stepper precision

alankilian

In my experience doing this kind of thing, you need to use a bellows coupling between the motor and encoder to get reading that will be useful for your purpose.

Painters tape and zip ties will introduce all kinds of strange angle changes between those two mechanical parts that do not represent the actual position of the stepper motor shaft.

arhi

@alankilian said in stepper precision:

bellows coupling

I ordered new couplings but not sure if they would arrive before I need to return the encoder. bellows coupling actually ring more than painters tape, painters tape is very stiff, it behaves for this type of testing (no load!! only the very low inertia of the encoder) perfect. For e.g. I'm not able to move a shaft without encoder catching and a very fast stop (pliers) and no ringing on the encoder... anyhow running multiple turns you see it's pretty repeatable even tape

alankilian

Try gathering data for one-turn slowly clockwise and one turn slowly counterclockwise.

If the data is within your error expectations, you have a good system.

I predict (and I may well be wrong) when you compare those two datasets you will see great variation from one to another and that tells you that your measurements are as accurate as the difference between those to readings.

Another test is to move 180-degrees, take a reading, move 180-degrees the other direction, take a reading and do that back-and-forth movement/reading for many samples.

When you compare multiple reading at the same step location, you will see variation. This also is a measurement of the variation in your measuring setup.

arhi

@alankilian said in stepper precision:

Try gathering data for one-turn slowly clockwise and one turn slowly counterclockwise.

already done the data is spot on, +-0.0 comparing directions

alankilian

What's the angular resolution if your encoder?

arhi

@alankilian 360/65535 degrees

alankilian

Well, all I can say is you are getting results that do not match with my experience in such situations.

Being able to rotate 180-degrees and repeatable read within 0.005-degree is some kind of black magic indeed. You are a master.

arhi

@alankilian said in stepper precision:

Well, all I can say is you are getting results that do not match with my experience in such situations.

Being able to rotate 180-degrees and repeatable read within 0.005-degree is some kind of black magic indeed. You are a master.

we'll see how it goes on the "bigger sample" I just let it go 400 steps forwards and 400 steps backwards and store all the data and spit out differences... would be much easier if I knew python (darn thing don't even have proper arrays) ... as for 180degrees back forth that one I did not test ... I just let it run 3200 steps forward and 3200 steps backwards and compared two greps ... let's see how the aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sh%$#%^# forgot to pipe it into file .. need to run it again ... brb

mendenmh

@arhi As to your comment about array in python: the numpy package is the default scientific array package. It is a lot like matlab. It is extraordinarily powerful. The python 'array' class, and python's own lists and tuples, are for entirely different purposes than handling what you want.

arhi

@mendenmh I don't plan to learn python and it's libraries today (I hope never), dunno why it was invented and how the hack it gained popularity but... I'll make it work somehow to get this done.... anyone want to send some code for me to run I'll be happy to .. my example that's attached is enough for anyone to know how to read the data from encoder and move the motor, so I'll run the code provided and report back results if anyone is interested ...

attm waiting for this to finish:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import pyprofibus
import time
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO

def main(watchdog=None):
        master = None
        forwarddata = []
        backwardsdata = []

        #poserem se na jezik
        for i in range(410):
                forwarddata.append(0);
                backwardsdata.append(0);


        try:
                config = pyprofibus.PbConf.fromFile("arhi_readencoder.conf")
                master = config.makeDPM()
                outData = {}
                for slaveConf in config.slaveConfs:
                        slaveDesc = slaveConf.makeDpSlaveDesc()
                        master.addSlave(slaveDesc)
                        outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00, ))

                master.initialize()

                GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
                GPIO.setup(12, GPIO.OUT)
                GPIO.setup(13, GPIO.OUT)
                GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                GPIO.output(13, GPIO.LOW)
                totalsteps = 0
                for i in range(400):
                        done = False
                        counter = 0
                        average = 0
                        while not done:
                                outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00, ))
                                for slaveDesc in master.getSlaveList():
                                        slaveDesc.setOutData(outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr])

                                handledSlaveDesc = master.run()

