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Faster, smoother, better, stronger (at high speeds): bipolar parallel stepper wiring

Quick tip: if you're looking for higher maximum speeds with your bipolar stepper motors, try wiring the windings in parallel instead of series. According to a short National Instruments article, it can increase torque at higher speeds, reducing the chance that the motor will stall during fast rapids.

Header photo by Yung Chang

Parallel wiring diagram

Credit: National Instruments

There is a caveat though: you'll need a higher current to get the required torque. That's not a problem for the M542T stepper drivers I'm using; my motors are rated for 3 amps in bipolar parallel which the driver can easily handle.

I've managed to reliably get 150mm/sec (9m/min!) rapids out of my gantry router using 10mm/rev ballscrews. Peck drilling is even more fun to watch now.