I am using a version of an Arduino CNC board that is found here to drive 4 wheels on a small wheeled robot. The shield came with A4988 stepper drivers and I got them to work fine, however the motors were much louder than intended so I went searching for another driver and found the TMC2208. I saw that the pin-outs were the same as long as the boards themselves aligned the enable pins on the shield. The problem however seems to be in the code though. I am using the Accelstepper library in my code and everything works fine with the A4988 driver board. When I swapped just the boards, nothing happened in my program. I went looking on the TMCStepper library git to try and find some help. I managed to at lease get the steppers working using a version of the 'Simple' example. I tried to take out as much as possible while still being able to move the motors so that I could use it in my actual program. I still am not having any luck. When I run this program
#include <TMCStepper.h>
#define EN_PIN 8 // Enable
#define DIR_PIN1 5 // Direction
#define STEP_PIN1 2 // Step
#define DIR_PIN2 6 // Direction
#define STEP_PIN2 3
#define DIR_PIN3 7 // Direction
#define STEP_PIN3 4
#define DIR_PIN4 13 // Direction
#define STEP_PIN4 12
#define SW_RX1 55 // TMC2208/TMC2224 SoftwareSerial receive pin
#define SW_TX1 60 // TMC2208/TMC2224 SoftwareSerial transmit pin
#define SW_RX2 56 // TMC2208/TMC2224 SoftwareSerial receive pin
#define SW_TX2 61
#define SW_RX3 57 // TMC2208/TMC2224 SoftwareSerial receive pin
#define SW_TX3 62
#define SW_RX4 58 // TMC2208/TMC2224 SoftwareSerial receive pin
#define SW_TX4 63
#define R_SENSE 0.11f // Match to your driver
TMC2208Stepper driverX(SW_RX1, SW_TX1, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverY(SW_RX1, SW_TX1, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverZ(SW_RX1, SW_TX1, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverA(SW_RX1, SW_TX1, R_SENSE); // Software serial
void setup() {
pinMode(EN_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(STEP_PIN1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(DIR_PIN1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(STEP_PIN2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(DIR_PIN2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(STEP_PIN3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(DIR_PIN3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(STEP_PIN4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(DIR_PIN4, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(EN_PIN, LOW); // Enable driver in hardware
driverX.begin();
driverY.begin();
driverZ.begin();
driverA.begin(); // SPI: Init CS pins and possible SW SPI pins
// UART: Init SW UART (if selected) with default 115200 baudrate
driverX.microsteps(16); // Set microsteps to 1/16th
}
void loop() {
// Run 5000 steps and switch direction in software
for (uint16_t i = 5; i>0; i++) {
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN4, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(160);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN1, LOW);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN2, LOW);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN3, LOW);
digitalWrite(STEP_PIN4, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(160);
}
the motors just continuously spin, so I know that the drivers actually work. My main code is below.
#include <AccelStepper.h>
#include <TMCStepper.h>
const int stepperCount = 4;
AccelStepper BLStepper(AccelStepper::DRIVER, 2, 5);
AccelStepper FLStepper(AccelStepper::DRIVER, 3, 6);
AccelStepper FRStepper(AccelStepper::DRIVER, 4, 7);
AccelStepper BRStepper(AccelStepper::DRIVER, 12, 13);
#define R_SENSE 0.11f
// define pins numbers
#define stepX_PIN 2
#define dirX_PIN 5
#define stepX_RX 55
#define dirX_TX 60
#define stepY_PIN 3
#define dirY_PIN 6
#define stepY_RX 56
#define dirY_TX 61
#define stepZ_PIN 4
#define dirZ_PIN 7
#define stepZ_RX 57
#define dirZ_TX 62
#define stepA_PIN 12
#define dirA_PIN 13
#define stepA_RX 58
#define dirA_TX 63
#define enPin_PIN 8
