency at
>> which the current no longer reaches the desired value before the end of the
>> step. It's obviously dependent on inductance and maximum available drive
>> voltage.
>> 
>>> On Sat, 5 Feb 2022 at 11:50, Robin Szemeti <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> John,
>>> 
>>> You are fundamentally incorrect when you state " the torque of the motor
>>> to drop off the faster it goes" .. although the back EMF is correct, with a
>>> modern current limited drive, the torque is flat until the corner
>>> frequency, then drops off  ... up to the corner frequency the torque is
>>> constant with a good current-limited drive, above the corner frequency the
>>> torque drops off, power is constant.  You are perhaps confusing the raw
>>> torque/speed curve of a motor fed from a constant voltage source, which is
>>> useful but is not how they are typically used in practice.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> https://res.cloudinary.com/engineering-com/image/upload/w_640,h_640,c_limit,q_auto,f_auto/image002_bezhrr.jpg
>>> 
>>>> On Sat, 5 Feb 2022 at 09:00, John Dammeyer <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hi Chris,
>>>> My issue is that a comment about corner frequency with stepper motors
>>>> _might_ well be valid as long as the maximum current for each step is
>>>> reached before or at the end of the step.  But the motor is turning pretty
>>>> slowly there compared to how they are used in real life.
>>>> 
>>>> However the comment about corner frequency with respect to steppers
>>>> perhaps is only backed by alternative facts?
>>>> 
>>>> I must admit I've not investigated in detail the closed loop steppers.
>>>> The price of an industrial version I worked with was more than the price of
>>>> an AC servo and at higher speeds I could stop the pulley with my fingers.
>>>> Yes. It faulted.  But that isn't really the point.  The DC and AC servos at
>>>> higher speeds just work better.
>>>> 
>>>> Stepper motors work great at low speeds usually directly coupled.
>>>> Contrary to popular belief the micro-stepping doesn't improve resolution
>>>> but gets rid of resonance and gives the appearance of better resolution.
>>>> But it doesn't change the fact that the current still has to reverse every
>>>> full step.  I believe that in fact Gecko drives improve high speed torque
>>>> by switching back to full step mode above the resonance velocity.
>>>> 
>>>> Now instead of 0.707 x max current in both windings (at the most) we're
>>>> back to 100% in both with an increase in torque.  Absolutely nothing to do
>>>> with corner frequencies whatever they might be or how they are determined.
>>>> 
>>>> John
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> From: Chris Albertson [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>>> 
>>>>> John,
>>>>> 
>>>>> You described it correctly.  But I think what Robin meant by "Corner
>>>>> Frequency" might be the peak of the power vs. RPM graph.  Basically, the
>>>>> frequency where power output starts to fall with RPM.
>>>>> 
>>>>> But now it can get worse, or really better but more complex.   We have
>>>>> these so-called "closed loop stepper drivers and also a few people are
>>>>> running the steppers as if they were many-pole BLDC analog (continuous,
>>>>> non-stepping) mortors
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Fri, Feb 4, 2022 at 2:39 PM John Dammeyer <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> I disagree.  The physics of the motor, which include inductance along
>>>> with
>>>>>> the generated back emf from the motor spinning in the magnetic field,
>>>> is
>>>>>> what cause the torque of the motor to drop off the faster it goes.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The problem is to spin a stepper motor you have to not just change to
>>>> a
>>>>>> new winding like a DC motor does but completely reverse the direction
>>>> of
>>>>>> the current through the winding.  In order to do that you have to
>>>> deal with
>>>>>> the collapsing magnetic field and counter the resulting generated
>>>> voltage
>>>>>> which is based on the inductance of the windings.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> That's why the winding voltage of a stepper motor might be only 2V to
>>>> get
>>>>>> the rated 3A but you need 48V to make it turn quickly.  And because
>>>> of  the
>>>>>> inductance and collapsing field,  time is required to change the
>>>> direction
>>>>>> of the current through the winding.  If that time is longer than the
>>>> next
>>>>>> direction change then you never reach max current through the
>>>> windings and
>>>>>> you don't develop full torque.  That's why a stepper motor with a 24V
>>>> power
>>>>>> supply has the same holding torque as one with a 48V power supply.