                                if handledSlaveDesc:
                                        inData = handledSlaveDesc.getInData()
                                        if inData is not None:
                                                print(inData[3] + inData[2]*256)
                                                average = average + inData[3] + inData[2]*256
                                                counter = counter + 1
                                                if (counter > 9):
                                                        done = True
                                                        average = average / 10

                                if watchdog is not None:
                                        watchdog()

                        print("AVERAGE: ", totalsteps, ", ", average,  flush=True)
                        forwarddata[totalsteps] = average;

                        # now do a step
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.HIGH)
                        time.sleep(0.0001)
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                        time.sleep(1)
                        totalsteps = totalsteps + 1

                GPIO.output(13, GPIO.HIGH)
                for i in range(400):
                        done = False
                        counter = 0
                        average = 0
                        while not done:
                                outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00, ))
                                for slaveDesc in master.getSlaveList():
                                        slaveDesc.setOutData(outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr])

                                handledSlaveDesc = master.run()

                                if handledSlaveDesc:
                                        inData = handledSlaveDesc.getInData()
                                        if inData is not None:
                                                print(inData[3] + inData[2]*256)
                                                average = average + inData[3] + inData[2]*256
                                                counter = counter + 1
                                                if (counter > 9):
                                                        done = True
                                                        average = average / 10

                                if watchdog is not None:
                                        watchdog()

                        print("AVERAGE: ", totalsteps, ", ", average,  flush=True)
                        backwardsdata[totalsteps] = average;

                        # now do a step
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.HIGH)
                        time.sleep(0.0001)
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                        time.sleep(1)
                        totalsteps = totalsteps - 1

                for i in range( len(backwardsdata) ):
                        print(i, forwarddata[i], backwardsdata[i], forwarddata[i] - backwardsdata[i])

        except pyprofibus.ProfibusError as e:
                print("Terminating: %s" % str(e))
                return 1
        finally:
                GPIO.cleanup()
                if master:
                        master.destroy()
        return 0

if __name__ == "__main__":
        import sys
        sys.exit(main())

alankilian

I'm having a little trouble analyzing your data.

It looks like you are taking 3201 samples every revolution when I look at the .zip file you uploaded.

I didn't take a look at the Python code since I'm also not a Python expert.

Take a look at when your encoder flips over to it's minimum count and see that there seem to be ( to my eyes) 3201 samples between them.

That makes it a little difficult to analyze.

I'll take a look at your next data set after you upload it.

arhi

@alankilian going forward then backward and recording all steps was awesome suggestion ... data is ugly

Untitled 1.ods

arhi

@alankilian

It looks like you are taking 3201 samples every revolution when I look at the .zip file you uploaded.

the "multiturn" file is stepping for a while (whole night) going forward. encoder goes up to 65535 and then to 0 (it is absolute encoder) so it allow multiturn but records only positions inside one revolution

the "single turn" have 2 reasons to figure out it's full turn, one is to read the "similar" (20 less difference) position from the first one it reads when it start, and second reason is if it makes 400*32 steps (I assume 1/32 microstepping .9 degree motor ) .. first run it made 3199 steps in second 3200 steps. Motor is 1.8 degree and microstepping is 1/16 so 3200 steps is ok.

Now, you see "more" data, that's cause I do: Step, read encoder 10 times (output all 10), calc average of those 10 and display average value (add them all together and divide by 10). So for every step there is 11 rows in the txt file...

arhi

error goes from 60 to 80 or 0.33° to 0.44°

the span is 400 microsteps or 25 full steps so I'm assuming the full step positions are where the error is .33° and between steps the error goes up to .44°. I expected to see 50 peaks and not 25 as I expected that "half step" is nearly as precise as full step (as number of ppl and documents online state)

arhi

I'll use a stiff coupler now to see if that would make a difference...

arhi

raw data (the xls is few posts back)

backforth.txt

arhi

S42B - same motor, open-loop mode, here we can see, I think the half stepping too...

s42b-openloop-back-forth.txt

alankilian

@arhi Can you post your Python code for this?

I suspect there's an "off-by-one" somewhere and you're getting better results than you see in your graph.

I'm probably wrong, but if so, you might be happy.

arhi

This post is deleted!

arhi

@alankilian said in stepper precision:

@arhi Can you post your Python code for this?

