Abstract: A stepping motor controller supplies a pulsed input signal to a motor driver controlling rotation of a stepping motor. To accelerate or decelerate the motor, the controller linearly increases or decreases the frequency of the motor driver input signal at a rate proportional to a desired angular acceleration value conveyed in an input command. The controller includes a computer responding to a low frequency interrupt signal by periodicaly adding the acceleration value to an accumulated velocity value, adding the accumulated velocity value to an accumulated displacement value, and adjusting an output angular displacement value in accordance with the amount of overflow of the accumulated displacement value. A hardware accumulator responds to a high frequency clock signal by periodically incrementing an accumulated number by the output angular displacement value of the computer, the accumulator generating a pulse of the motor driver input signal whenever the accumulated number overflows.

Abstract: A controller circuit for controlling the movement of a stepper motor or the like about one or more axes is disclosed. The circuit includes a microprocessor and associated circuitry for generating velocity and distance control signals according to a preferred method. According to the method, a constant acceleration number provided by the user is cumulatively added to itself to produce a velocity number. In addition, the velocity number is cumulatively added to itself to produce a pulse rate number. The pulse rate number is routed as a plural bit number to a counter wherein it is used to generate a train of stepper motor control pulses. The preferred method and circuitry allow the microprocessor to generate the stepper motor control pulses at a very high rate of speed without requiring peripheral adder circuitry.