1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and more specifically to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for automatically determining control pulse duration to optimally drive a stepper motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A stepper motor is a brushless, synchronous electric motor that divides a full motor rotation into a number of steps. Generally, a stepper motor is used in a variety of paper handling equipment, such as, printers, because the stepper motor is controllable by a digital signal, is capable of controlling a wide range of speed, is capable of highly accurate positioning, and is capable of changing rotating direction. As a result, one or more stepper motors may be used in a printer to move, for example, the print head and paper in the printing mechanism to produce highly accurate print jobs.
In printers, various driving data is prepared beforehand for each stepper motor. The driving data is stored, for example, in memory in the printer. A control unit, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor, executes firmware that utilizes the driving data to drive the stepper motor. The CPU outputs a control signal, which is usually a pulse signal, to control the operation of the stepper motor.