I suspect there's an "off-by-one" somewhere and you're getting better results than you see in your graph.

I'm probably wrong, but if so, you might be happy.

I hoped but it's not anyhow .. here it is:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import pyprofibus
import time
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO

def main(watchdog=None):
        master = None
        forwarddata = []
        backwardsdata = []

        #poserem se na jezik
        for i in range(410):
                forwarddata.append(0);
                backwardsdata.append(0);


        try:
                config = pyprofibus.PbConf.fromFile("arhi_readencoder.conf")
                master = config.makeDPM()
                outData = {}
                for slaveConf in config.slaveConfs:
                        slaveDesc = slaveConf.makeDpSlaveDesc()
                        master.addSlave(slaveDesc)
                        outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00, ))

                master.initialize()

                GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
                GPIO.setup(12, GPIO.OUT)
                GPIO.setup(13, GPIO.OUT)
                GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                GPIO.output(13, GPIO.LOW)
                totalsteps = 0
                for i in range(400):
                        done = False
                        counter = 0
                        average = 0
                        while not done:
                                outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00, ))
                                for slaveDesc in master.getSlaveList():
                                        slaveDesc.setOutData(outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr])

                                handledSlaveDesc = master.run()

                                if handledSlaveDesc:
                                        inData = handledSlaveDesc.getInData()
                                        if inData is not None:
                                                print(inData[3] + inData[2]*256)
                                                average = average + inData[3] + inData[2]*256
                                                counter = counter + 1
                                                if (counter > 9):
                                                        done = True
                                                        average = average / 10

                                if watchdog is not None:
                                        watchdog()

                        print("AVERAGE: ", totalsteps, ", ", average,  flush=True)
                        forwarddata[totalsteps] = average;

                        # now do a step
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.HIGH)
                        time.sleep(0.0001)
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                        time.sleep(1)
                        totalsteps = totalsteps + 1

                GPIO.output(13, GPIO.HIGH)
                for i in range(400):
                        done = False
                        counter = 0
                        average = 0
                        while not done:
                                outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr] = bytearray((0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00, ))
                                for slaveDesc in master.getSlaveList():
                                        slaveDesc.setOutData(outData[slaveDesc.slaveAddr])

                                handledSlaveDesc = master.run()

                                if handledSlaveDesc:
                                        inData = handledSlaveDesc.getInData()
                                        if inData is not None:
                                                print(inData[3] + inData[2]*256)
                                                average = average + inData[3] + inData[2]*256
                                                counter = counter + 1
                                                if (counter > 9):
                                                        done = True
                                                        average = average / 10

                                if watchdog is not None:
                                        watchdog()

                        print("AVERAGE: ", totalsteps, ", ", average,  flush=True)
                        backwardsdata[totalsteps] = average;

                        # now do a step
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.HIGH)
                        time.sleep(0.0001)
                        GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW)
                        time.sleep(1)
                        totalsteps = totalsteps - 1

                for i in range( len(backwardsdata) ):
                        print(i, forwarddata[i], backwardsdata[i], forwarddata[i] - backwardsdata[i])

        except pyprofibus.ProfibusError as e:
                print("Terminating: %s" % str(e))
                return 1
        finally:
                GPIO.cleanup()
                if master:
                        master.destroy()
        return 0

if __name__ == "__main__":
        import sys
        sys.exit(main())

The "off by one" is imho "not a problem" as if you look at the printout ..

0 20828.0 0 20828.0
1 20835.0 20869.0 -34.0
2 20840.0 20876.0 -36.0
...
398 23964.0 23972.0 -8.0
399 23972.0 23976.0 -4.0
400 0 23979.0 -23979.0

you see that firs read is 20828.0, 0 - so going backwards I did not read backwards at all, and last read is 0, 23979.0 so going forward I didn't read that one ...

also you see the "end" going forward it goes up (last dataset, for the TMC driver it's reversed)

23964.0
23972.0

then first read backwards (actually it was not stepped backwards yet that's position after last step forward)
23979.0 so larger than 23972

and then it goes down again
23976.0
23972.0

also, if you look how error is down to nothing when you just turn direction and how it rises... takes some 20+ steps in reverse for error to catch up the average values..

First step back the error is 0.02 degrees