The many applications for motors are well known. But have you ever discovered how it really operates using motor driver ? If not, find out in 2 minutes of reading.
Motors, followed by solenoids, pneumatics, and hydraulics, are the most often utilized actuators in electrical devices and machines. From a straightforward vibration motor inside a phone to intricate stepper motors in CNC machines, these DC machines are common. To control a motor using a microcontroller or processor, you need a motor driver or motor controller. Depending on the kind of motor and control needed, there are many different sizes and shapes of motor drivers. In this post, we will only discuss DC motors and demonstrate how to use a Motor Driver to operate a DC motor.
What is motor driver
An integrated circuit chip known as a motor driver IC is used to manage motors in embedded systems and autonomous robotics. The two most popular motor driver ICs used in low-powered robotics and remote-control cars are L293D and ULN2003. There is no doubt that a motor driver is something that makes the motor move in response to the inputs or instructions delivered . It controls a real motor that requires high input voltage by listening to the controller’s low voltage. Simply put, a motor driver IC regulates the direction of the motor in response to commands or instructions.
There are different types of motor driver
| Image | Motor driver type | Description |
 | L293D Motor driver IC | Can be interfaced between the microcontroller and the motor. Designed to manage two DC motors at the same time. |
 | TB6600 Stepper motor driver | can command the stepper motors’ direction and speed. A 9–42VDC power supply and a wide range of power inputs are features of the TB6600 stepper motor driver. With a 6 DIP switch, you may adjust its micro-step and output current. |
 | PWM DC Motor speed controller | Using a PWM signal, regulate DC motor speed. Internal potentiometer to adjust the PWM signal’s duty cycle It can manage loads up to 500W and 9V-50V in voltage. |
 | L298 Motor driver board | It can direct and regulate the speed of two DC motors. able to connect to microcontrollers such the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32, and others. The motors may be driven using a 12V input voltage. A 5V inbuilt voltage regulator is also included. |
| A4988 Stepper motor driver | The A4988 driver supports intermediate step positions, which enables micro-stepping. The coils are powered at moderate current levels to achieve this. One one from our controller controls the rotational direction, and the other pin controls the number of steps, thus we only need two pins to operate the stepper motor. | |
 | PC A9685 16 channel Servo motor driver | The PCA9685 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Driver uses only 2 pins to drive up to 16 servos through I2C. It can connect to microcontrollers like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi, among others. With just two 12C pins, it is capable of controlling 16 servo motors. |
How does Motor driver works
The motor driver receives signals from the microcontroller first. The motor is then driven by the reference voltage that has been given after the signals received by the motor driver have been translated and stepped up. There are two voltage input pins on the motor. While pin 2 switches the motor OFF by providing OV at the output pin, pin 1 turns the motor ON by providing a voltage equal to the reference voltage. The motor driver is in charge of this entire operation. Using a tiny voltage signal from a microcontroller or control system, we employ motor drivers to supply the motor with high power.
About H- bridge
An electrical circuit known as an H-bridge changes the polarity of an operating voltage to a load. These circuits enable DC motors to move forward or backward in robotics and other applications.
