3. Getting Started with an Arduino
As with virtually all other Arduino shields, connections between the Arduino and the motor driver are
made via extended stackable headers that must be soldered to the through-holes along the top and
bottom edges of the shield. This section explains how to use this motor driver as an Arduino shield to
quickly and easily add control of up to two DC motors to your Arduino project. For information on how
to use this board as a general-purpose motor driver controlled by something other than an Arduino,
see
Section 4
.
3.a. What You Will Need
The following tools and components are required for getting started using this motor driver as an
Arduino shield:
•
An Arduino or compatible control board.
Using this product as an Arduino shield (rather
than a general-purpose motor driver board) requires an
Arduino
[https://www.pololu.com/
product/2191]
. This shield should work with all Arduinos and Arduino clones that behave like a
standard Arduino. You will also need a USB cable for connecting your Arduino to a computer.
We have specifically tested this shield (using our Arduino library) with:
◦
A-Star 32U4 Prime
[https://www.pololu.com/category/165/a-star-32u4-prime]
◦
Arduino Uno
[https://www.pololu.com/product/2191]
(both original and R3)
◦
Arduino Leonardo
[https://www.pololu.com/product/2192]
◦
Arduino Due
[https://www.pololu.com/product/2193]
*
◦
Arduino Mega 2560
[https://www.pololu.com/product/1699]
◦ Arduino Duemilanove (both with ATmega168 and ATmega328P)
•
A soldering iron and solder.
The through-hole parts included with the shield must be
soldered in before you can plug the shield into an Arduino or before you can connect power
and motors. An
inexpensive soldering iron
[https://www.pololu.com/product/156]
will work, but
you might consider investing in a higher-performance, adjustable soldering iron if you will be
doing a lot of work with electronics.
•
A power supply.
You will need a power supply, such as a battery pack, capable of delivering
the current your motors will draw. See the
Power Connections and Considerations
portion of
Section 3.c
for more information on selecting an appropriate power supply.
•
One or two brushed DC motors.
This shield is a dual motor driver, so it can independently
control two bidirectional brushed DC motors. See the
Motor Connections and Considerations
portion of
Section 3.c
for more information on selecting appropriate motors.
Pololu Dual MC33926 Motor Driver Shield User’s Guide
© 2001–2017 Pololu Corporation
3. Getting Started with an Arduino
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