I'm starting to do some research for a project using three dc motors, one of which is a high torque gearbox motor. I dont need the precision of a stepper motor or a servo...
I'm looking for examples and other resources on controlling dc motors with arduino that have both forward and reverse capabilities.
i thought at first maybe an h bridge... but it looks like an arduino shield might be what i'm looking for, but i'm interested in hearing what other people have to say and have done.
Anyone willing to share information or projects?
A detailed description of each motor would be helpful:
Voltage, running current, stall current?
Will the motor always run the same direction or reversible?
Always full speed or variable?
Each motor will need its own motor driver chosen so that it can comfortably provide the current required by the motor. Unless the driver has overload protection it should be sized to cope with the stall current of the motor. To get an idea of what is available have a look at the Pololu website. Other suppliers have similar products.
A shield is just one or two h-bridges in a convenient package. Be aware, however, that some shields make it difficult to access other pins on an Arduino - for example for your 3rd motor.
Some H-bridges require the use of two PWM pins (of which an Uno has 6) to give forward and reverse. Others can be controlled with a single PWM pin for speed and any I/O pin to control direction.
You may also like to consider using an Electronic Speed Control (ESC) such as are sold for radio control models. The appear to an Arduino as a servo (and use the Servo library) and can be an economical option for high-current motors.
...R