ActuatorsQUICK REFERENCE
DC Motor
Direction, speed and the difference between running and stall current.
01Drive circuit
- Never direct
- GPIO drives a driver input, not the motor. Use a MOSFET for one direction or H-bridge for both.
- Direction
- An H-bridge reverses motor terminal polarity.
- Speed
- PWM switches the driver; duty cycle changes average applied voltage.
02Electrical sizing
- Stall current
- Select driver, supply, wires and fuse for stall/startup current, not just no-load current.
- Flyback
- Inductive current needs a safe recirculation path. Check driver protection; add a diode for a simple low-side switch.
- Noise
- Use short motor leads, suitable suppression and decoupling near the driver.
03First test
- Unloaded
- Raise wheels, start at low duty, confirm direction and check temperature.
- Reverse
- Ramp down before reversing; avoid sudden high-current direction changes.
- Ground
- Connect logic and driver grounds; keep high-current return paths out of signal wiring.