Determining Angular Scale - Help w/ Microsteps

Your driver is probably too small.

It's only rated for 2.8A peak. Your motor is rated for 2.8A RMS (4A peak).

You should have a 4A driver, not a 2.8A one.

You don't necessarily need full motor current, per se.

I actually recommend setting the driver current slightly below the rated current to reduce motor heat, if you can get away with it.

But maybe you can't get away with it!

Maybe buy this and see if it works:
www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005261850374.html

It's so cheap, you may as well.

Having a backup is helpful when troubleshooting.

before i do this, should i modify the 'steps per revolution' in the arduino code?

For the capacitor, are we just trying to smooth the input?

Yeah, the cap(s) are/is to smooth the input power.

Maybe your bench supply has minimal filtering caps.

Yes, modify the 'steps per revolution' in the arduino code to 600 (for full step or perhaps half-step).

Dividing the number of pulley teeth will yield the reduction ratio.

So 3:1 is right.

The motor is 600 full steps/revolution.

Settings on driver:

SW1-4 all set to "ON"

Rotating Switch set to C, D, E, or F (try them all)

600 steps/rev is correct.

Maybe Amazon sucks!

Short the ENA terminals together.

Voltage across the enable terminals disables the driver.

Shorting them ensures the driver is not disabled.

Try changing the position of SW6.

The wires connecting the driver and motor should be at least 22AWG; thicker is better.

okay quick update:

setting steps per revolution to 600 and set all the driver drip switches to on, which on the table is default, so i assume no micro stepping. I ran into the same issue.

I then tried to modify the turn switchA-F,0-9 and the motor doesnt turn the output shaft on 0-7, it only starts from 8 on and all the letters. maybe this can give us a clue as to what is happening.

overall, still about 1.125 turns and pulling 0.25a

Only set the turn switch to C, D, E, or F

You really need max current here.

Crank up the supply voltage and make sure there is no current limit.

Try changing the position of switch #6.

See what happens.

okay maybe i am missing something.

I turned the switch to C, cranked up the voltage (my desktop power supply goes only up to 31 for some reason) and there is no change in the amount it spins for 'one' revolution. Still about 1.125 and pulling .25a.

The control method dip switch (6) is set to open control mode.

one thing that dawned on me, and maybe this speaks to me not quite understanding what is meant by pulse/rev, is that if the driver is set to default, all switches 1-4 set to on, there is not difference between the behavior when its set to 1600.. Even though the steps the arudino is sending are the same. this confused me even more.