So, I get that you all hate the L298N, and I get why. The thing is:
It's easy: wire up power, ground, motor wires, and you're done
It's not a shield: it doesn't assume you're gonna plug it into an Uno, so it's great for i.e. Nano-based projects
It's quick: as a self-contained board, I don't have to start my project with a bunch of soldering
It's cheap: I've found working ones on Aliexpress for < $2
Having said all that, obviously the inefficiency / power consumption is the big Achilles heel that has me looking for an alternative. I'm working on a project that needs to be mobile and I'd like it to not burn through batteries as quickly.
Specifically, I'm driving 2 5v DC motors under moderate load (the weight of all the components, plus batteries) + powering a Nano & a couple sensors.
Any suggestions that meet the above criteria, or are at least within the ballpark? Thanks in advance.
I've looked at that. In terms of my criteria, are you saying buy the standalone IC and plug it into a breadboard? (The only board version I've seen with soldered headers is from Sparkfun for $13—yuck).
I will dare to suggest something outside the ballpark, just because I have been using it for a project that has almost the same requirements and I´m quite happy.
This board is called Vespa (Wasp) and it´s based on the DRV8837, integrated on an ESP32 board. It´s not cheap (~US$35,00) but you have all you need in one board + bluetooth or wi-fi comms.
This board is sold in Brazil, but maybe you can find something similar outside there. No need for breadboards. Holes are Uno compatible.
