Introduction
The motor driver modules are devices that are used in autonomous robotics and embedded circuits to operate motors. The most popular motor driver ICs used in small robots and RC vehicles are the L293D. A motor driver is unquestionably something that causes the motor to move in accordance with the given commands or inputs; high and low. It takes the low voltage from the controller/processor and uses it to operate a real motor that requires a high input voltage.
A motor driver, in basic terms, regulates the direction of the motor in response to orders or instructions received from the controller. The motor driver takes signals from the microprocessor and converts them before sending them to the motors. Many various topologies are used in motor drivers; in this article, we’ll look at the common H-bridge topology used in the L293D motor driver.
Brief Overview of Motor Driver Shield L293D
The L293D is a basic motor driver module that allows us to regulate the speed of a DC motor and drive it in either direction. The module includes an L293D IC, which is a 16-pin IC with eight pins on each side for controlling the motor. This means that a single L293D can power up to two DC motors. The L293D is made up of two H-bridge circuits. The H-bridge is the most basic circuit for shifting polarity across a load.
Features of Motor Driver Shield L293D
- Contains four half H-Bridges that can operate as two full H-Bridges
- Operate 2 motors with direction and speed control or 4 motors with speed control only
- Can supply 600mA current per channel continuous and 1.2A peak
- 4.5 to 36V motor voltage
- 5V compatible on logic pins
Pinout of Motor Driver Shield L293D
| Pin Name | Description |
| IN1 | Motor A input pin. To control the spinning direction of Motor A. |
| IN2 | Motor A input pin. To control the spinning direction of Motor A. |
| IN3 | Motor B input pin. To control the spinning direction of Motor B. |
| IN4 | Motor B input pin. To control the spinning direction of Motor B. |
| EN1 | Enables PWM signal for Motor A |
| EN2 | Enables PWM signal for Motor B |
| OUT1 | Output pin 1 of Motor A |
| OUT2 | Output pin 2 of motor A |
| OUT3 | Output pin of Motor B |
| OUT4 | Output pin 2 of motor B |
| 12V | 12V input from a DC power source |
| 5V | Supplies power for the switching logic circuitry inside L293D |
| GND | Ground pin |
Applications
Robotics
The L293D motor driver is an H-Bridge circuit that can control DC motors using Microcontroller. You can drive a DC motor forward or backward using H-bridge integrated circuits (ICs). This is especially useful when you are working on robots like robotic cars, etc.
DC Motors
The L293D Motor Driver Module is a medium-power motor driver that works well with DC motors and can drive motors in both directions. It makes use of the well-known L293 motor driver IC. It can turn on and off four DC motors or regulate the speed and direction of two DC motors.
