GR214V MANUAL

BULLETPROOF STEP MOTOR DRIVE

Thank you for purchasing Geckodrive’s GR214V motor control. The GR214V is a from-the-ground-up stepper motor controller
design and uses multiple proprietary techniques to run a stepper motor smoother, quieter and with more power than other
drives in its price range. This document seeks to quickly get your GR214V up and running and will explain each new feature and
its utility for your application. Let’s begin:

KEY NEW FEATURES OF THE GR214V:

1.) Form, fit, and function compatibility with IM483 and IM805 applications.

The GR214V was designed as a drop-in replacement for the discontinued IM483 and IM805 stepper motor
controls. Dimensions and pinout are identical, but with the numerous technological advantages of a modern
stepper drive.

2.) Cooler running temperature

Upgraded and over-rated power section components reduce heating by up to 30% compared to previous
revisions.

3.) Next-generation resonance compensation.

Midband instability and resonance is compensated for using all new algorithms, eliminating resonant frequencies
at the midband completely, with no adjustment necessary. The GR214V will run a motor smoothly out of the
box.

4.) Extra resolution choices.

Ranging from half-step to 256-microstep resolution, a stepper motor can be run with resolution of up to 51,200
pulses per revolution. Backwards compatibility with decimal resolution motor controls, such as our G203V and
G201X, allow for minimal parameter changes in software and programs.

Binary Decimal
Resolutions Resolutions

2 5
4 10
8 25
16 50
32 125
64 250
128
256

5.) Push Button Self-Test.

Testing and tuning stepper motors can now be done simply with an onboard self-test button. Simply pushing and
holding this button down will run the motor CW and CCW at low speed, allowing easy tuning for motor
resonance with the onboard adjustment trimpot.

6.) Resolution upscaling at low speeds.

Every microstep is further broken down into higher interpolated microsteps to increase motor smoothness at
extremely low speeds. The resolution upscaling will change depending on the microstep resolution chosen via
DIP switch to be sure your motor is getting the smoothest possible operation at all times.

7.) User adjustable standby current.

If the onboard DIP switch is used to set phase current the user can adjust a trimpot for holding torque from 0% -
100% current in standby mode. If an external resistor or voltage is used the user may use a second resistor to set
standby current, allowing full customization on multi-axis applications.
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS AND PINOUT

There are two connectors on the GR214V: A high power connector for motor and power supply connections called CN1 (P2 on
the PCB) and a low power signal connector for I/O called CN2 (P1 on the PCB). The pinouts from left to right while facing the
connector are below. All 8 pins on CN2 are optically isolated and there is no galvanic connection from any pin to the drive.

PIN NUMBER CN1 CN2

PIN1 Standby Optoisolator Ground

PIN2 Current Set Step

PIN3 Ground Direction

PIN4 Supply DC+ Optoisolator +5V

PIN5 Phase /B Enable

PIN6 Phase B Reset

PIN7 Phase /A Fault

PIN8 Phase A Full Step Out

MECHANICAL DRAWING
ELECTRICAL RATINGS

SPECIFICATION DEVICE TEST CONDITION FUNCTION MIN TYP MAX UNIT

Input voltage 18 80 V
Output current 7 A

Input forward current HCPL2531 STP, DIR 25 mA

continuous
Input forward current HCPL2531 STP, DIR 50 mA
peak
Input forward voltage HCPL2531 IF=16mA STP, DIR 1.45 1.7 V
Input reverse breakdown HCPL2531 IR=10uA STP, DIR 5.0 V
voltage
Output current HCPL2531 STP, DIR 8 mA

Input forward current MOCD EN, RES 60 mA

continuous
Input forward current MOCD PW=100us, EN, RES 1.0 A
peak 120pps
Input forward voltage MOCD IF=30mA EN, RES 1.25 1.55 V
Input reverse breakdown MOCD EN, RES 6.0 V
voltage
Collector current continuous MOCD EN, RES 150 mA
Collector-emitter MOCD IC=100uA EN, RES 70 100 V
breakdown voltage

DC output current NC7WZ STPO, FAULT 100 mA

PIN# FUNCTION DETAILS

1 GND Signal Ground
2 STP The edge of step pulse on this input advances the motor one increment. The size of the
increment is dependent upon the settings of the resolution.
3 DIR This input is used to change the direction of the motor.
4 +5V This +5VDC input is used to supply power to the isolated logic inputs.
5 ENABLE This input is used to enable/disable the output section of the driver. When in a Logic
HIGH state (open), the outputs are enabled.
6 RESET When LOW, this input will reset the driver (phase outputs will disable).
7 FAULT OUTPUT This output indicates that a short circuit condition has occurred. This output is active
LOW.
8 FULLSTEP OUTPUT This output indicates when the driver is positioned at full step. This output can be used
to count the number of full steps the motor has moved, regardless of the number of
microsteps in between.

