MIDI controlled nearly silent stepper motor interface

Can control 6 stepper motors

USB MIDI with Teensy LC and Silent Step Stick stepper drivers

Box designed with www.makercase.com

This is a volume test for a few stepper motors.

For this test I used a MIDI to stepper motor interface that I made using a Teensy and Silent-Step-Stick stepper motor drivers in stealth mode. Note that in silent mode, stepper motors are much weaker. I chose those motors because they are all inside the SilentStepStick stepper driver range, and because they can run at 12V. I decided that I wanted motors that can run at 12V because it is really easy to find 12V power supplies. The driver is rated 1.2A so I tried to find motors that were under that, but I experienced that if you are only using micro stepping in silent mode, the motors are weaker and their current is less, but, be careful there. Have a look at this video to understand how to adjust you stepper motor driver. And use a protective circuit or the SilentStepStick Protector if you have freewheeling, that is particularly important if you use high rated motors.


Nema 17 Stepper Motor 17HS4401S
My opinion: silent enough if isolated, but not strong enough for most purpose. It is rated 1.7A so you can not use it with the driver in all modes.

Nema 17 Bipolar Step Motor 1A 13Ncm(18.4oz.in) 17HS08-1004S
My opinion: this one too loud to make anything close to silent. Really really weak too.

Nema 17 Stepper Motor 34mm 12V 0.4A 26Ncm(37oz.in) 17HS13-0404S
My opinion: silent enough if isolated, but not strong enough for most purpose.

Nema 17 Bipolar Stepper Motor 0.28A 36Ncm(51oz.in) 17HS16-0284S
My opinion, silentest I tested. Relatively weak, but usable. I noted that it is too the one that needs the lowest current.

Nema 17 60Ncm(85oz.in) 0.64A Bipolar Stepper Motor 17HS24-0644S
My opinion: silent enough if isolated, strong enough for most purpose, but big.

Nema 23 CNC Stepper Motor 0.88A 0.6Nm(85oz.in) 23HS16-0884S
My opinion: silent enough if isolated, strongest I tested, only one (but the geared one) that I can not stop with my fingers. Big

Gear Ratio 100:1 Planetary Gearbox With Nema 11 Stepper Motor 11HS20-0674S-PG100
My opinion: silent enough if isolated, but not that silent. Strong but really slow.

Not on this video: Nema 23 CNC Stepper Motor 2.4Nm(340oz.in) 1.8A 23HS41-1804S
Because it is 1.8A it can not be use in all modes, and some extra protections are needed to protect the driver. But they are strong and silent enough. I used them in this installation.


I found most of those steppers on omc-stepperonline.com