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Stepper Motor Heat Issues

Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 1:30 am
by Allen58
I know absolutely nothing about stepper motors. I bought a NEMA 17 stepper motor (17HS8401-https://www.oyostepper.es/goods-1453-Ou ... ra-3D.html), with a nominal rated current of 1.7 amps. I did some research and decided to use a DM542 driver. Maybe that's a bit overkill, I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, this is my configuration.

The DM542 motor is powered by a 24V 5A power supply, with the pulse count set to 400. All devices are connected to the UNO development board. I tried a few programs, starting with the Dronebot program for simple speed/direction control, which worked well. I also tried some sample programs for accelerating the stepper motor, and there were no problems, but the motor temperature is quite high. It's not hot to the touch, but it's definitely very hot.

Is 24V too high for this motor? My power supply shows it draws about 500mA. I ran it at different speeds and directions for about half an hour. Is this level of heat normal?

Re: Stepper Motor Heat Issues

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2026 11:10 pm
by karlsinner
Using 24V with a DM542 stepper motor driver to run a NEMA 17 stepper motor is normal because the driver controls the current, not the voltage. Stepper motors often run quite warm during operation, so the heat you're feeling is generally expected as long as the driver current is set near the motor’s 1.7A rating.