PIN# FUNCTION DETAILS

1 REDUCE CURRENT Phase Current Reduction Adjustment
2 CURRENT Phase Current Adjustment
3 GND Power Ground. The ground, or return, of the power supply is connected here
4 V+ Motor Supply Voltage. +12 to +80VDC
5 ~PHB ~PHASE B of the stepping motor
6 PHB PHASE B of the stepping motor
7 ~PHA ~PHASE A of the stepping motor
8 PHA PHASE A of the stepping motor
CONNECTION DIAGRAM
STEP 1: APPLYING POWER AND CONNECTING A MOTOR

POWER SUPPLY HOOKUP

CN1 PIN 6 Power Ground

Connect the power supply ground to this terminal

CN1 PIN 5 Power (+)

Connect the power supply “+” to this terminal

The power supply voltage must be between 18 VDC and 80 VDC. The maximum power supply current required is 67% of the
motor’s rated phase current. An unregulated power supply may be used as long as the voltage stays between the limits; keep
the ripple voltage to 10% or less for best results. The drive has a 2 second power-on reset time before the motor is energized.

CAUTION! Power supply voltage in excess of 80 VDC will damage the GR214V.

The choice of power supply voltage depends on the high speed performance required of the motor; doubling the voltage
doubles the motor’s high speed power. In all cases the power supply voltage should be no less than 4 times or no more than 25
times the motor’s rated voltage. The motor may not run as smoothly as possible if the power supply voltage is less than 4 times
the motor’s rated voltage. A power supply voltage greater than 25 times the motor’s rated voltage will overheat and damage
the motor, even if it is not turning. Motor winding inductance should be 500uH or greater, but generally no more than 7mH for
best performance. A practical limit for stepper motors is 50mH.

A more accurate calculation of maximum power supply voltage is to find your motor’s inductance, and put it into the following
equation.

32 * (√mH inductance) = Power Supply Voltage

If your motor has 2mH of inductance, the equation would look as follows.

32 * (√2) = 45.12V

That motor’s maximum power supply would be 45VDC. All power supply voltages below that limit will work without
unnecessarily heating the motor. A calculated voltage above 80VDC should be run at 80VDC or below, and will not impact
motor performance substantially if the motor inductance is below 50mH.

MOTOR CONNECTION
CN1 PIN 1 Phase A
Connect the other end of the winding to this terminal

CN1 PIN 2 Phase /A

Connect the other motor winding to this terminal

CN1 PIN 3 Phase B

Connect the other end of the winding to this terminal

CN1 PIN 4 Phase /B

Connect one motor winding to this terminal

Connect one motor winding to terminals 1 and 2. Connect the other winding to terminals 3 and 4. Turn the power supply off
when connecting or disconnecting the motor. If the motor turns in the wrong direction, reverse the motor winding connections
to terminals 1 and 2.

4-wire, 6-wire and 8-wire motor may be used. When 6-wire motors are used, they may be connected in half winding or full
winding. This is equivalent to an 8-wire motor connected in parallel or series. If a motor is connected in series or full winding,
the motor’s phase current rating is half of its parallel or unipolar rating. The choice depends on the high-speed performance
required; a parallel-connected motor will provide twice the power of a series-connected motor at the same power supply
voltage.
STEP 2: SETTING MOTOR PHASE CURRENT

Motor phase current may be set one of three ways: The onboard DIP switches, an external current set resistor or an external
voltage input. All current settings will be in reference to the single phase peak current of the stepper motor.

ONBOARD DIP SWITCH SETTING

Please consult the diagram below for the proper switch setting for your motor phase current. Leave CN1 PIN2 floating if this
option is being used. RED = OFF, GREEN = ON in the current set diagram.
EXTERNAL CURRENT SET RESISTOR

An external current set resistor can be used, which will be connected between CN1 PIN 2 (Current Set) and CN1 PIN 3 (GND).
The formula for the current set resistor is below:

RI = IPEAK x 500

For a 3.2A motor the equation would look like below:

RI = 3.2 x 500

RI = 1600

This would mean a 1.6K resistor would be the calculated resistance value. If the calculated resistance is a nonstandard value, it
is safe to use the closest 5% resistor that is less than the calculated value. For instance, a 4.6A motor would need a 2.3K
resistor; the nearest 5% value is a 2.2K resistor which would result in roughly 96% of the motor’s rated current (4.4A). The
resistor leads should be kept as short as possible to prevent noise problems.

