Hi everyone, I am looking to buy a motor driver for speed control of a brushed DC motor. My specifications are the following:
Motor supply voltage: +-12V (must provide bi-directional control)
Motor/Drive current: 1A at least
Low output voltage drop: probably MOSFET based would be best
PWM input frequency: no issue here can be for example 10kHz
I need to provide isolation between the dspace ds1104 controller and the motor driver because the controller cannot source enough current (13mA max) and for protection purposes. Any onboard isolation would be great, else I would require external isolation for example through an optocoupler.
Any suggestions/ help would be greatly appreciated : )
I think any L298n based board/shield will do the job, together with a dual power supply line 9 v for Arduino and 12 V for the motors (it's usual configuration for motor controllers, Arduino can't power motors from its pins).
That is not usually why you provide isolation, so I'm kinda confused by that requirement. Without that requirement, there are lots of options. If you need opto-isolation then there are drivers available, but more expensive.
Also I assume you are looking for something cheap as possible.
My controller will not be able to provide enough current to the driver, therefore I need some interface to solve this issue. I also need protection to my controller, therefore I thought that opto isolation would be fit. Worst case I would need to provide this externally. Do you have any drivers in mind which do not provide isolation (I am able to spend lets say $50 max but the cheaper the better as long as specification are it) ?
Replace the word controller with the device name. Current is drawn, not provided. Protection between what and what. If you would post a schematic we could stop guessing.
You 'heard'? Then get them to solve for you. The voltage drop goes away if you use MOSFET type drivers.
So start over, post labelled schematic.
The 12V power supply must be connected directly to the motor driver. The controller only needs to supply enough current to drive logic gates in the driver, but I appreciate isolation can be important.
Sorry, still new to arduino forums, learning as we go. I adjusted my posts accordingly. If I had to use the TB6612FNG driver, what opto-isolation chip would you use?
Thanks so much for your help. Thank you for confirming for me that optoisolation is typically not included onboard low motor drivers. For opto-isolation, are there any chips/ optocouplers you would suggest?
True, but why are you requiring a better efficiency for your motors?
Anyway, there are many others, more recent than the "old" (but widely used) L298n H-bridge, the very first I had in mind were some from Pololu or one of the Sparkfun ones, but the model to be choosed from depends on your specific requirements. But I'm sorry, I can't help you much more than this, I haven't had any direct experience with such drivers, so I hope you'll find what you're looking for, good luck!
I need to place it between the PWM output port of the dSPACE ds1104 controller and the PWM input port of the motor driver as to protect the motor driver.
Thanks a lot for your help. I need effeciency becuase the driver will operate motors within the linear actuators of a stewart platform which requires high accuracy : )
Ok, I doubt it but I understand your concern. In that case you need a logic level opto-isolator between the Dspace pin and the MOSET gate. Why did you mention PWM, is the motor going to be turned on and off at some sort of high frequency?
