Control Stepper Motors Easily Over the Ethernet with Ethersweep
The controller can interface with PCs, machines, and backends, and supports almost every UDP language.
Germany-based engineer Jan Neumann has created a simple way to deploy and drive stepper motors for a variety of applications with his open source Ethersweep platform. Ethersweep is an Ethernet-controlled stepper motor that offers easy interfacing with any device on the same network, including PCs, machines, and backends. What’s more, every UDP supporting language can communicate with the platform, which can control as many motors as needed as long as they’re on the same network.
“It gets an IP address from a DHCP server and shows data like IP, operating voltage, button and operation states on the OLED display,” Neumann explains on his project write-up. “Modes like step, servo, and home offer useful features for most robotics and automation projects. The project is currently in version 3 and is still ongoing. The hardware is functional while the software still needs some improvements.”
Neumann designed the Ethersweep using a Trinamic TMC2208 stepper motor driver for motion control, an AMS AS5600 magnetic rotary encoder, and a rear-facing OLED display. The unit is controlled via an ATmega328 microcontroller, while a Wiznet W5500 Ethernet chip is tasked with network communication. He also outfitted the Ethersweep with a micro USB port for uploading firmware and drivers and a pair of connectors for end-stop and emergency stop buttons in case of emergencies.
Neumann has uploaded a complete walkthrough of the Ethersweep build on his project page, complete with files and schematics. Moreover, he provides a step-by-step build process that makes it easy for beginners and advanced users alike.