STEP 3: SELECTING MICROSTEP RESOLUTION

Choosing microstep resolution will determine how many revolutions your motor moves with a given frequency. To calculate
how many pulses per revolution your motor will move you simply calculate the number of full steps per revolution by the
microstep setting. For example, a standard 1.8 degree (200 full steps per revolution) stepper motor with a GR214V set to 25
microstep will require 5,000 pulses per revolution.

The resolution should be set on the DIP switch according to the diagram below.
STEP 4: SETTING STANDBY CURRENT

After the GR214V has not received step pulses for one second it will enter standby mode, where it will limit current to a user-
set percentage of maximum current. The GR214V will enter reduced-heating switching mode during this time to further
decrease motor temperature during times of inactivity. There are two ways to set the standby current value.

ONBOARD STANDBY TRIMPOT

Trimpot T2 on the GR214V is dedicated to setting the standby current value. Turning this fully CCW (8 o’clock) will reduce
current to 0% of the set value, while turning it fully CW (4 o’clock) will set the standby current to 100% of set current. This
trimpot is a single turn component with a total range of approximately 270o of motion. A diagram of the adjustment trimpot is
below:

EXTERNAL STANDBY RESISTOR

An external resistor can be used to set the standby current on the GR214V in lieu of using the onboard trimpot. If any method
of current set but the DIP switch is used then this is the mandatory way of setting standby current. This resistor will be placed
between CN1 PIN 1 (Standby Set) and CN1 PIN 3 (GND)

The formula for the resistor is below:

R2 = 500 * (Run Amps * Standby Amps) / (Run Amps – Standby Amps)

If a motor is rated for 6A and a standby current of 2A is required, the formula would be worked out as below:

R2 = 500 * (6A * 2A) / (6A – 2A)

R2 = 500 * 12 / 4

R2 = 1500

In this example you would want to use a 1.5K resistor between CN1 PIN 1 (Standby Set) and CN1 PIN 3 (GND). Component
tolerance for this setting can be 5%, so the nearest 5% resistor value to the calculated value is acceptable. As with the current
set resistor, the component leads should be kept as short as possible to prevent noise problems.

STEP 5: USING PUSH-BUTTON SELF-TEST TO VERIFY MOTOR CONNECTIONS

Once the motor is connected to the GR214V power may be applied to the drive. The motor should have holding torque (resist
being rotated by hand) and the green indicator LED should be blinking. You may now begin self-test and tuning.

In order to use the onboard self-test you will need to locate the button near TRIM1. The button should be pushed with either a
finger (without the cover) or with a blunt nonconductive rod (like a ceramic screwdriver or plastic dowel). As long as the button
is depressed the motor will move one revolution CW and one revolution CCW when set to ten microstep. The amount of
rotation will change based off of resolution settings, because the self-test outputs a set number of step pulses.
With the motor verified to run correctly, you may move on to the fourth and final step to getting the drive to run.
STEP 6: CONNECTING STEP AND DIRECTION SIGNALS

CN2 PIN 1 Signal GND

This pin is optional. This pin must connect to the controller ground terminal if the drive's FAULT and FULL-
STEP outputs are going to be used; otherwise it can be left unconnected.

CN2 PIN 2 Step

This input pin connects to the controller's STEP output. The input accepts 3.3V and 5V logic level signals; if
3.3V logic is used, a 3.3VDC supply voltage from the controller must be connected to Pin 4. The maximum
step pulse frequency is 2.5 MHz, the minimum logic '0' time is 200ns and the minimum logic '1' time is
200ns. The STEP input current is -2.5 mA with 3.3V logic and -5 mA when 5V logic is used. Stepping occurs
on the positive going edge of the STEP input.

CN2 PIN 3 Direction

This input pin connects to the controller's DIRECTION output. The input accepts 3.3V and 5V logic level
signals; if 3.3V logic is used, a 3.3VDC supply voltage from the controller must be connected to Pin 4. The
minimum setup time is 0ns and the minimum hold time is 500ns. The DIRECTION input current is -2.5mA
with 3.3V logic and -5mA when 5V logic is used.

