Patent ID: 8569991

Claim:
A stepping motor control circuit comprising: a rotation detection unit configured to detect an induced signal generated by the rotation of a rotor of a stepping motor and detect whether or not the induced signal exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage in a detection segment having a plurality of detection areas; and a control unit configured to determine the state of rotation of the stepping motor on the basis of the pattern indicating whether or not the induced signals detected by the rotation detection unit in the plurality of detection areas exceed the reference threshold voltage and, on the basis of the result of detection, and control the driving of the stepping motor with any one of a plurality of main drive pulses different from each other in energy or a correction drive pulse having larger energy than the main drive pulse, wherein an ineffective area is provided between at least the two detection areas, and the control unit determines the state of rotation of the stepping motor without considering the induced signal generated in the ineffective area.