TMC2300-IOT-REF - Remote controlled Stepper Motor - A closer look

10 Feb 2021

Following my problem trying to get the motor to run, I thought I'd check the board with a microscope to see if there were any issues. It all looks good an there are no obvious shorts, melted components or burns.

Power

USB

TMC2300

ESP32

Top Comments

Gough Lui over 4 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps +3

I would too personally, or a mishap damaging a component, but the reason I bought it up was because that resistor is R23 which pulls down the EN line on the TMC2300x which trinamic_lisa suggested was worth…
Jan Cumps over 4 years ago in reply to Gough Lui +3

Gough Lui wrote: I.. Nice to see KiCad getting some love . True <3
Jan Cumps over 4 years ago +2

Andy, I read that your power circuit gets hot, no matter what's connected as source or load. If it gets hot even when there's no motor attached, that's a real sign that things are wrong. These are all…

Workshopshed over 4 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

Jan, the problem started when I tried a sketch that pulsed the step pin on IO21. There was smoke from around the power section before I disconnected it.
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Jan Cumps over 4 years ago in reply to Gough Lui

Gough Lui wrote:

I..Nice to see KiCad getting some love .
True <3
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Gough Lui over 4 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

I would too personally, or a mishap damaging a component, but the reason I bought it up was because that resistor is R23 which pulls down the EN line on the TMC2300x which trinamic_lisa suggested was worth checking. If that line floats, it could result in unexpected current draw. There is always the potential for a marginal connection becoming broken due to thermal cycle stress or mechanical bending stresses etc. A long shot, I know ...
At least, that's what opening the KiCad schematics tells me. Nice to see KiCad getting some love .

- Gough
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Jan Cumps over 4 years ago in reply to Gough Lui

Andy's board worked in the beginning. That's why I'd suspect a defect component.
He mentioned "too much current from the USB". I'd doubt that because the USB is not powering the motor.
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Gough Lui over 4 years ago

Hmm ... one connection on the SMD resistor just north of the TMC2300x has a suspicious blobby solder joint. I doubt it's the cause of the issue although that would (in my experience) increase the likelihood of it being a faulty joint, but it looks somehow inconsistent with the quality of the other solder joints.

- Gough
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