SP1 Installation Guide

Equipment list

1. Computer with at least one free serial port (COM1....COMn). In case there is no free serial port in your computer, it may be replaced by USB to Serial Converter.
2. SP1 controller from RST (Research Support Technologies).
3. Stepper motor for 5...12V, and current till 1.5A. Hybrid Stepper motor with bipolar connection is recommended. For instructions, how to choose stepper motor, click here.
3. Standard DB9 (Male type) - DB9 (Female type) serial cable.
4. External standard power supply adapter for +7...9V voltage and 300mA current.
5. External stepper Power supply unit +24...36V. The current (range 1...2.5A) depends on stepper motor to be used. For most applications Power Supply of 1 Ampere current output is enough. Do not make attempt to use higher voltage as +40V, as it may damage Stepper Driver chip (Toshiba TA8435H).
6. Quadrature encoder is not necessary device, as SP1 drives motor without feedback (open loop control). On other hand, it gives some benefits, such as stall detection option and extra possibility to control motor position using encoder. We recommend Quadrature Encoder, which can be connected to +5V power supply.

Making Connection

WARNING: RST is not responsible for any damage caused by connecting to SP1 power supply units or motors (or any other devices), which have different specifications as recommended by RST. Please, act carefully when making connections. All power supply units must be OFF.

1. Connect stepper motor to Pins 13,14,15,16 of SP1 according to the picture below. Fix all wires with screws of Phoenix connector.
2. Connect optional Quadrature encoder to corresponding Pins 4, 5, 6, 7 of SP1 Phoenix connector.
3. Connect power supply (+7...9 V) cable to Pins 1, 2.
4. Connect power supply (+24...36 V) cable to Pins 11, 12.
5. Connect serial cable to IN connector of SP1 and to COMn port of a computer, where n is a serial port number.



6. Switch on power switches "Board Power" and "Motor Power" on Front panel. "Board Power", "Motor Power" and "Ready" LED's should be ON.
7. Run Terminal program on host computer. Both "Serial Port terminal" and "HyperTerminal" can be used.
8. Default SP1 controller (axis) number is 1. Press keyboard button <Enter> to reset computer incoming buffer. VE command returns version number. Type 1ve and press <Enter> button. SP1 should respond with "OK" and string with version number. No response means that communication is absent. Check cabling and software settings.


9. Test Front Panel Button Manipulator. The two buttons play manipulator's role to move stepper motor forward and back. Press Right and Left buttons simultaneously and hold them pressed for 3-4 seconds. Then front panel “Ready” LED (light emitting diode) blinks 10 times. This blinking indicates mode switching. After blinking is finished, SP1 is switched to Service mode. Press Right or Left button. Stepper motor should move clockwise or reverse depending on its windings connection. If necessary, change Stepper motor A1 and A2 Phases wires at pins 15, 16 to change the rotor motion direction. Return SP1 back to Default mode by pressing Right and Left buttons simultaneously for 3-4 seconds.
10. Main motion command is MV. Send to SP1 string 1MV32000 <Enter>. While command is being executed the Front panel "Ready" LED is OFF. Observe motion of stepper motor. Motion should be smooth. If it jumps somehow and stops, use AC and VF commands to adjust acceleration and maximum speed (See SP1 User Manual). The parameters depend on motor to be used. Check motion for reverse rotation direction by 1MV-32000 <Enter> command.
Note: Use 1? command to test the state of controller. Motion command is ignored, if error bit is set. Send 1ER command to reset error bit and get error code. SP1 response string gives an error message.
11. After Stepper motor control parameters have been optimized, get the same orientation of Encoder and Stepper motor. Positive steps number of 1MV32000 command should give increment of Encoder counter. SP1 Encoder counter is read by 1EN command. Change encoder A and Encoder B wires at pins 6 and 7 in case the positive stepper motor motion direction exhibits decrement of encoder counter counts.
12. Connect Right limit, Left limit and Home switches to SP1 as shown in picture (omit the instruction, if no switches are to be used). Default state of switches should be OFF (disconnected). Test motion status by 1? command. It should return 1. Execute motion command 1MV800000. Test motion status by 1? command. It should return 0. Press Right limit or Left limit switch. One of them should stop motion, depending on motor motion direction. Note proper limit switch. If necessary, change them. Test motion status by 1? command again. It should return -1. At this point all motion commands are disabled. Send 1ER command which resets error bit and returns error message.
13. Stepper motor current (maximum current for micro stepper drive) Ipeak is set by choosing resistors R1 and R2 values. Default value of the resistors R1=R2 is about 2 Ohm. You can replace them with those having optimum values for stepper motor. 4 screws on SP1 box bottom hold the top cover. Open the device and replace the resistors, as shown in picture below. 1 or 2 Watt resistors should be used. Both resistors must have the same value:
R = 0.8/Ipeak (Ohm),
where Ipeak is maximum current of Stepper motor windings (range 0.2...2.5A). The formula is not strict. Iout (averaged output current) is evaluated to be less than half of  IpeakIout value should be within 0.1...1.5A range. Standby (holding) current is about half of  Iout


14. Go through SP1 User Manual (50 commands) and test those you are interested. The installation of single SP1 controller is done. It is time to try more serious software (C++, LabView...) to build your own application. Pay your attention to the recommended program algorithm described in SP1 User Manual.

Cascading SP1 controllers into a chain

Every controller has an assigned controller (axis) number to 1 by default. Actually, the number is the controller address. In case a few SP1 controllers are connected to the same COM port, the address of every SP1 controller should be unique. To make them different, you have to change the address of every controller before connecting them into a chain.

The procedure can be carried out in 6 steps.
1. Connect single SP1 controller as shown in picture below. After shipping its default address is 1. Switch on SP1 power.

2. Get into the service mode. There are two ways to switch between the default and service modes.
Switching between the modes is implemented in two commands: xDMy, and xSVy, where y is a password. By default after shipping, the password is not set, so the parameter is not used. 1SV switches to the service mode, whereas 1DM switches back to the default mode. Check the current mode with 1VE command.
NOTE: Modes also switch, if both top panel (Left and Right) buttons are pressed simultaneously for 3-4 seconds. Then the front panel “Ready” LED (light emitting diode) blinks 10 times. This blinking indicates mode switching. Do not switch between the two modes, if stepper motor motion is not finished or terminated. While stepper motor is in motion, one of the two buttons works as emergency break and immediately stops axis motion and sets error bit: “Limit is detected”. Use x? command to test controller state or see “Ready” LED on top panel. Mode switching can be initiated, if the LED is on.
3. Send command 1NMn, where n - is new axis number to be set in range (1....32000). Let's assume that n=10: 1NM10. From now the axis number is 10. The controller will respond only to commands which have prefix 10. Examples: 10VE, 10?, 10MN500, 10hl, 10SV.
4. Save current parameters by xSO command to make them default. Example: 10SO.
5. Repeat the same procedure (1,2,3,4 steps) with all SP1 controllers to be cascaded. Note that the number n (controller address) should be unique for every controller.
6. Connect controllers into a chain as shown in picture below.

Example: If SP1 controllers are numbered to 1,2,3...n, different controllers will respond to commands: 1ve, 2ve, 3ve,...,nve.