What is the most common stepper motor step angle?

1.8° per full step is by far the most common, giving 200 full steps per revolution. High-resolution motors use 0.9° (400 steps/rev). Always check your motor's datasheet.

Does higher microstepping always improve accuracy?

Not necessarily. Microstepping divides the electrical step, but mechanical positioning error from resonance, friction, and load can exceed the microstep size. Beyond 1/16 the torque per microstep also drops, which can cause missed steps under load.

What is lead screw pitch?

Pitch is the linear distance traveled per full revolution of the screw. For example, an M8 lead screw with 2 mm pitch advances 2 mm per turn. A ball screw might use 5 mm or 10 mm pitch.

How do I calculate steps per mm for a belt drive?

For a belt drive, pitch is the belt pitch × pulley tooth count. For example, a GT2 belt (2 mm pitch) on a 20-tooth pulley gives 40 mm per revolution. Enter 40 as the pitch to get steps per mm.

What microstepping modes do typical drivers support?

Common stepper drivers (A4988, DRV8825, TMC2209) support full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128, and 1/256 microstepping, selectable via configuration pins or serial interface.

Stepper Motor Resolution Calculator

Name: Stepper Motor Resolution Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter your stepper motor step angle, microstepping mode, and lead screw pitch to get steps per revolution and linear resolution.

Motor Parameters

Full Step Angle (°)

Microstepping Mode

Linear Axis (optional)

Enter lead screw pitch or belt travel per revolution to calculate linear resolution.

Pitch / Travel per Rev

Unit

Angular Resolution

Steps / Rev

1,600

Degrees / Step

0.225°

Arcminutes / Step

13.5'

Linear Resolution

mm / Step

0.005

Steps / mm

200

μm / Step

5.0

Microstepping Comparison

Mode	Steps/Rev	°/Step	mm/Step

Summary

Enter your stepper motor step angle, microstepping mode, and lead screw pitch to get steps per revolution and linear resolution.

How it works

Enter the full-step angle of your stepper motor (commonly 1.8° for 200-step or 0.9° for 400-step motors).
Select the microstepping mode set by your driver (full step through 1/256).
The calculator divides 360° by (step angle ÷ microstep divisor) to get steps per revolution.
Angular resolution per microstep is step angle divided by the microstep divisor.
For linear axes, enter the lead screw pitch or belt pitch in mm to get mm per step and steps per mm.
Adjust inputs to compare different microstepping modes side-by-side.

Use cases

Configure firmware steps-per-mm for a CNC router or 3D printer axis.
Verify that a chosen microstepping mode meets required positioning accuracy.
Compare motor resolution between 1.8° and 0.9° step-angle motors.
Calculate travel distance per step for a lead-screw-driven linear stage.
Determine angular resolution for a rotary indexing table.
Check whether torque loss from high microstepping affects application requirements.
Estimate position repeatability before purchasing motion hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu