BTT TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Motor Driver – SPI Mode, Ultraquiet

A lot of components need to whir and whiz around to create 3D print masterpieces on a 3D printer. Linear or rotational motion through stepper motors needs careful and precise control to get your best results. The BTT TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Motor Driver provides that precise control with an array of great features your printer will thank you for.

The BTT TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Motor Driver offers a slew of awesome benefits that really take hobbyist 3D printing to a new level, featuring not only near-silent operations (which TMC drivers have become famous for), but also for some of the incredible technologies that Trinamic have been able to create and refine. These TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Drivers are Trinamic Drivers, which are built to attach directly to a 3D printer controller board. This driver also offers SPI mode support. Once there, the BTT TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Driver utilises a multitude of fun features such as StallGuard2 and StealthChop2 to ensure smooth quiet running.

THE KEY FEATURES OF TMC5160T V1.0 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVERS:

With a name that’s noticeably different to the TMC21xx and TMC22xx ranges, it’s a little bit surprising to see that the BTT TMC5160 doesn’t have any unique new features. However, after testing and learning more about these drivers, it’s easy to see that these aren’t meant for new fancy features, but rather for high power delivery, being capable of up to 35V @ 4.4A Peak and 3A RMS. This is a crazy amount of power for 3D printing, possibly opening up new opportunities for stronger, faster or a higher number of Stepper Motors, with this power also being complemented by some of the great features that have given TMC such a highly regarded name in the world of stepper drivers.

This TMC5160T V1.0 Stepper Driver is very similar to the TMC5160 Stepper Motor that we also stock, with the main difference being an included SPI working mode and a slight difference in specifications. This driver has 8V to 35V driver voltage with 3A IRMS.

So let’s take a look at some of those features now:

• StallGuard2: StallGuard is a clever Trinamic-patented tech’ that is able to ascertain real-time sensorless feedback from the motors, which is typically caused by EMF and excess current. This allows you to technically utilise the motors as sensors, eliminating the need for end switches, as StallGuard2 can simply detect when the motors stall after reaching the end of their travel path. This is also more precise than simple end switches, as instead of a Yes/No kind of feedback, they get variable feedback from the motors depending on the speed, torque and other forces involved in the process. However, it must be noted that StallGuard2 can’t be used in conjunction with StealthChop (only StallGuard4 is capable of this), but it CAN be used on conjunction with SpreadCycle, which performs quite similarly to StealthChop, but doesn’t have quite offer the same level of smoothness throughout the entire torque range.
• StealthChop2: If you already know what the original StealthChop is, and the awesome benefits that it offers, then you will hopefully be just as excited as we are with the new StealthChop2, which is similar to original, but integrates a current pre-regulator to avoid overcompensation of step prediction, while allowing for more torque during acceleration phases. And while this may sound complicated at first, what it translates to is fewer missed steps or overshot steps, as well as a higher level of power even when motors are caught in an odd rotor position. This means more reliability and more predictability for your motors, and of course the awesome near-silent operations that both StealthChop and SpreadCycle are well-known for.
• SixPoint Ramp Generator: With most stepper drivers, you typically have to define their settings before even letting them loose, and if you want to change which motion profile they follow, you need to turn everything off and redefine them again. Of course, there are some stepper drivers that allow for configuration over UART and even WiFi, in such cases, you still have to stop printing – or at least stop the current action – to get the best motion profile for whatever part you’re busy printing. However, with the fantastic new SixPoint Ramp Generator that has been built into this driver board, you can enjoy all of the best aspects of all of the best features, as it can generate a custom motion profile for each action, with up to six different motion profiles spliced in together, to give you the absolute best from every TMC feature. Of course, just this explanation can’t do it justice, and if you’re eager to really dig in deep into how this works, we encourage you to check out page 81 in the TMC5160 datasheet, and simply enjoy the amazing way that Trinamic have utilised and optimised all of their best features for a truly amazing result.

Additional Resources:

• As always, the best place to start when looking at a new stepper driver to install into your 3D Printer is the official BTT TMC5160 V1.0 GitHub Page, where you can find the user manual, hardware notes and other handy resources.
• If you’re looking for more basic information, check out this Trinamic SilentStepStick Drivers Page, where the most popular driver boards are compared against each other, listing some of the cool features that each offers.
• If you’re struggling to figure out how to install or operate these drivers, or are simply eager to find out more about the ever-awesome Trinamic brand, be sure to check out the Trinamic YouTube Channel, where they feature instructional, informational and also fun videos regarding all of the projects they’re involved in.
• Finally, although the models features on this site aren’t exactly the same as what we have in stock, this FYSETC Stepper Drivers Wiki Page offers a wealth of great information and insight into many of the popular TMC stepper drivers with StepStick breakout boards.

As one of the rising stars in the world of 3D Printer Component Research and Development, BigTreeTech have certainly hit the ground running, entering the market in 2015 and spending their early stages primarily learning, researching, testing and developing, before producing some truly impressive results. From simple but effective upgrades to standard parts, all the way through to completely custom parts that no other brand offered at the time, BigTreeTech now have an incredibly diverse range, with almost no area of 3D Printing being left out.

Some of BigTreeTech’s most notable additions to the world of 3D Printing include the SKR Motherboard Range for numerous different 3D Printer models, the awesome TFT Touch Display Range with fancy features like dual-mode operation, as well as their very impressive Stepper Driver Range that cater to all tastes and preferences under the sun. And of course, to top it all off, BigTreeTech also have a sister company named BIQU, and we must admit that they have been producing some pretty impressive (and low price) 3D Printers, with the BIQU B1 possibly becoming a new rival to the Ender 3.

Of course, it’s easy to see that BigTreeTech are modern masters of 3D Printing R&D, and while we do still have a lot of different parts that we want to test out from them, so far we’ve been extremely happy with what they’re capable of producing – all while fitting into same kind of hobbyist budget that they used to operate on as Makers and Tinkerers themselves.