Control two stepper motors with single motor control Arduino (Uno) library

Question

I am driving a stepper motor successfully using the following freeware code:

/*
 * Simple demo, should work with any driver board
 *
 * Connect STEP, DIR as indicated
 *
 * Copyright (C)2015-2017 Laurentiu Badea
 *
 * This file may be redistributed under the terms of the MIT license.
 * A copy of this license has been included with this distribution in the file LICENSE.
 */
#include <Arduino.h>
#include "BasicStepperDriver.h"

// Motor steps per revolution. Most steppers are 200 steps or 1.8 degrees/step
#define MOTOR_STEPS 200
#define RPM 120

// Since microstepping is set externally, make sure this matches the selected mode
// If it doesn't, the motor will move at a different RPM than chosen
// 1=full step, 2=half step etc.
#define MICROSTEPS 1

// All the wires needed for full functionality
#define DIR 4
#define STEP 3
//Uncomment line to use enable/disable functionality
//#define SLEEP 13

// 2-wire basic config, microstepping is hardwired on the driver
BasicStepperDriver stepper(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR, STEP);

//Uncomment line to use enable/disable functionality
//BasicStepperDriver stepper(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR, STEP, SLEEP);

void setup() {
    stepper.begin(RPM, MICROSTEPS);
    // if using enable/disable on ENABLE pin (active LOW) instead of SLEEP uncomment next line
    // stepper.setEnableActiveState(LOW);
}

void loop() {

    // energize coils - the motor will hold position
    // stepper.enable();

    /*
     * Moving motor one full revolution using the degree notation
     */
    stepper.rotate(360);

    /*
     * Moving motor to original position using steps
     */
    stepper.move(-MOTOR_STEPS*MICROSTEPS);

    // pause and allow the motor to be moved by hand
    // stepper.disable();

    delay(5000);
}

However, I would like to drive two motors at a time using the same Arduino-Uno and change the code a bit. What can I do? I am super new to coding so go easy. I understand there is something called a function and that it receives values. However, I need it to use multiple control pins: two for each motor - "step" (that moves the motor one step further each time) and "dir" (for each motor's rotation direction). I also understand that the function:

BasicStepperDriver stepper(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR, STEP);

cannot accept 4 values (of DIR1, DIR2, STEP1 and STEP2) at a time. I would like to make it possible to use the above code (with slight changes) in order to control 2 motors at a time using 4 different I/O pins (2 for the first motor driver's (my arduino is connected to a motor driver which I have 2 of and want to use the other to drive another motor) "step" and "dir" pins, and 2 for the 2nd motor driver's "step" and "dir" pins).

Thanx

Answer 1

I did the following and it worked!

 /*
 * Simple demo, should work with any driver board
 *
 * Connect STEP, DIR as indicated
 *
 * Copyright (C)2015-2017 Laurentiu Badea
 *
 * This file may be redistributed under the terms of the MIT license.
 * A copy of this license has been included with this distribution in the file LICENSE.
 */
#include <Arduino.h>
#include "BasicStepperDriver.h"


// Motor steps per revolution. Most steppers are 200 steps or 1.8 degrees/step
#define MOTOR_STEPS 200
#define RPM1 60
#define RPM2 60
#define RPM3 60


// Since microstepping is set externally, make sure this matches the selected mode
// If it doesn't, the motor will move at a different RPM than chosen
// 1=full step, 2=half step etc.
#define MICROSTEPS1 4
#define MICROSTEPS2 4
#define MICROSTEPS3 4


// All the wires needed for full functionality
#define DIR1 3
#define STEP1 4

#define DIR2 5
#define STEP2 6

#define DIR3 7
#define STEP3 8



//Uncomment line to use enable/disable functionality
//#define SLEEPx 13


// 2-wire basic config, microstepping is hardwired on the driver
// BasicStepperDriver stepper(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR, STEP);

BasicStepperDriver stepper1(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR1, STEP1); //DIR1 = ,GPIO 3, STEP1 = GPIO 4
BasicStepperDriver stepper2(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR2, STEP2); //DIR2 = ,GPIO 5, STEP2 = GPIO 6
BasicStepperDriver stepper3(MOTOR_STEPS, DIR3, STEP3); //DIR3 = ,GPIO 7, STEP8 = GPIO 8

//Uncomment line to use enable/disable functionality
//BasicStepperDriver stepper(MOTOR_STEPS, DIRx, STEPx, SLEEPx);



void setup() {

    stepper1.begin(RPM1, MICROSTEPS1);
    stepper2.begin(RPM2, MICROSTEPS2);
    stepper3.begin(RPM3, MICROSTEPS3);

    // if using enable/disable on ENABLE pin (active LOW) instead of SLEEP uncomment next line
    // stepper.setEnableActiveState(LOW);
}


void loop() {

    // energize coils - the motor will hold position
    // stepper.enable();

    /*
     * Moving motor one full revolution using the degree notation
     */
    stepper1.rotate(360);
    stepper2.rotate(360);
    stepper3.rotate(360);

    /*
     * Moving motor to original position using steps
     */
    stepper1.move(-MOTOR_STEPS*MICROSTEPS1);
    stepper2.move(-MOTOR_STEPS*MICROSTEPS2);
    stepper2.move(-MOTOR_STEPS*MICROSTEPS3);

    // pause and allow the motor to be moved by hand
    // stepper.disable();

    delay(1000);
}