Can I Use A 9V battery to run my L293D motor driver that plugs into the motor driver

Hi, I have a L293D motor control shield, and I was wondering if I can put the 2 ends of the battery into the +M and the GND terminals on the Motor control shield

Thanks

Yes, for a very short time.

If you are using a 9V battery like this.


Expect short run times and many issues involving low power.

Odds are the answer is no. It's not the voltage that's the problem, it's the available current. Those square '9V' batteries are really only designed to power low power circuits. Even trying to light a couple of LEDs is pushing the limits of what they can handle. Motors usually require far more current than LEDs.

If it's a small motor, you can get away with using a bunch of AA batteries in series to get enough voltage. If the motor can work with a lower voltage, then a 6V lead/acid battery can provide plenty of current. A pair of 18650 lithium cells in series will give 7.2V and way more current if needed.

The L293D will lose about 3 volts as it drives a small motor. It has a darlington output in each motor leg causing 1.4V drop per leg effectively reducing the battery voltage by about 3V. That is also burning up about 1/3 of your battery energy as heat. I suggest you get a shield that uses a newer part with MOSFET outputs. So it might work for a very short time if the motors do not pull much current and will run on no more than 6 volts assuming a 9V battery.

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.