polygon mirror from laser printer

[nkgamer1990]

i just tore apart a laser printer and ripped out all the cool optics, i was hoping for a beam combiner of sum sort but it at least had the polygon mirror inside it. i isolated the -+ leads but cant get the thing to rotate. anyone have any idea what the problem is, im thinking not enough voltage.
-nick

 

[bobhaha]

Its a bipolar stepper motor. The pins are used for each coil in the motor, depending on the poles of the stepper motor will determine the wires you will connect to the power input. The rest of the wires are for motor feed back and other factors that do not need to be worried about.

A bipolar stepper motor looks like this....

You typically find that, if you find the + and - of one pole, it will rotate 90 degrees, then stop. This is normal... try and find the next coil. (I suggest using a low voltage and amperage input, just till you work out the poles and polarity).

These motors are great to use in a liquid sky effect, that I explain in this thread

http://laserpointerforums.com/f45/need-some-help-finding-laser-effect-50259.html

Have fun, tell us how it goes!! -Adrian

 

[nkgamer1990]

the board i have has only 4 wires and only wires lets just call them 1a and 1b show conductivity. i put a 3v cr2 to it and nothing happens, not even a 90 degree turn.

 

[bobhaha]

Just to make sure.... We are talking about this motor right...

If so, try using a small phone charger with voltage at ~12v and current <0.5A and see if that will get it spinning... just be sure you don't burn out the motor.

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

Found a LDO 5V reg w/ on/off in mine. More than just optics in stuff ;-)

 

[nkgamer1990]

its not that specific model but it is a bipolar stepper motor. i tried feeding it 10v but nothing. ive determined which leads are which with the diode setting on my dmm.