Although I've been into R/C for decades, I am brand new to Arduino, so please excuse my noobness.
I have purchased a couple of 6WD platforms from ServoCity and have a basic question about motor control. Can I use just one motor controller, and tie the (3) left motors together, and the (3) right side motors together? Or do I need three dual motor controllers? While researching, I've seen it done both ways in various projects. I'd prefer the simpler single motor controller, if possible.
I'll be equipping both platforms with avoidance sensors, and limiting motor speeds to about 1/3 max so they aren't zipping around at full speed.
Thanks for any thoughts or observations you can offer.
I would think that the 3 motors on a side could be tied together.
Of course, this is without knowing much critical information.
- What is the stall current of each motor?
- How much current can your motor controller provide?
Voltage (Nominal) 4.5V
Voltage Range (Recommended) 4.5V - 6.0V
Speed (No Load)* 140RPM
Current (No Load)* 190mA
Current (Max Load)* 250mA
Torque (Stall)* 800 gf-cm (11.11 oz-in)
Most people wire all the motors on a side in parallel, with a driver for each side. If a wheel slips, that motor will draw less current, so most of the power is consumed by the loaded wheels.
Pololu has a great selection of drivers.
Sounds like a plan. Thanks so much for the guidance.