CN2 PIN 4 Common

This pin connects to the controller's +5VDC supply terminal if 5V logic is used or a +3.3VDC supply terminal
if 3.3V logic signals are used. The maximum current draw from the supply is 15mA at +5VDC or 8mA at
+3.3VDC. The absolute maximum voltage limits to this pin is -0.3VDC and +6VDC.

UNDERSTANDING INPUTS: STEP, DIRECTION, COMMON, RESET, AND ENABLE

All control inputs on the GR214V are optoisolated for protection. The user may connect +3.3VDC or +5VDC to control supply
inputs and the maximum current draw will be 15mA on all inputs. An explanation for each input is below:

RESET: This pin is optional. This pin connects to the controller's RESET output; otherwise it can be left unconnected. A logic '1'
on this pin allows the drive to run the motor if the ENABLE input is a logic '1' or unconnected. A logic '0' resets the drive's
internal microstep counter to zero, phase A 'off' and phase B 'on'. The RESET input should be used if it's necessary to have an
emergency stop input. Cycling the RESET input (hold at logic '0' for one second, then at logic '1') also clears latched fault
conditions such as short-circuit and over-temperature protection provided the triggering cause has been cleared. If no latched
faults exist, the minimum RESET logic '0' time is 20us.

ENABLE: Freewheels motor and stops all motor switching when a logic '0' is applied. The motor will have no holding torque and
can be manually manipulated. Upon a logic ‘1’ being applied the GR214V will move the motor to the nearest full step location.
If this input is left floating the drive will operate normally and respond to STEP and DIRECTION commands. This input can be
changed at any time to freewheel the motor and is not latched to any other input or output.

STEP: A step pulse frequency is applied to this input to move the motor. The frequency and speed will depend on the microstep
resolution chosen. The maximum frequency input is 2.5 MHz, allowing for a maximum speed of 2,929 RPM at the highest
resolution of the GR214V.

DIRECTION: When a logic ‘0’ is applied the GR214V will move clockwise. When a logic ‘1’ is applied the GR214V will move
counter clockwise. This input is a non-latching input and must be held at the desired logic level for as long as the motor must
move that direction.
UNDERSTANDING OUTPUTS: FULLSTEP AND FAULT

The two optically isolated and CMOS buffered outputs on the GR214V, FULLSTEP and FAULT, are covered below. Both are
compatible with 5VDC and 3.3VDC logic.

FULLSTEP: The GR214V has an output dedicated to pulsing on every full step location (full current to one winding and zero
current in the other) on the motor, acting somewhat like a tachometer. This means every revolution would be 200 pulses on
the FULLSTEP on a standard 1.8 degree stepper motor.

FAULT: When the GR214V encounters a FAULT state it will put the FAULT pin to a high state. The FAULT conditions that will trip
the drive are:

1.) Cross phasing of the motor windings.

2.) Phase to phase short circuit on the motor connections.
3.) Over current on motor windings.
4.) Reverse polarity on power supply input.

If the GR214V enters a FAULT state you can clear this by cycling the RESET input. This will put the drive back into a normal state,
but if it faults again there may be a problem on the drive or the system.

The FAULT output can be set as a 4800 baud TTL-level UART.

Further FAULT information, including LED blink codes, can be found on Page 13 of this manual.

EXPLANATION OF FEATURES

Sub-Microstepping: At certain microstep resolutions the GR214V will interpolate microsteps between rougher resolution
choices. This means that the motor will move with the smoothness of a higher resolution option but will still have the lower
input frequency requirement of the selected resolution. When operating in 2uStep, 4uStep and 8uStep modes the drive will
interpolate to 16uStep motor smoothness. When operating at 5uStep the GR214V will interpolate to 10uStep smoothness.
Higher levels of interpolation have significantly diminished returns, which is why this affects only lower resolution choices.

Resonance Compensation: Using an entirely new method of motor control allows the GR214V to eliminate nearly all
resonance. The two-tier system the drive uses eliminates resonance at the 1st and 2nd harmonic and at the midband, increasing
torque and motor stability in unstable step motor regions.

Full Step Morphing: Like all other Geckodrive stepper drives the GR214V has full step morphing. Between 3 – 6 RPS the drive
will morph from microstepping to a true full step output to the motor, increasing high speed motor torque by 40% over a
microstepping only driver. This requires no input from the user and the drive will not need any modifications in the software
controlling it to take advantage of this.

Soft Start: Step motors without a soft start drive operating them can draw significant inrush current. The GR214V ramps up
current to the motor to avoid startup noise and premature tripping of protection circuitry due to sudden current loads.

