A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module

The A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module was designed as a Breakout Board, capable of controlling a four, six or eight-wire Stepper Motor at five different microstep resolutions. It can operate at up to 2A and between 8 to 35V with a heat sink, and includes overcurrent protection, an under-voltage lockout as well as cross-current interference protection. This allows it to operate in conjunction with other parts and components in a system, or as an individual controller reacting to commands from a user or a separate system.

The board utilizes the A4988 IC chip, and offers an easy-to-use microstep resolution selection interface, in which users can set the resolution by simply setting these resistors to high or low. Various combinations of high and low results in full step, half step, quarter step, eighth step, and sixteenth step resolutions. The direction of motor spin can also be chosen with the DIR pin, which can either be connected to a controller to switch between at will, or can simply be tied directly to VCC or GND if only one direction is necessary.

The heat sink is included for higher current applications, and allows the board to use up to 2A, rather than the standard 1A. It is equipped with adhesive thermal backing, so that no screws or soldering is necessary, and you simply need to clean the chip and stick it on.

Typical Applications for the A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module:

The A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module is one of the most common single-motor driver breakout boards on the market thanks to its simple nature and surprising functionality. These features, all packed onto an inexpensive board with an impressively small form factor ensures that this Stepper Motor Driver is a solid investment. And if you really want to get good performance out of this driver, check out the current limiting section on the Pololu website. It is both easy to understand and insightful for Makers who want to get the most out of each investment they make.