>>>> The
>>>>>> current limiting of the drive holds the winding current at 3A.  But
>>>> run it
>>>>>> at 24V or at 48V you get a totally different torque curve.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> If you are going to mention something called the corner frequency of a
>>>>>> stepper motor+drive please show us the graphs and specifications.  I
>>>>>> haven't been able to find that rating on any stepper motor.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Perhaps you can point it for this one?
>>>>>> http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/download/9259/
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> And explain how you determined that corner frequency?
>>>>>> John
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: Robin Szemeti via Emc-users [mailto:
>>>>>> [email protected]]
>>>>>>> Sent: February-04-22 2:01 PM
>>>>>>> To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC)
>>>>>>> Cc: Robin Szemeti
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] What Would You Suggest?
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> What people continually get totally wrong with steppers is failing
>>>> to
>>>>>>> understand that the maximum power is delivered at the corner
>>>> frequency,
>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> power output is constant above that.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If you have an application that needs to move at say 2m a minute
>>>> and your
>>>>>>> stepper stalls, there seems to be some crazy logic that says to
>>>> people
>>>>>> "Oh,
>>>>>>> the stepper stalled because it was going too fast, I need to change
>>>> the
>>>>>>> gearing so the motor spins more slowly" .. which is of course ass
>>>>>> backwards.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The stepper stalled because the power output of the motor was less
>>>> than
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> power requirement of the machine ... to increase the power output
>>>> of the
>>>>>>> motor, you need to spin it faster, not slower.  Steppers motors are
>>>>>> capable
>>>>>>> of excellent performance but they do need to be used correctly ...
>>>> sadly,
>>>>>>> in most amateur applications they are not.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If the corner frequency with your drive and voltage is at around
>>>> 2000
>>>>>> steps
>>>>>>> per second and you are only ever delivering 1000 steps per second,
>>>> you
>>>>>> can
>>>>>>> never got more than half the mechanical power out that the motor is
>>>>>> capable
>>>>>>> of.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Fri, 4 Feb 2022 at 17:13, John Dammeyer <[email protected]>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> From: Kenneth Lerman [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>>>>>>> The longitudinal travel is just over a foot, and it takes about
>>>> 3-1/2
>>>>>>>> turns
>>>>>>>>> of the crank to go that distance. I'm thinking around  a second
>>>> per
>>>>>> turn
>>>>>>>>> would be about the maximum. So, that's 60 RPM. I'm thinking of
>>>> a 1:6
>>>>>>>> ratio
>>>>>>>>> on the timing belt pulleys, so that's 360 RPM at the stepper
>>>> which is
>>>>>>>>> pretty slow. A full stepping rate would be 200 * 360/60 => 200
>>>> * 6
>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>>> only 1200 steps per second.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> You won't want to run full step.  A minimum should be 8
>>>>>> micro-steps/step
>>>>>>>> to avoid resonance and loss of position or lockup.   I'd measure
>>>> the
>>>>>> torque
>>>>>>>> required to move the table by attaching a lever to the hand wheel
>>>> that
>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> say 1' long.  Set it horizontal and start hanging weight onto the
>>>> end
>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> get ft-lbs or ft-in until it turns. That's the torque required to
>>>>>> overcome
>>>>>>>> static friction.  Double that to choose your motor.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Say that is 1 ft-lb or 192 oz-in.    If you choose 3:1 for your
>>>>>> reduction
>>>>>>>> ratio you get 600 oz-in.  Look at the motor torque curve (they
>>>> are all
>>>>>>>> different and if the supplier can't give you that buy one
>>>> somewhere
>>>>>> else)
>>>>>>>> and see where the torque drops below 400 oz-in.  Say that's 180
>>>> RPM.
>>>>>>>> That's 3 RPS which multiplied by 2000 steps per rev for
>>>> micro-stepping
>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> 6000 steps/second which achieves your 1 RPS on the handle.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Or if you find it's 2 ft-lb or 400 oz-in choose a much larger
>>>> motor
>>>>>> like
>>>>>>>> 1200 oz-in
>>>>>>>> http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/download/9259/
>>>>>>>> Notice the curve at 3000 half steps per second is about 3.2NM.
