Monitoring Current Using hall effect and help displaying it

[chrisblack]

Help Needed

I am trying to find products that will allow me to monitor current in a stepper motor. The stepper motors work on 48vdc supply and the currents can range from 30mA to 6A as was looking at using Hall Effect technique as it will not interfere with the running of the stepper motor. Then the analog signal will most likely need to be smoothed through a filter, amplified and converted into a digital signal and interfaced with a pc to be run using either Delphi or visual basic to monitor the changes? Any help with design or relevant products would be much appreciated.


Cheers Chris

 

[Papabravo]

I don't think that you can get an analog hall effect device with the capabilities you require. Nevermind finding a way to mount them inside the motor case. Taking a stepper motor apart is a really first class way to ruin it. If you don't believe me then take one apart, and put it back together and tell me if it still has the same speed torque characteristics.

What you want is a small value resistor in each leg to measure the phase current.

Have you considered a bi-level supply?

 

[Tarsil]

Using a Hall efect chip is a bit on overengeneering side. Using a small res on each leg (like Papabravo sugested) it's a much simple way. Just measure the voltage drop using a ADC chip or a uC wich has one. The uC can do the math and interface with the PC trought a serial port or so.
Idustrial products for that?....something like any PC interfaced multimeter (u'd have to design the multiplexing circuit/demultip software tought) but I'd go with the uC ideea cause it's much cheaper.