# Adafruit's Raspberry Pi Lesson 10. Stepper Motors ## Overview Stepper motors fall somewhere in between a regular DC motor ([Lesson 9](http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi-lesson-9-controlling-a-dc-motor)) and a servo motor ([Lesson 8](http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-8-using-a-servo-motor)]). They have the advantage that they can be positioned accurately, moved forward or backwards one 'step' at a time, but they can also rotate continuously. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/003/688/medium800/learn_raspberry_pi_photo_uln.jpg?1396800524) In this lesson you will learn how to control a stepper motor using your Raspberry Pi and the same L293D motor control chip that you used with the DC motor in [Lesson 9](http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi-lesson-9-controlling-a-dc-motor). The Lesson will also show you how to use an alternative driver chip, the ULN2803 For this project, it does not really matter if you use a L293D or a ULN2803. The lower cost of the ULN2803 and the four spare outputs, that you could use for something else, probably make it the best choice if you don't have either chip. The motor is quite low power and suffers less from the surges in current than DC motors and servos (which use DC motors). This project will therefore work okay powered from the 5V line of the Raspberry Pi, as long as the Pi is powered from a good supply of at least 1A. - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-10-stepper-motors/parts.md) ## Featured Products ### Small Reduction Stepper Motor - 5VDC 32-Step 1/16 Gearing [Small Reduction Stepper Motor - 5VDC 32-Step 1/16 Gearing](https://www.adafruit.com/product/858) This is a great first stepper motor, good for small projects and experimenting with steppers. This uni-polar motor has a built-in mounting plate with two mounting holes. There are only 32 steps (11.25 degree) per revolution, and inside is a 1/16 reduction gear set. (Actually it's... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/858) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/858/guides) ### Dual H-Bridge Motor Driver for DC or Steppers - 600mA - L293D [Dual H-Bridge Motor Driver for DC or Steppers - 600mA - L293D](https://www.adafruit.com/product/807) Run four solenoids, two DC motors, or one bi-polar or uni-polar stepper with up to 600mA per channel using the L293D. These are perhaps better known as "the drivers in our Adafruit Motorshield". If you accidentally damaged the drivers in a shield, you can use one of these puppies to... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/807) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/807/guides) ### ULN2803: 8 Channel Darlington Driver (Solenoid/Unipolar Stepper) [ULN2803: 8 Channel Darlington Driver (Solenoid/Unipolar Stepper)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/970) Bring in some muscle to your output pins with 8 mighty Darlingtons! This DIP chip contains 8 drivers that can sink 500mA from a 50V supply and has kickback diodes included inside for driving coils. This will let your little microcontroller or microcomputer power solenoids, DC motors (in one... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/970) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/970/guides) ### Assembled Pi Cobbler Plus - Breakout Cable [Assembled Pi Cobbler Plus - Breakout Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2029) The Raspberry Pi B+ / Pi 2 / Pi 3 / Pi 4 / Pi 5 has landed on the Maker World like a 40-GPIO pinned, quad-USB ported, credit card sized bomb of DIY joy. And while you can use most of our great Model B accessories by hooking up our [downgrade...](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1986) In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2029) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2029/guides) ### Assembled Pi T-Cobbler Plus - GPIO Breakout [Assembled Pi T-Cobbler Plus - GPIO Breakout](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2028) **This is the assembled version of the Pi T-Cobbler Plus.  It only works with the Raspberry Pi Model Zero, A+, B+, Pi 2, Pi 3, Pi 4, and Pi 5!** (Any Pi with 2x20 connector) The Raspberry Pi has landed on the Maker World like a 40-GPIO pinned, quad-USB ported,... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2028) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2028/guides) ### Budget Pack for Raspberry Pi 1 Model B (Doesn't include RasPi) [Budget Pack for Raspberry Pi 1 Model B (Doesn't include RasPi)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/965) An optimized collection of parts and pieces to experiment with Raspberry Pi at home, school or work. Great for students and those that want to get their feet wet, no soldering required! **THIS PACK DOES NOT INCLUDE A RASPBERRY PI 1 MODEL B and is NOT compatible with Model B+ or Raspberry Pi...** No Longer Stocked [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/965) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/965/guides) ### Adafruit Assembled Pi Cobbler Breakout + Cable for Raspberry Pi [Adafruit Assembled Pi Cobbler Breakout + Cable for Raspberry Pi](https://www.adafruit.com/product/914) Now that you've finally got your hands on a [Raspberry Pi® Model B](http://www.raspberrypi.org/), you're probably itching to make some fun embedded computer projects with it. What you need is an add on prototyping Pi Cobbler from Adafruit, which can break out all those... No Longer Stocked [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/914) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/914/guides) ### Breadboarding wire bundle [Breadboarding wire bundle](https://www.adafruit.com/product/153) 75 flexible stranded core wires with stiff ends molded on in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown, black and white. These are a major improvement over the "box of bent wires" that are sometimes sold with breadboards, and faster than stripping your own solid core wires. Makes... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/153) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/153/guides) ## Related Guides - [CircuitPython Libraries on Linux and Google Coral](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-google-coral-linux-blinka.md) - [Adafruit's Raspberry Pi Lesson 4. GPIO Setup](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-4-gpio-setup.md) - [Adafruit AMG8833 8x8 Thermal Camera Sensor](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-amg8833-8x8-thermal-camera-sensor.md) - [Raspberry Pi E-mail Notifier Using LEDs](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-e-mail-notifier-using-leds.md) - [Playing sounds and using buttons with Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/playing-sounds-and-using-buttons-with-raspberry-pi.md) - [Node.js Embedded Development on the Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/node-embedded-development.md) - [Speech Synthesis on the Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/speech-synthesis-on-the-raspberry-pi.md) - [Raspberry Pi Analog to Digital Converters](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-analog-to-digital-converters.md) - [Adafruit's Raspberry Pi Lesson 12. Sensing Movement](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-12-sensing-movement.md) - [Adafruit's Raspberry Pi Lesson 11. DS18B20 Temperature Sensing](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-11-ds18b20-temperature-sensing.md) - [Matrix and 7-Segment LED Backpack with the Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/matrix-7-segment-led-backpack-with-the-raspberry-pi.md) - [Program an AVR or Arduino Using Raspberry Pi GPIO](https://learn.adafruit.com/program-an-avr-or-arduino-using-raspberry-pi-gpio-pins.md) - [IoT Temperature Logger with Analog Devices ADT7410, Raspberry Pi, and Adafruit IO](https://learn.adafruit.com/iot-temperature-logger-with-python-and-adafruit-io.md) - [OpenClaw on Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/openclaw-on-raspberry-pi.md) - [Raspberry Pi as a Media Center](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-as-a-media-center.md)