Arduino project · Motors and movement · Medium
Stepper Motor Demo
A 28BYJ-48 stepper turns one full turn forward and one back.
What you will learn
- How a stepper moves in exact steps
- Why a driver board (ULN2003) is needed
- How many steps make one turn
How it works
The Stepper library sends a pattern to the four coils. For the 28BYJ-48 about 2048 steps make one turn. The program waits until each turn is finished, so the LED shows which direction it turns.
Try this next
- Turn only 90 degrees at a time.
- Make the speed slower.
- Control the direction with two buttons.
The simulator program and explanation on this page are original. The idea follows a classic Arduino project that students have built for years.
Parts: sensors and actuators (tap to show or hide)
Try the inputs (virtual sensors)
Pins (you can change them)
| Part | Arduino pin (change it here) | How to wire it |
|---|
Every wire, one by one
Red rail = 5 V from the Arduino 5V pin. Black rail = GND. The coloured wires carry signals. Match the wire colours on the drawing to this list.
| # | Colour | From (part and leg) | To |
|---|
Steps run from top to bottom, then start again. While the simulation runs, the active step is highlighted in green.
Quantities come from the parts you added. The store links open a search for that item on Robu.in, Amazon.in and ThinkRobotics, so you always see what is in stock today. Check the model, voltage and price before you order.
| # | Item | Qty | Search term | Buy / compare |
|---|
The PDF has the circuit sketch, pin table, every wire, sequence, full code, the parts list with store links, do’s and don’ts for each part, and the safety notes. The project file lets you come back and keep editing.
In the real world
A stepper turning a table
Each step command turns the pointer by a precise angle, like a turntable or a clock hand.
Tip: use the gold tab at the bottom of the circuit drawing to pull the real-world view up over the Arduino board. Your parts stay visible above it, so you can press a button and watch the real scene react.
- Stepper motor = the turning pointer