Dual MC33886 Motor Driver Module

Dual MC33886 Motor Driver Module 40V 5A

Smart Robot Car Raspberry Pi 2x DC Motor 1x Stepper Motor

     The dual MC33886 motor driver module is a high current motor driver board carrying two MC33886 H bridge driver ICs. Each IC drives one brushed DC motor in both directions; so the board can run two DC motors forward and backward independently at the same time, or the two bridges can be used together to drive 1 bipolar (4 wire) stepper motor. It can deliver up to 5A continuous current per channel.

     Motor speed is adjusted with a PWM signal of up to 10kHz applied to the IN1-IN4 inputs; the same inputs are used for changing direction and braking. The MC33886 IC contains current limiting, short circuit protection, undervoltage shutdown and overtemperature shutdown; the fault status can be read from the FS1/FS2 points. The on-resistance of the output MOSFETs is low (typical 120mΩ, 25°C); so the conduction loss is small.

     The motor outputs and the supply input are connected with screw terminals, the control inputs with a 6 pin male header. The board, about 46mm x 48mm in size, is easily fixed to a robot chassis with its corner mounting holes. Since it drives two motors independently on one board, it suits two-motor builds such as robot cars, tracked tanks, conveyors and automatic curtains. The IN1-IN4 inputs are at 5V logic level and treat at least 3.5V as a high level; with 3.3V output control circuits a level shifter is needed on the inputs.


Features:

• Product type:    Dual channel H bridge DC motor / stepper motor driver board
• Driver IC: 2 pcs MC33886 (board code HW-231)
• Motors driven: 2 pcs brushed DC motors (bidirectional) or 1 pc bipolar stepper motor
• Continuous current per channel: up to 5A (depending on cooling and ambient temperature)
• Current limiting: internal PWM current limiting; threshold min 5.2A, typical 6.5A, max 7.8A
• Motor supply voltage (VCC): 5V - 24V DC (the 470µF capacitor on the board is rated 25V). The MC33886 IC is fully specified from 5V to 28V and operates up to 40V with derating; the board limit is set by the capacitor. Most sellers recommend the 5V - 12V range.
• PWM frequency: up to 10kHz
• Output MOSFET on-resistance (RDS(on)): typical 120mΩ (25°C)
• Control inputs: IN1, IN2 (motor 1), IN3, IN4 (motor 2); 5V CMOS logic inputs (high level min 3.5V, low level max 1.4V)
• Protections: current limiting, output short circuit protection, undervoltage shutdown (below about 4.4V), overtemperature shutdown
• Fault status: FS1 / FS2 fault output points (P5); open drain output, LOW on fault
• On-board protection: 8 pcs M7 (1N4007) diodes and a 470µF 25V supply capacitor
• Compatible boards: Arduino Uno, Nano, Mega and control boards with 5V logic PWM output; 3.3V logic boards (ESP32, ESP8266, STM32, Raspberry Pi) with a level shifter
• Operating temperature (IC): -40°C - 125°C
• Connections: 3 pcs 2-way screw terminals (OUT1-OUT2, VCC-GND, OUT3-OUT4), 6 pin control header (GND, IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4, 5V+)
• Mounting: mounting hole at each of the 4 corners
• Colour: Black PCB, blue terminals
• Dimensions: about 46mm x 48mm

Usage information:

• Connect the motor supply to the VCC (+) and GND terminal, motor 1 to the OUT1-OUT2 terminal and motor 2 to the OUT3-OUT4 terminal.
• On the control header connect the 5V+ and GND pins to the 5V and GND pins of the control board, and the IN1-IN4 pins to the digital / PWM outputs of the control board. The GND of the motor supply and the GND of the control board must be common. With 3.3V logic boards put a 3.3V - 5V level shifter on the IN1-IN4 lines; the IC treats at least 3.5V as a high level.
• For the direction of a motor set one input to 1 (high) and the other to 0 (low); swap the two inputs to reverse. For speed apply a PWM signal to one of the inputs; when both inputs are at the same level the motor brakes.
• When using a stepper motor, connect one coil of the motor to OUT1-OUT2 and the other coil to OUT3-OUT4; drive the IN1-IN4 inputs so that the two coils are energised in turn with alternating direction.

Application areas:

•  Robot car and smart vehicle projects
•  Tracked tank and off-road robots
•  Conveyor belts and transport mechanisms
•  Automatic curtain, door and lid systems
•  Crane and lifting mechanisms
•  DC pump and fan direction / speed control
•  Bidirectional solenoid and electromagnetic lock control
•  Plotters, sliders and positioning mechanisms with bipolar stepper motors
•  Education and STEM projects with Arduino
   

Points to consider:

•  The starting (stall) current of a motor is several times its running current. With motors whose starting current exceeds the current limit threshold (min 5.2A, typical 6.5A), current limiting kicks in and the motor does not get full power; choose the motor accordingly.
•  At high current the MC33886 ICs heat up. For continuous operation close to 5A ventilate the board or use a heatsink; at overtemperature or short circuit the IC latches its output off and the FS fault output goes LOW. The output does not turn on again by itself; according to the datasheet it is reset with the D1/D2 input.
•  Connect the motor supply to the VCC and GND terminal with the correct polarity; reverse connection can damage the board. The supply voltage must not exceed 24V (the capacitor on the board is rated 25V).
•  Do not raise the PWM frequency above 10kHz. The board is not suitable for AC motors and 220V mains loads.

Package contents:

•  1 pc Dual MC33886 Module
•  Note: Motor, power supply and connection cables are not included in the package.