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Motors module incorporates the motors driver board and different electrical motors. Motors board is designed to be compatible with the Controller module but can be successfully also used for other controller boards as it uses standard motor drivers.
Motor power supplies are separated from the control signals on the Motors board and enables to connect all control signals with one ribbon cable
With the module it is possible to drive different types of motors and all these can have separate voltage supply.
Following motors can be connected with Motors board:
motors modules supply connector (PWR):
| Pin | Supply connection | Voltage | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DC motors | up to 36 V | up to 600 mA |
| 2 | Bipolar stepper motor | up to 36 V | up to 600 mA |
| 3 | Servo motors | 4,8 - 6 V | up to 1 A |
| 4 | Unipolar stepper motors | up to 50 V | up to 500 mA |
| 5 | Drivers logic supply (selectable with JP1) | 5 V | |
| 6 | Ground(GND) |
NB! Applied voltage and current are primary dependent of motors which are used and cannot exceed the limits of specific motor. These limits should be checked from motor datasheet. motors provided with kit are most commonly supplied with the voltage 5-6 V and therefore the power distribution cable is using voltage regulators, limiting the output to 5 or 6 V.
Specific model or mark of the motor in a Add-On Kit can vary, but every kit has at least one DC motor, 1 RC servo motor and 1 bipolar or unipolar stepper motor.
Following specific models can be figured on the kit:
Motors module board is connected with Controller module with one ribbon cable to the port PE-PB-PD. The power supplies of the motors are connected with separate PWR connector, where every type of motor can have different voltage. Drivers on the board can be supplied externally or directly from Controller module. This is determined by the jumper JP1. If the jumper connects pin 1 and 2 the logic supply is taken from the Controller module. If logic supply is correctly provided the on-board LED +5V have to light up. The Motors bord is equipped with UART connector which enables to connect external UART compatible devices directly to board.
DC motors are connected to the connector group DC1. Every pair can handle one motor - all together 4 DC motors. In parallel of connector 3 two encoders ENC1 and ENC2 are connected. In case of using the encoders the DC motor connector 3 cannot be connected with DC motor on the same time (these ports have to be configured as inputs by the software). Motors are controller with widely used H-bridges. L293D dual H-bridge driver is used for the DC motors. motors can be also replaced by some other actuator which can be controlled digitally and the current do not exceed 500 mA (piezo generator, relay etc.)
| AVR pin | Control signal | AVR pin | Control signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| PB4 | Motor 1 1A | PD6 | Motor 3 1A |
| PB7 | Motor 1 2A | PD7 | Motor 3 2A |
| PD0 | Motor 2 1A | PD4 | Motor 4 1A |
| PD1 | Motor 2 2A | PD5 | Motor 4 2A |
Motors board supports two different types of stepper motor. Two unipolar and one bipolar motor can be connected with the board. Bipolar stepper is controlled with dual H-bridge L293D and unipolar stepper is driven by transistor array ULN2803. The patterns of the stepper signals are generated by the software. It is important to check the sequence of the stepper motor windings. The supply wires of unipolar stepper motor is connected to pins 1 and 2. If unipolar stepper has only 5 wires, the pin 1 is left unconnected.
Stepper motor connections:
| Pin | Winding wire | Unipolar 1 | Unipolar 2 | Bipolar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | + supply | + supply | |
| 2 | 2 | + supply | + supply | |
| 3 | 1a | PE0 | PE4 | PB0 |
| 4 | 2a | PE1 | PE5 | PB1 |
| 5 | 1b | PE2 | PE6 | PB2 |
| 6 | 2b | PE3 | PE7 | PB3 |
RC servo motors are connected to the connector PWM1 and PWM2 on the Motors board. Motors are connected so that the signal wire (usually yellow or white) is on the pin 1 (close to the edge of the board). Two servo motors can be used on the same time. The control signals are conneted directly with micro controller timer outputs.
| AVR pin | Control signal |
|---|---|
| PB5(OC1A) | PWM1 |
| PB6(OC1B) | PWM2 |
Mooduli ühendamisel on soovitatav järgida allolevat järjekorda ja kontrollerplaadi toitepistik ühendada alati kõige viimasena.