My L293D IC gets quite hot after some time in use. Everything still works the way i wanted. What are the possible reasons for it and what can I do about it? I tried checking the connections. Everything seems fine. Can I just ignore it?
Measure the current and compare that to the data sheet, for a start.
edit.... you can try a heatsink. Iirc, the 4 grounds are meant to be connected to one, or you can get one of those ones to stick on top.
AFAIK that IC is old technology. H-bridge voltage loss is ~2.5volt@600mA.
That is converted into heat, and the motor gets 2.5volt less than the supply voltage.
If you want to give the motor full voltage/power, without the heat, get a more modern driver with mosfets.
Leo..
If your application doesn't need to reverse the motor, you can reduce the IC's heat loss and gain higher range of motor speed control by using just one output, or several in parallel. The +'ve terminal of the motor for forward direction would be connected directly to the +'ve supply. Voltage loss through the L293D would only be about 1.2V.
What's your application? ... Motor? Solenoid? Power Relay? Other?
When posting about motor driver ics overheating, it is necessary to provide specific information regarding the load (the motor) of the chip. Obviously, an IC designed to handle a 500 mA load is going to overheat if you are running a 1A motor. Please post a link for the motor or measure the current.