A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module with Heatsink 1/16 Microstepping 3D Printer CNC

The A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module is a high-performance compact carrier board designed to drive bipolar stepper motors in full, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth-step modes. The gold standard for DIY 3D printers (RepRap, Prusa i3), desktop CNC routers, and custom robotics, it simplifies control to just two pins from your microcontroller — STEP and DIR — thanks to its built-in translator. Each module includes a custom aluminium heatsink with pre-applied thermal adhesive tape for optimal thermal performance during continuous operation.

An onboard potentiometer allows precise current limiting to match your motor’s rated specs, while built-in protection circuits guard against thermal shutdown, under-voltage lockout (UVLO), crossover-current, and ground faults.

Key Specifications

• Motor Supply Voltage (VMOT): 8V to 35V DC
• Logic Voltage (VDD): 3.3V to 5.5V DC
• Output Current: 1A per phase continuous (up to 2A with heatsink and active airflow)
• Microstep Resolutions: Full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16
• Control Pins: STEP + DIR (plus MS1, MS2, MS3 for microstepping selection)
• Protection: Thermal shutdown, UVLO, crossover-current, ground fault
• Dimensions: 20 × 15 mm
• Form Factor: 16-pin DIP (compatible with RAMPS 1.4, CNC shields, breadboards)

Pinout Reference

• VMOT: Motor power supply (8–35V external PSU)
• GND (Motor): Motor power ground
• VDD: Logic power (3.3V or 5V from MCU)
• GND (Logic): Logic ground (MCU GND)
• 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B: Bipolar stepper motor phase wires (e.g., NEMA 17)
• STEP: Step pulse input from MCU digital pin
• DIR: Direction control from MCU digital pin

Important: Always connect a 100µF electrolytic capacitor across VMOT and GND to prevent voltage spikes from damaging the driver IC.

Applications

• FDM 3D printers (RepRap, Prusa i3, RAMPS 1.4-based systems) for precise NEMA 17 motor control
• Desktop CNC routers and laser engravers for smooth axis movement
• Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi robotics projects requiring step and direction control
• Automated camera sliders, telescope mounts, and precision positioning systems

Package Includes

• 1 x A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module
• 1 x Anodised Aluminium Heatsink
• 1 x Pre-applied Thermal Conductive Adhesive Tape

Note: Image is for representation purpose only.