I have an UNO, a L298N motor driver, 2 12v motors from kids trax ried-on car & a 12v battery. The sketch has it rotating one motor for 5 seconds clockwise, then same motor counter-clockwise, then the second motor the same. (details below)
I hooked it up and ran my sketch. When the sketch started both motors were turning - one a lot more than the other, after 5 seconds it switched to rotating the other direction ( i assume) and I heard a pop and saw a bit of smoke coming from the L297N. I shut it all down quickly.
I've checked everything over and over and I can't find what I did wrong - could really use another set of eyes. I would guess I fried the motor controller - which is fine, but I'd rather not make the same mistake again!
50A continuous, 100A peak is the sort of spec you need for a driver for that sort of motor. It needs
to survive brief periods of stall everytime its switched on, and occasional longer periods of stall
if the thing gets jammed.
You'll need to consider fuse ratings and battery over-discharge protection too, that motor
is well capable of over-discharging the battery and wrecking it without active protection.
Fusing protects the wiring from over heating (I doubt you'll want to use 85A continuous
rated wire for instance, perhaps 30A with a 30A slow-blow fuse?)
Hi Mark, Thanks for your reply.
Prior to reading your reply I was looking at the sabertooth 2x12 controller for $78
but your reply suggests i need something more like the sabertooth 2x60 for $184
obviously a big price difference. Both of these motors advertise "Overcurrent and thermal protection " - which makes me think that I wouldn't damage the lower-end board in situations with increased amps, it would just stop working.
Is the lower-end motor-driver just not a viable option, or is there just a higher risk of it shutting off in situations of increased load ? I'm trying to understand the consequences of the lower end board.
EDIT : just found this - maybe it's a good alternative?
