Stepping motor control method including varying the number of split sections in one step drive period of a stepping motor

A stepping motor control device having different drive modes, comprising:

• a stepping motor;
• a drive circuit for driving said stepping motor, said drive circuit having a changeover circuit which changes an excitation phase of excitation current supplied to an excitation coil of said stepping motor whenever a step drive signal is applied thereto and having a switching circuit which controls the excitation current supplied to the excitation coil of said stepping motor in accordance with a pulse signal with a predetermined duty cycle;
• stepping signal generation means for generating the step drive signal in accordance with a driving frequency for step-driving said stepping motor, said stepping signal generation means applying the step drive signal to said changeover circuit of said drive circuit;
• control means for causing said step drive signal generation means to generate the step drive signal having a driving frequency in accordance with the driving mode;
• said control means having changing means for splitting one step drive period of the stepping motor into a plurality of sections in accordance with the driving frequency of said stepping motor, said changing means varying the number of said split sections in accordance with the driving mode of said stepping motor;
• and
• pulse generating means for generating said pulse signal with a predetermined duty cycle for each of said split sections and for applying said pulse signal to said switching circuit of said drive circuit.

A stepping motor control device, comprising:

• a stepping motor;
• a drive circuit for driving said stepping motor, said drive circuit having a changeover circuit which changes an excitation phase of excitation current supplied to an excitation coil of said stepping motor whenever a step drive signal is applied thereto and having a switching circuit which controls the excitation current supplied to the excitation coil of said stepping motor in accordance with a pulse signal with a predetermined duty cycle;
• stepping signal generating means for generating the step drive signal in accordance with a driving frequency for step-driving said stepping motor, said stepping signal generating means applying the step drive signal to said changeover circuit of said drive circuit;
• changing means for splitting one step drive period of said stepping motor into a plurality of sections in accordance with the driving frequency of said stepping motor, said changing means varying the number of said split sections in accordance with the driving frequency of said stepping motor;
• and
• pulse generation means for generating the pulse signal with the predetermined duty cycle in accordance with a preset cycle and for applying the pulse signal to said switching circuit of said drive circuit.