TMC2208Stepper driverX(stepX_RX, dirX_TX, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverY(stepY_RX, dirY_TX, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverZ(stepZ_RX, dirZ_TX, R_SENSE);
TMC2208Stepper driverA(stepA_RX, dirA_TX, R_SENSE);
//Front left wheel
//const int stepX_PIN = 2;
//const int dirX_PIN = 5;
//Front right wheel
//const int stepY_PIN = 3;
//const int dirY_PIN = 6;
//Back left wheel
//const int stepZ_PIN = 4;
//const int dirZ_PIN = 7;
//Back right wheel
//const int stepA_PIN = 12;
//const int dirA_PIN = 13;
//const int enPin_PIN = 8;
char split = ':'; //this is the character that would be used for seperating the different parts of your commands
//the syntax for commands would be: command:value1:value2
int listSize = 5; //the amount of commands in the list
String commands[] = {"hello", "add", "sub", "YMOV", "XMOV"}; //the list of every command name
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(115200); //sets the data transfer rate for the serial interface
//9600 is good for basic testing, but should be as high
//as possible for both devices
FRStepper.setMaxSpeed(300);
FRStepper.setAcceleration(200);
BRStepper.setMaxSpeed(300);
BRStepper.setAcceleration(200);
FLStepper.setMaxSpeed(300);
FLStepper.setAcceleration(200);
BLStepper.setMaxSpeed(300);
BLStepper.setAcceleration(200);
pinMode(stepX_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(dirX_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(stepY_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(dirY_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(stepZ_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(dirZ_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(stepA_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(dirA_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(enPin_PIN, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(enPin_PIN, LOW);
digitalWrite(dirX_PIN, HIGH);
digitalWrite(dirY_PIN, HIGH);
digitalWrite(dirZ_PIN, HIGH);
digitalWrite(dirA_PIN, HIGH);
//digitalWrite(stepX_PIN, HIGH);
//digitalWrite(stepY_PIN, HIGH);
//digitalWrite(stepZ_PIN, HIGH);
//digitalWrite(stepA_PIN, HIGH);
driverX.begin();
driverY.begin();
driverZ.begin();
driverA.begin();
FRStepper.setEnablePin(enPin_PIN);
FLStepper.setEnablePin(enPin_PIN);
BRStepper.setEnablePin(enPin_PIN);
BLStepper.setEnablePin(enPin_PIN);
FRStepper.enableOutputs();
FLStepper.enableOutputs();
BRStepper.enableOutputs();
BLStepper.enableOutputs();
}
void loop()
{
CommCheck(); //checks serial buffer for data commands
runMotors();
}
void runMotors()
{
if ((FLStepper.distanceToGo() != 0) || (FRStepper.distanceToGo() != 0) || (BLStepper.distanceToGo() != 0) || (BRStepper.distanceToGo() != 0))
{
FRStepper.enableOutputs();
FLStepper.enableOutputs();
BRStepper.enableOutputs();
BLStepper.enableOutputs();
FLStepper.run();
BLStepper.run();
FRStepper.run();
BRStepper.run();
if ((FLStepper.distanceToGo() == 0) && (FRStepper.distanceToGo() == 0))
{
CommConfirm();
}
}
//if (movementComplete == true)
//{
//CommConfirm();
//}
//if (
//if ((FLStepper.distanceToGo() == 0) || (FRStepper.distanceToGo() == 0) || (BLStepper.distanceToGo() == 0) || (BRStepper.distanceToGo() == 0))
//{
//CommConfirm();
//}
}
void CommCheck()
{
if(Serial.available()) //checks to see if there is serial data has been received
{
//int len = Serial.available(); //stores the character lengh of the command that was sent
//this is used for command parsing later on
String command = Serial.readString(); //stores the command as a text string
int len = command.length();
//Serial.println(command);
Serial.flush();
//command.remove(len-2,1); //removes characters added by the pi's serial data protocol
//command.remove(0,2);
//len -= 3; //updates the string length value for parsing routine
int points[2] = {0, 0}; //offset points for where we need to split the command into its individual parts
for(int x = 0; x < len; x++) //this loop will go through the entire command to find the split points based on
{ //what the split variable declared at the top of the script is set to.
