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Stepper Motor Controller

I found this circuit in my files. I don't know where it came from, but it
looks like I photocopied it from somewhere years ago. I have been told that it
came from "The Robot Builder's Bonanza", by Gordan McComb. Anyway, I thought
that it should be fairly useful, so I decided to post it here. The circuit is
very simple and inexpensive. This is good thing because most commercial stepper
motor controller ICs are quite expensive. This circuit is built from standard
components and can easily be adapted to be controlled by a computer. If you use
cheap surplus transistors and stepper motor, the price of the circuit can be
kept to under $10.

Schematic

Parts

Part

Total Qty.

Description

Substitutions

R1, R2 ,R3, R4

4

1K 1/4W Resistor

D1, D2, D3, D4

4

1N4002 Silicon Diode

Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

4

TIP31 NPN Transistor (See Notes)

TIP41, 2N3055

U1

1

4070 CMOS XOR Integrated Circuit

U2

1

4027 CMOS Flip-Flop

S1

1

SPDT Switch

MISC

1

Case, Board, Wire, Stepper Motor

Notes

1. You should be able to substitute any standard (2N3055, etc.) power
transistor for Q1-Q4.

2. Every time the STEP line is pulsed, the motor moves one step.

3. S1 changes the motors direction.

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