>>>> That's
>>>>>>>> 12,000 steps per second (7.5RPS)  with 8 micro-steps per step well
>>>>>> within
>>>>>>>> the reach of even a parallel port controller and 450 oz-in.
>>>> That's
>>>>>> well
>>>>>>>> above the 1 RPS you need and even just 3:1 still gives you 1600
>>>> oz-in.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> My two cents...
>>>>>>>> John Dammeyer
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> An alternative would be to provide more gearing, but I don't
>>>> think
>>>>>> it's
>>>>>>>>> practical to get more than about a six to one ratio in a single
>>>> belt
>>>>>>>>> reduction and I'd like to avoid mechanical complexity if I can.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Thoughts?
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Kenneth Lerman
>>>>>>>>> 55 Main Street
>>>>>>>>> Newtown, CT 06470
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> On Fri, Feb 4, 2022 at 7:13 AM Chris Albertson <
>>>>>>>> [email protected]>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> If looking for lowest cost solution you can us the old "Atom"
>>>>>> computer
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>>>> control the grinder as long as you do not  need to run the
>>>> mill and
>>>>>>>>>> grider at the same time.  Get an Eiternet interface Mesa card
>>>> for
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> new
>>>>>>>>>> machine,  You need two config files, just load the one for the
>>>>>> mill or
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> one for the grinder.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Then someday you buy a second computer you only have to move
>>>> the
>>>>>>>> Ethernet
>>>>>>>>>> cable over.   The best option is a newer version of the
>>>> Atom.  They
>>>>>>>> seem to
>>>>>>>>>> sell for just under $200.   Finally Newegg.com always has many
>>>>>> used oe
>>>>>>>>>> refurb PCs   Used PCs sourced locally can be a cheap as "free"
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> But 9ld PCs tend to burn up a lot of power.  I am trying to
>>>> get
>>>>>> mone
>>>>>>>> to do
>>>>>>>>>> "wake on LAN" so it can not use power until I need to log
>>>> onto it
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> On Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 6:52 PM Kenneth Lerman <
>>>> [email protected]>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> I'm considering converting a surface grinder to CNC. To
>>>> start,
>>>>>> I'll
>>>>>>>>>>> probably just convert the longitudinal and transverse axes.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> I'll go with steppers for this -- I'm thinking NEMA-42
>>>> motors.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> My current Bridgeport clone uses servos and Jon Elson's
>>>> hardware
>>>>>> on a
>>>>>>>>>>> little Intel Atom Box. I'm thinking of using a Rpi for
>>>> this. It
>>>>>> will
>>>>>>>>>> need a
>>>>>>>>>>> minimal display/control panel when completed, but initially
>>>> will
>>>>>>>> need a
>>>>>>>>>>> display with touchscreen or mouse and possibly a keyboard.
>>>> In the
>>>>>>>> long
>>>>>>>>>> run,
>>>>>>>>>>> some buttons. and perhaps an mpg might be useful.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> I'd like to use a raw Rpi without adding special hardware
>>>>>> directly.
>>>>>>>> That
>>>>>>>>>>> probably means using a USB or ethernet interface to control
>>>> the
>>>>>>>> steppers.
>>>>>>>>>>> I'm thinking of using Mesa hardware.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Can someone suggest the most cost effective way to do this?
>>>>>>>> (Although I
>>>>>>>>>>> have to admit, that after buying the timing belts and
>>>> pulleys,
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>> steppers, power supply, stepper drivers, ..., it's too late
>>>> to be
>>>>>>>> really
>>>>>>>>>>> cost effective.). And the surface grinder only cost me $300.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Kenneth Lerman
>>>>>>>>>>> 55 Main Street
>>>>>>>>>>> Newtown, CT 06470
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>> Emc-users mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>>>>>>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Chris Albertson
>>>>>>>>>> Redondo Beach, California
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> Emc-users mailing list
>>>>>>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>>>>>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
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>>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> 
>>>>> Chris Albertson
>>>>> Redondo Beach, California
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Emc-users mailing list
>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
>>>> 
>>>> 
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