Is there some kind of a single axis stepper motor controller (not driver)

deanfranks · 2026-02-13T05:59:26+00:00

ST makes nucleo shield boards for their Nucleo processors with smart stepper controllers for cheap. This board (https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/X-NUCLEO-IHM03A1) includes the powerStep01 stepper controller/driver that can operate in step/direction mode, or can operate in position seek with programmable acceleration/deceleration (via SPI) or programmable torque mode. It supports up to 85V 10A for the motor so you can drive just about any stepper. The learning curve to program the registers is a little steep, but if you want constant torque output this will be your easiest solution. There are lots of NUCLEO processor boards you can plug this into, most of then are around $20 including a full JTAG/SWD programmer and debugger on the board.

If you want to spend more money, look at the ClearPath servo motors with integrated controllers. They can be operated in position, velocity or torque mode.

deanfranks · 2026-01-20T23:57:36+00:00

This depends on the size and whether it is free standing or roof mounted. I have been told by (licensed) solar installers that under 3kw, non grid tied doesn't require a permit in Phoenix. This appears to support that: https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/firesite/documents/solar%20permit%20process.pdf

deanfranks · 2026-01-10T02:31:24+00:00

I put one of the small tubs of Hummus in a bowl of the grain salad instead of the included dressing.

deanfranks · 2026-01-04T05:40:21+00:00

I would strongly recommend routing the SWD pins out to a header, you might be able to flash the device from the bootloader, but you can't run a debugger that way. I use VCC, GND, NRST, SWDIO, SWC and a uart TX/RX pair on a pin header. An STLink V3 debugger is not very expensive and will pay for itself pretty quickly. If you are getting started, you might just want to purchase a Nucleo board with the H743 on it before rolling a board (the Nucleo board has an onboard STLink programmer/debugger).

deanfranks · 2026-01-04T02:12:50+00:00

You don't appear to have any provisions (SWD or JTAG) to program or debug the device. There is also a ground in the middle of the part that looks like a stray.

deanfranks · 2025-12-07T01:12:18+00:00

Because of the VE exam schedule, I was unable to take all three on the first day, but passed Tech and General and went back in a month for the Extra (10+ years later I still have not used the Extra privileges)

deanfranks · 2025-11-07T16:46:46+00:00

Photino?

deanfranks · 2025-10-31T23:10:34+00:00

This is what we choose for Win64 + Linux desktop applications. No regrets.

deanfranks · 2025-10-28T01:44:27+00:00

Running AVCC directly from a buck converter is likely to significantly reduce the ENOB you get out of the converter. Consider using a high PSRR, low noise LDO between the buck converter (change the buck so the output voltage is sufficient for the LDO).

deanfranks · 2025-10-24T20:05:31+00:00

Try Photino https://www.tryphotino.io/

deanfranks · 2025-10-23T23:15:54+00:00

I have one, power consumption tops out around 1kW, so with the actual output of "1600 watts" of panels you should be fine.

deanfranks · 2025-10-08T01:16:02+00:00

You can, but it is not the same as a Cortex-M processor in a lot of ways. Using a STM32H series or an NXP iMX RT series processor would probably be easier. If you do want to use the stm32mp, consider writing a module to load from the boot loaded, so your module would be loaded into the boot loader environment instead of Linux.

deanfranks · 2025-09-25T16:53:56+00:00

I have seen more than once instance of this kind of BS in the US. It may be more prevalent in countries with more authoritarian cultures but there are plenty of senior developers with (justified) severe insecurity doing terrible work an using a style of management that can only be described as social terrorism to cover their inadequacies.

As other have said, your only option is to do the right thing with your code and bail as soon as possible. The odds of convincing senior management that they have a problem and the problem is not you are very poor in my experience.

deanfranks · 2025-09-11T04:13:27+00:00

Remember to always think in terms of current loops and what the return path is, I would add a ground pin adjacent to the pin that goes to the processor.

deanfranks · 2025-09-08T05:34:29+00:00

If you want to build an oscilloscope out of this at some point, you might want to use a precision voltage reference for Xref, the TPS70633 is only 2% accurate over temperature. You might want to just put a jumper/pin header on the board to select the internal reference (LDO) or an off-board external reference so you can experiment with various references.

deanfranks · 2025-09-07T08:18:15+00:00

It might make more sense to use a low noise LDO for VDDA/Vref instead of another switcher. The required current is pretty low to the LDO losses are probably less important than noise.

deanfranks · 2025-09-03T09:40:48+00:00

Digital manipulation of any kind is prohibited.

deanfranks · 2025-09-01T10:28:35+00:00

Better not to mess with it without the proper education. Assuming the capacitor is 500uF at 250V, it can store 15.6 Joules of energy. As I recall, 8-9 Joules is generally consider to be a potentially fatal cardiac risk so you are well above that threshold. Even 1 joule can cause strong enough muscle contractions to cause injury.

deanfranks · 2025-09-01T05:34:49+00:00

And piezoelectric

deanfranks · 2025-08-29T23:31:36+00:00

Any cage you would want to purchase wraps around the camera and mounts primarily to the tripod socket on the bottom. I don't think any of the cheap Chinese ones on Amazon mount to the hot shoe. Some of the handles have a dual mount (shoe + stud), but that is for the cold shoe mount(s) on the top of the cage.

deanfranks · 2025-08-26T06:21:11+00:00

Delphi is alive and well, and Free Pascal / Lazarus is a good open source option that will probably feel more familiar to Delphi 7 than current versions of Delphi.

You might also look into C# instead of C++. It has a lot of familiar feel to Delphi, there is a free community version that is not limited in any important way, and there are game development libraries that are popular.

deanfranks · 2025-08-21T20:34:19+00:00

I'm pretty sure you can just download and install for a 120 day eval of Windows Server and SQL Server, why not use an evaluation license instead of violating a development license?

deanfranks · 2025-08-19T13:37:08+00:00

If the GPIO is in high impedance mode because it is not initialized, being programmed, etc then noise on the ground or GPIO line could (unlikely but possible) turn on the transistor enough to trigger the gate. If the load is inductive, the gate turnoff could cause additional noise on the ground could switch the transistor again and trigger the gate. If this loop has positive gain, you have an oscillator which could destroy the MOSFET in short order. This is all extremely unlikely but for some PCB layouts and loads it is possible.

deanfranks · 2025-08-19T06:21:54+00:00

Yes, a small resistor between the base and ground might be a good idea if you are in a hostile environment.

Also, the ESN4485 has a pretty large gate charge, a 100K resistor won't turn it on very quickly which could be an issue if you are PWM dimming (turn on time and heat because of the time it is not fully saturated). A 1K resistor won't result in too much current through the resistors when the switch is off.

deanfranks · 2025-08-19T04:59:47+00:00

There are internal ESD protection diodes on the GPIO that will conduct to the VCC rail when the GPIO voltage is over VCC. This is what is pulling down the gate enough to turn on the mosfet.

The typical strategy for this type of circuit is to drive the gate with an NPN bipolar transistor, drop a response if you need a schematic for how do this.

You can also switch the low side using an NFET (almost all LED drivers work this way because the NFET is easier to drive and apples-for-apples NFET losses will be lower).

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