Spread Spectrum PWM: Most stepper controls have a fixed switching frequency which leads to motor harmonics and large EMI
outputs. With spread spectrum PWM the GR214V switches randomly between switching frequencies at every step, eliminating
harmonic knocking and EMI interference.

Self-Test: A push button is used on the GR214V to allow for quick in-the-field testing of the drive’s core functionality. With a
motor and power supply connected correctly the motor will turn at 1 RPS clockwise and counter-clockwise as long as the
button is held down. This button input will take priority over all other input signals, meaning if STEP and DIRECTION are
connected and the button is held down the GR214V will move in self-test mode.

Protection Circuitry: The GR214V has rugged protection features to prevent damage in the majority of catastrophic events. It is
protected against short-circuit, under-voltage, over-voltage, and over-temperature. The protection circuit will also detect an
open motor phase and an unconnected motor. To clear a FAULT state the RESET input must be cycled to logic ‘0’ for one second
and then returned to a floating or logic ‘1’ state.
LED Fault Codes: Two LEDs give a status indication with either a solid color or a blink-blink-blink-off status code. A tertiary LED
will only light in the event the fuse blows and is labeled on the PCB as “FUSE” above the LED as seen in Figure 1. The Status LED
codes can be found below:

COLOR CODE STATUS MEANING

RED-RED-RED-OFF Motor Disconnected

GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-OFF Normal, motor not moving
RED-RED-GREEN-OFF Phase A disconnected
RED-GREEN-RED-OFF Phase B disconnected
GREEN-RED-RED-OFF Unassigned
RED-GREEN-GREEN-OFF Unassigned
GREEN-RED-GREEN-OFF Unassigned
GREEN-GREEN-RED-OFF Unassigned
SOLID RED Drive is in protect mode
SOLID GREEN Normal, motor moving

APPENDIX

This is a small section dedicated to using the GR214V that did not fit in any specific section of the manual.

HEATSINKING CONSIDERATIONS

As with all stepper motor control the GR214V will create heat while operating. The drive can be thermally modeled as a 0.25
ohm resistor for I2R heating calculations. The heatspreader plate on the drive is a hard anodized piece of aluminum and will
electrically isolate the drive from anything it is connected to. When heatsinking the GR214V any piece of aluminum may be
used without need for isolating kapton or a silpad. We recommend using thermal paste on the bottom of the heatspreader to
ensure proper thermal transfer. If your motor is rated for 3A or below an external heatsink is unnecessary.

The most important aspect to heatsinking is proper airflow. A small fan can provide significant circulation in most systems and
should blow over the fins of any heatsink that is used. Adjusting the standby current trimpot can significantly impact your drive
and motor heating at idle, so for non-load-bearing applications (i.e. a vertical axis) it is recommended to adjust it to 70% or less.

ENVIRONMENTAL RATINGS

The GR214V is rated for commercial use, with an operating temperature range of 0C – 75C (32F – 167F) and a humidity range of
0 – 95% non-condensing. Use in environments outside of those ranges are not advised but Geckodrive support can recommend
workarounds in some cases.

REPLACING THE FUSE

Replacing the fuse on the GR214V can be done quickly in the field. The fuse plugs into two sockets and can be removed with
tweezers, pliers, or by hand. The part number for the fuse is 0251007.MXL and it will need its leads formed at the same
distance as the sockets, cut to length and pushed in. Make sure that the fuse resists being pulled out at both ends to ensure a
proper fit.

DISCLAIMER

CERTAIN APPLICATIONS USING POWER PRODUCTS MAY INVOLVE POTENTIAL RISKS OF DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY OR SEVERE
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. GECKODRIVE INC. PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED, AUTHORIZED OR WARRANTED TO BE SUITABLE FOR
USE IN LIFE-SUPPORT DEVICES OR OTHER CRITICAL APPLICATIONS. INCLUSION OF GECKODRIVE INC. PRODUCTS IN SUCH
APPLICATIONS IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE FULLY AT THE PURCHASER’S OWN RISK

In order to minimize risks associated with the purchaser’s application, adequate design and operating safeguards must be
provided by the purchaser to minimize inherent or procedural hazards. GECKODRIVE INC. assumes no liability for applications
assistance or the purchaser’s product design. GECKODRIVE INC. does not warrant or represent that any license, either express
or implied, is granted under any patent right, copyright or other intellectual property right of GECKODRIVE INC.