Stepper Motor Step Angle
Angle turned per step from steps per revolution.
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Example
S=200: θ = 1.8° per step
How it works
A stepper motor turns in a fixed number of equal steps for each full 360° rotation. If you know how many steps make one complete revolution, dividing 360° by that number gives the angle covered by one step. This works because the full circle is shared evenly among all the discrete step positions.
When to use it
Use this when you need to convert a stepper motor’s step count into physical rotation, such as in robotics, 3D printers, CNC machines, or any position-control system. It is also useful when choosing a motor for a project and checking how fine its angular resolution is.
Worked example, step by step
Suppose a stepper motor has 400 steps per revolution. Use the formula: θ = 360 / S Substitute the value: θ = 360 / 400 Calculate: θ = 0.9 So the step angle is 0.9° per step.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the number of degrees moved by a set of steps instead of the degrees per single step
- Forgetting that S means steps for one full revolution, not steps for one turn of the shaft plus gearbox ratio
- Rounding too early and losing precision in the step angle
Did You Know?
The common 1.8° stepper gives 200 precise stops per turn — the workhorse of 3D printers.
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