//Serial.print("Char ");
//Serial.print(x);
//Serial.print("- ");
//Serial.println(command[x]);
if(command[x] == split) //this goes through every character in the string and compares it to the split character
{
if(points[0] == 0) //if the first split point hasn't been found, set it to the current spot
{
points[0] = x;
}
else //if the first spot was already found, then set the second split point
{ //this routine is currently only set up for a command syntax that is as follows
points[1] = x; //command:datavalue1:datavalue2
}
}
}
CommParse(command, len, points[0], points[1]); //now that we know the command, command length, and split points,
} //we can then send that information out to a routine to split the data
} //into individual values.
void CommParse(String command, int len, int point1, int point2)
{
//Serial.print("Command Length: ");
//Serial.println(len);
//Serial.print("Split 1: ");
//Serial.println(point1);
//Serial.print("Split 2: ");
//Serial.println(point2);
String com = command; //copy the full command into all 3 parts
String val1 = command; //this is needed for the string manipulation
String val2 = command; //that follow
com.remove(point1, len - point1); //each of these use the string remove to delete
val1.remove(point2, len - point2); //the parts of the command that aren't needed
val1.remove(0, point1 + 1); //basically splitting the command up into its
val2.remove(0, point2 + 1); //individual pieces
val2.remove(val2.length()-1,1);
CommLookup(com, val1, val2); //these pieces are then sent to a lookup routine for processing
}
void CommLookup(String com, String val1, String val2)
{
int offset = 255; //create a variable for our lookup table's offest value
//we set this to 255 because there won't be 255 total commands
//and a valid command can be offset 0, so it's just to avoid
//any possible coding conflicts if the command sent doesn't
//match anything.
for(int x = 0; x < listSize; x++) //this goes through the list of commands and compares
{ //them against the command received
if(commands[x] == com)
{
offset = x; //if the command matches one in the table, store that command's offset
}
}
switch(offset) //this code compares the offset value and triggers the appropriate command
{
case 0: //essentially a hello world. | Syntax: hello:null:null
CommHello(); //this activates the hello world subroutine | returns Hello!
break;
case 1: //adds both values together and return the sum. | Syntax: add:value1:value2
CommAdd(val1.toInt(), val2.toInt()); //this activates the addition subroutine | returns value1 + value2
break;
case 2: //subtracts both values and return the difference | Syntax: subtract:value1:value2
CommSub(val1.toInt(), val2.toInt()); //this activates the subtraction subroutine | returns value1 - value2
break;
case 3:
yMovement(val1.toInt(), val2.toInt());
break;
case 4:
xMovement(val1.toInt(), val2.toInt());
default: //this is the default case for the command lookup and will only
Serial.println("Command not recognized"); //trigger if the command sent was not known by the arduino
break;
}
}
void CommHello() //each of these routines are what will be triggered when they are successfully processed
{
Serial.println("Hello!");
CommConfirm();
}
void CommAdd(int val1, int val2)
{
Serial.println(val1 + val2);
CommConfirm();
}
void CommSub(int val1, int val2)
{
Serial.println(val1 - val2);
CommConfirm();
}
void yMovement(int val1, int val2)
{
if (val1 < 0) {
//Serial.println("YMOVNEG");
int yMoveNew = (val1 * (-20.72));
//Serial.println(val1 * (-1));
//delay(500);
FRStepper.move(-yMoveNew);
BRStepper.move(-yMoveNew);
FLStepper.move(-yMoveNew);
BLStepper.move(-yMoveNew);
}
else {
//Serial.println(val1);
int yMoveNew = (val1 * (20.72));
//Serial.println(yMoveNew);
//Serial.println(val1);
//delay(500);
FRStepper.move(yMoveNew);
BRStepper.move(yMoveNew);
FLStepper.move(yMoveNew);
BLStepper.move(yMoveNew);
}
}
void xMovement(int val1, int val2)
{
if (val1 < 0) {
//Serial.println(val1);
int xMoveNew = (val1 * (-20.72));
//Serial.println(xMoveNew);
//Serial.println(val1 * (-1));
//delay(1000);
FLStepper.move(-xMoveNew);
BLStepper.move(xMoveNew);
FRStepper.move(xMoveNew);
BRStepper.move(-xMoveNew);
//delayMicroseconds(500);
}
else {
int xMoveNew = (val1 * (20.72));
//Serial.println(val1);
//delay(1000);
FLStepper.move(xMoveNew);
BLStepper.move(xMoveNew);
FRStepper.move(xMoveNew);
BRStepper.move(xMoveNew);
//delayMicroseconds(500);
}
}
void CommConfirm()
{
Serial.println("Done");
delay(750);
}
When I run my code, a Pi sends two values that equals step counts, however with the new drivers nothing happens. I tried also looking at and following the AccelStepper example on the git but I guess I have something wrong. Any help would be appreciated.
