The DRV8825 is a stepper driver chip with a built-in microstepping indexer up to 1/32 step, an 8.2 to 45 V motor supply and up to 2.5 A per output with proper heat sinking at 24 V and 25 °C. It drives a bipolar stepper from two pins, STEP and DIR, and is the usual step up from the A4988 when you want finer steps or a higher supply voltage. Figures are from the Texas Instruments datasheet SLVSA73F.
Key specifications
| Motor supply | 8.2–45 V |
|---|---|
| Current | up to 2.5 A per output with heat sinking |
| Microstepping | up to 1/32 |
| Decay | mixed, slow, fast |
| RDS(on) | 0.25 Ω typ (HS+LS) |
| Protection | OCP, TSD, UVLO, nFAULT |
What the datasheet promises
| Item | Datasheet value |
|---|---|
| Motor supply | 8.2 to 45 V |
| Maximum drive current | 2.5 A per output at 24 V and 25 °C, with proper heat sinking |
| Microstepping | Full step up to 1/32 step, set by mode pins |
| Decay modes | Mixed, slow and fast |
| On-resistance (high plus low side) | 0.25 Ω typical, 0.32 Ω maximum at 24 V, 1 A, 25 °C |
| Interface | STEP and DIR pins |
| Sleep | Dedicated nSLEEP pin for a low-current sleep mode |
| Reference | Built-in 3.3 V reference output |
| Protection | Overcurrent, thermal shutdown, VM undervoltage lockout, nFAULT indication pin |
| Package | HTSSOP-28 |
The 2.5 A is a limit under good cooling, not a continuous figure for a bare breakout. The datasheet ties the current to the supply voltage, temperature and heat sinking, so a small board with no heatsink or airflow will reach thermal shutdown well before that.
Using it on a robot
- Put a bulk capacitor across the motor supply close to the driver, and never connect or disconnect the motor while powered.
- Set the current limit with the reference voltage before the first run; too high overheats the driver and the motor.
- Pull nSLEEP high and make sure nENBL is low, or the outputs stay off.
- Pick the microstep mode with the mode pins. Finer steps are smoother and quieter but cost step pulses: 1/32 step needs 32 times as many pulses per revolution as full step.
For a small geared stepper such as the 28BYJ-48 use the ULN2003A; for DC motors see the TB6612FNG.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Instruments DRV8825 datasheet (SLVSA73F) — every figure in the table above.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Limits are from the Texas Instruments datasheet for the chip; breakout boards vary. No price is quoted because it has not been checked.
Where to buy in India
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