Types of Stepper Motors

Types of Stepper Motors

 There are three basic categories of stepper motors, namely permanent magnet stepper motor, variable reluctance stepper motor and hybrid stepper motor. In all these motors excitation windings are employed in stator where the number of windings refer to the number of phases.

A DC voltage is applied as an excitation to the coils of windings and each winding terminal is connected to the source through a solid state switch. Depends on the type of stepper motor, its rotor design is constructed such as soft steel rotor with salient poles, cylindrical permanent magnet rotor and permanent magnet with soft steel teeth. Let us discuss these types in detail.

Variable Reluctance Stepper Motor

It is the basic type of stepper motor that has been in existence for a long time and it ensures easiest way to understand principle of operation from a structural point of view. As the name suggests, the angular position of the rotor depends on the reluctance of the magnetic circuit formed between the stator poles (teeth) and rotor teeth.