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I'm building a SCARA robot controlled with stepper motors and want to use an encoder to close the loop. The main reason for this is I am using an experimental gearbox with nonlinearities and zero backlash so I cannot trust the stepper motor to move to a target position in an open loop configuration. It makes more sense for the output position to be specified and the input changed to match it.

Problem is that all examples and products I can find are meant to be attached to the output shaft of the stepper motor rather than the output of the gearbox. The reduction will is much smaller and I don't know if the PID controller can deal with large discrepancies in turning speed.

I want to know if I can use products such as the CLT57T from stepperonline to control an axis based on the output of a gearbox rather than on the output of a stepper motor.

The only other product I have found that can do this is kflop+kstep from dynamotion, but I idealy want something with a step/dir control interface.

Another less ideal option is using a BLDC servo driver such as this one instead of a stepper driver, but I would miss the stepper motor's holding torque.

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Here is the response from stepperonline about their closed loop stepper controller.

Glad to receive your inquiry. You can't install the encoder on the output of the gearbox. This is uncorrect and forbidden. For the driver can't control the motor The encoder must install on the shaft of motor. Have further question, please don't hesitate to contact us. Best Regards

Turns out it's not possible

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