SparkFun
PD Stepper NEMA 17 USB-C PD Driver and Controller
· MPN: ROB-30118
Stepper motor builds often need a microcontroller, a separate driver, a 12V or 24V supply and plenty of wiring. This compact controller from Things by Josh b...
Stepper motor builds often need a microcontroller, a separate driver, a 12V or 24V supply and plenty of wiring. This compact controller from Things by Josh brings that stack together in one unit designed to mount directly to the back of a standard NEMA 17 stepper motor.
Power comes in via USB-C Power Delivery, allowing the board to negotiate high-voltage power from a standard USB-C PD charger and drive a stepper motor with up to 50W. The same USB-C connection keeps the setup tidy for power and programming.
Onboard hardware includes an ESP32-S3 for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® control, a Trinamic TMC2209 stepper driver, and an AS5600 magnetic rotary position sensor for closed-loop positioning. It also includes a Qwiic connector and auxiliary ports for adding compatible sensors, displays, relays and other expansion hardware without soldering.
The board is built as a compact, complete NEMA 17 motion-control module, with aluminium heatsinks and a polycarbonate cover for protection. Documentation includes a Getting Started Guide, GitHub project page and a write-up on building a USB PD powered stepper driver.
Features:
- Wireless Control: Powered by an ESP32-S3, providing ample processing power along with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®. This opens the door to wireless control, IoT integration, and easy use with platforms like ESPHome and ESP-NOW.
- Silent Operation: Features the renowned Trinamic TMC2209 driver. Famous for its ultra-silent operation (stealthChop™) and high efficiency, it also supports sensorless homing, eliminating the need for external limit switches.
- Closed-Loop Precision: An onboard AS5600 magnetic rotary encoder provides absolute angle measurement. This enables true closed-loop control, ensuring your motor never loses a step and is positioned exactly where you want it.
- Easy Expansion: Includes a Qwiic connector, giving you instant, solderless access to the vast SparkFun Qwiic ecosystem. Easily add sensors, displays, or relays to your motion project without soldering a single pin.
Specifications:
- Stepper motor driver: TMC2209 Stepper Motor Driver
- Power: USB-C PD Power
- Form factor: Compact form factor, designed to fit on the back of a standard NEMA 17 stepper motor
- Rotary position sensor: Onboard Rotary Position Sensor (AS5600 magnetic rotary position sensor)
- Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 microcontroller
- Expansion: Qwiic connector and auxiliary ports for easy expansion
- Buck converter: Onboard 3.3V buck converter
- Temperature input: Input for motor temperature measurement
A neat choice for precision motion projects such as camera sliders, automated feeders and smart window openers where compact wiring and integrated control matter.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- closed-loop control
- Closed-loop control means the system uses feedback, such as motor position or speed, to adjust its output automatically. This matters because it can keep a motor moving accurately even when the load changes, unlike simple open-loop control.
- encoder
- A device attached to a motor or shaft that reports movement, such as rotation steps or position. In a pump system, an encoder can help measure or control how much the motor has turned, which affects how repeatable the watering amount can be.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of microcontroller modules with built-in wireless features such as Bluetooth and WiFi. Knowing this product uses an ESP32-based module helps explain how it provides wireless serial communication and firmware update features.
- ESPHome
- ESPHome is firmware and a configuration system for ESP-based devices used with Home Assistant. It matters because a supported ESPHome configuration can make the sensor easier to connect to a smart home setup without writing low-level code.
- IoT
- Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.
- Matter
- A smart home connectivity standard designed to let devices work across different ecosystems. It matters if you want a project to integrate more easily with platforms such as Apple Home, Google Home, or other Matter-compatible systems.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- motor driver
- An electronic circuit that lets a low-power controller switch and control a motor that needs more current than the controller pins can safely provide. Checking motor driver support matters because pumps and motors usually cannot be connected directly to a microcontroller output.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- USB-C
- A modern reversible USB connector used for power and data connections. On this product it matters because it can connect directly to a computer as well as to a microcontroller project.
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Robotics & Motion
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
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