Pole Damping Technology™ Pole Damping Technology™ (PDT) enhances step motor performance by creating a more accurate and smooth motion profile. PDT optimizes the microstepping performance of the step motor by outputting the correct amount of run and hold current to the motor, at the right time. Thus, each step will overcome the motor's natural tendency to want to forcefully pull towards the full step ON position. The graphs below show what Pole Damping Technology™ can do for your applications. Notice the spikes that a competitor’s driver creates at every 64th step when running the motor at 64x microstepping. This sudden “jump” is caused by the detent torque of the motor. Taking a closer look at the graph reveals that the few microsteps prior to the huge spike are inconsistent as well. The spikes are due to the step motor correcting itself over time; when error is accumulated during the 63 microsteps, the 64th step forces the motor to line up evenly between stator and rotor. After the stator and rotor are aligned, the problem is repeated during the next 1.8°. The IMD23 driver eliminates these spikes by using Pole Damping Technology™. As the name implies, dampens each step as it nears the full step position where the poles are the strongest, resulting in smooth motion and even steps.