Thanks for the replies - I guess I will look into the Azteegs.
Just out of curiosity, though, what would ever be the need for 1/32 microstepping? From my CNC work, most of the steppers we use for that or for our 3D printers (including the Kysans) are 1.8 degree +-5%. (I know there are others that have 3% tolerance or a .9 degree step, etc, but these are not common at all.) This means that there is a 10% tolerance band for the positioning error for any given step to the motor (although it is a cyclic error, so it averages out to zero over a full revolution.) This error is the native ability of the motor, has nothing to do with the drivers. So, this also says that anything more than 1/10 microstepping can have no real effect on accuracy, it just increases empty resolution.
There is an argument about it running with a smoother motion under 2-3 rpm but in my experience, you cannot really observe much difference between running a driver at 1/10. 1/16, or 1/32 stepper in terms of "smoothness." I suppose one way to measure it would be to measure the sound with a decimal meter while running at the various steppings, but I never saw much difference past 1/10. Plus, your stepper wiring has to be more robust to support the higher frequency pulsing at those rates, let alone employ a processor fast enough to keep up times 4 motors.
Not trying to be argumentative, but if there is a need for 1/32, I don't quite see it.*
(* actually, implementing a closed loop stepper system with an encoder might be a good reason for it, but I don't think putting a $150 encoder on a $20 stepper is likely on these inexpensive 3D printers.)
Just out of curiosity, though, what would ever be the need for 1/32 microstepping? From my CNC work, most of the steppers we use for that or for our 3D printers (including the Kysans) are 1.8 degree +-5%. (I know there are others that have 3% tolerance or a .9 degree step, etc, but these are not common at all.) This means that there is a 10% tolerance band for the positioning error for any given step to the motor (although it is a cyclic error, so it averages out to zero over a full revolution.) This error is the native ability of the motor, has nothing to do with the drivers. So, this also says that anything more than 1/10 microstepping can have no real effect on accuracy, it just increases empty resolution.
There is an argument about it running with a smoother motion under 2-3 rpm but in my experience, you cannot really observe much difference between running a driver at 1/10. 1/16, or 1/32 stepper in terms of "smoothness." I suppose one way to measure it would be to measure the sound with a decimal meter while running at the various steppings, but I never saw much difference past 1/10. Plus, your stepper wiring has to be more robust to support the higher frequency pulsing at those rates, let alone employ a processor fast enough to keep up times 4 motors.
Not trying to be argumentative, but if there is a need for 1/32, I don't quite see it.*
(* actually, implementing a closed loop stepper system with an encoder might be a good reason for it, but I don't think putting a $150 encoder on a $20 stepper is likely on these inexpensive 3D printers.)