StepperControl 🚀 — Arduino Stepper Motor Controller with Buttons

Author: Bocaletto Luca

A minimal yet professional Arduino sketch to control a NEMA 17 stepper motor using an A4988 driver and three buttons: Forward, Reverse, and Reset.

📁 File: StepperControl.ino
👤 Author: bocaletto-luca
🔧 License: MIT

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🛠️ Hardware Requirements

Component	Quantity
NEMA 17 Stepper Motor	1
A4988 Stepper Driver	1
Arduino Uno/Nano/etc.	1
Push Buttons (FWD, REV, RST)	3
10kΩ Resistors (optional)	3
External Power Supply (e.g., 12V for motor)	1

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⚙️ Wiring

Arduino Pin	Connected To
D2	A4988 STEP
D3	A4988 DIR
D4	A4988 ENABLE
D5	Button (Forward)
D6	Button (Reverse)
D7	Button (Reset)
GND	Button Grounds + A4988 GND
5V / VCC	A4988 VDD (logic)

Use INPUT_PULLUP in code or external pull-down resistors.
Don’t forget current limit adjustment on A4988 for your stepper.

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🧠 Behavior

• Press Forward button → one step forward
• Press Reverse button → one step back
• Press Reset button → reset internal position to zero
• Step delay is ~1.6ms (800μs HIGH + 800μs LOW)
• Prints current step via Serial at 9600 baud

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📄 Code

// StepperControl.ino
// Author: bocaletto-luca
// Control NEMA17 stepper with A4988 and 3 push buttons

const int stepPin = 2;
const int dirPin  = 3;
const int enPin   = 4;

const int btnFwd  = 5;  // Forward button
const int btnRev  = 6;  // Reverse button
const int btnRst  = 7;  // Reset position

long currentStep = 0;

void setup() {
  pinMode(stepPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(dirPin,  OUTPUT);
  pinMode(enPin,   OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(enPin, LOW); // Enable motor

  pinMode(btnFwd, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(btnRev, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(btnRst, INPUT_PULLUP);

  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Stepper ready.");
}

void loop() {
  if (digitalRead(btnFwd) == LOW) {
    moveStepper(1);
    delay(200); // Debounce
  }
  if (digitalRead(btnRev) == LOW) {
    moveStepper(-1);
    delay(200);
  }
  if (digitalRead(btnRst) == LOW) {
    currentStep = 0;
    Serial.println("Position reset.");
    delay(500);
  }
}

void moveStepper(int direction) {
  digitalWrite(dirPin, direction > 0 ? HIGH : LOW);
  digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);
  delayMicroseconds(800);
  digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
  delayMicroseconds(800);
  currentStep += direction;
  Serial.print("Position: ");
  Serial.println(currentStep);
}

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📦 Uploading

1. Open StepperControl.ino in Arduino IDE
2. Select the correct board and port
3. Click “Upload”
4. Open Serial Monitor at 9600 baud

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📷 Optional Enhancements

• Add microstepping config via MS1–MS3
• Replace buttons with joystick or encoder
• Add OLED display for position
• Integrate EEPROM for persistence

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📄 License

GPL License © 2025 bocaletto-luca