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HW-130 Motor Control Shield is a popular, low-cost "plug-and-play" driver based on the classic
chipset. While often referred to as a "clone" of the original Adafruit Motor Shield V1, it remains a staple for beginner robotics due to its ability to handle multiple motor types simultaneously. Key Specifications & Performance Driver Chips : Features two dual H-bridge drivers and one shift register for pin expansion. Voltage Range : Supports motor voltages from 4.5V to 25V
(some variants claim up to 36V, but 12V-15V is the safer practical limit). Current Capacity : Provides 0.6A continuous current per bridge, with peak currents up to Thermal Protection
: Includes internal thermal shutdown to prevent damage during overloads. 5.imimg.com Connectivity & Control The shield is designed to sit directly atop an Arduino Uno
, utilizing nearly all digital pins except for 2, 13, and the analog pins A0–A5. Output Type Control Pins Up to 4 bi-directional motors Managed via shift register Stepper Motors Up to 2 (unipolar or bipolar) Uses the same H-bridges as DC motors Servo Motors 2 hobby servos (e.g., SG90) Directly connected to Arduino pins Critical Power Management Tips
Powering this shield correctly is the most common hurdle for new users:
The HW-130 Motor Control Shield is a popular L293D-based expansion board designed for the Arduino Uno and Mega. It is functionally identical to the original Adafruit Motor Shield (v1) and is often referred to as a "clone". Core Specifications
Driver Chips: Two L293D motor driver ICs and one 74HCT595 shift register. Motor Capacity:
Up to 4 bi-directional DC motors with 8-bit speed selection. Up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar).
Up to 2 "hobby" servos (5V) connected to the Arduino’s high-resolution timers.
Output Current: 600mA constant current per bridge (1.2A peak). Voltage Range: Supports motor voltages from 4.5V to 12V.
Protection: Thermal shutdown protection and internal kickback protection diodes. Hardware Layout & Pin Mapping
The shield uses a shift register (74HCT595) to save Arduino pins, requiring only 3 digital pins to control 4 DC motors. Arduino Pin(s) Used Servo 1 Digital Pin 9 Uses Timer 1 (Uno) or Timer 2 (Mega) Servo 2 Digital Pin 10 Uses Timer 1 DC Motor 1 / Stepper 1 Digital Pin 11 PWM for speed control DC Motor 2 / Stepper 1 Digital Pin 3 PWM for speed control DC Motor 3 / Stepper 2 Digital Pin 5 PWM for speed control DC Motor 4 / Stepper 2 Digital Pin 6 PWM for speed control Shift Register Control Digital Pins 4, 7, 8, 12 Used for direction control of all motors Powering Your Motors The HW-130 features a PWR Jumper. L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
HW-130 Motor Control Shield (also widely known as the L293D Motor Shield
) is a versatile "plug-and-play" expansion board for Arduino Uno and Mega. It is designed to drive a mix of DC motors, stepper motors, and servos, making it a staple for beginner robotics projects. 5.imimg.com Core Technical Specifications quadruple half-H drivers and one shift register. 4 bi-directional DC motors with individual 8-bit speed control. Stepper Motors 2 stepper motors
(unipolar or bipolar) with single, double, interleaved, or micro-stepping. Servo Motors 2 dedicated headers hw 130 motor control shield for arduino datasheet better
for 5V "hobby" servos, connected to Arduino's high-resolution timers (Pins 9 and 10). Output Current 600mA continuous per bridge, with Voltage Range Logic voltage: 5V; Motor voltage: 4.5V to 16V (some variations support up to 36V). Power Management & Jumper Settings
Effective power management is critical to avoid resetting your Arduino (brownouts) due to motor current spikes.
How to Use L293D Motor Driver Shield With Arduino - Instructables
Current Handling: Each channel of the L293D can handle up to 600mA of continuous current and peak currents up to 1.2A per channel. Instructables L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
HW-130 Motor Control Shield is a popular clone of the original Adafruit Motor Shield v1 . It is designed for plug-and-play use with Arduino Uno
and Mega boards, providing a compact solution for driving multiple motors with minimal wiring. Flowcode Embedded Key Specifications The shield is powered by two quadruple half-H bridge driver ICs and one shift register for pin expansion. Motor Support:
Up to 4 bi-directional DC motors, 2 stepper motors (unipolar/bipolar), or 2 servo motors. Operating Voltage: 4.5V to 16V for motors (logic requires 5V). Current Handling:
600mA continuous per channel (1.2A peak) with thermal shutdown protection. Speed Control: 8-bit speed selection (approx. 0.5% resolution). 5.imimg.com Pinout & Connectivity
Since the shield uses a shift register to control motor direction, it frees up several Arduino pins for other uses. Arduino Pin(s) Used Connected to Timer1 for jitter-free control. Connected to Timer1. DC/Steppers Pins 4, 7, 8, 12 Used by the 74HC595 shift register. Pins 3, 5, 6, 11 Direct PWM control for motor speed. Unused Pins Digital 2, 13; Analog A0–A5 Available for sensors or other modules. Power Management & Jumpers
The HW-130 motor control shield for Arduino is a widely used, budget-friendly motor driver based on the classic L293D chipset. Often referred to as a clone of the original Adafruit Motor Shield (v1), it is designed to stack directly onto an Arduino Uno or Mega, providing a compact solution for driving multiple motors without messy breadboard wiring. Key Technical Specifications
The HW-130 uses two L293D dual H-bridge chips and one 74HC595 shift register to expand the available control pins. L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
HW-130 Motor Control Shield for Arduino Datasheet
The HW-130 motor control shield is a popular accessory for Arduino boards that enables users to control DC motors, stepper motors, and other loads. Here's a brief overview of the shield's features and specifications:
Key Features:
Specifications:
Datasheet:
If you're looking for a detailed datasheet for the HW-130 motor control shield, here are some key specs and documentation:
Benefits and Applications:
The HW-130 motor control shield is a versatile and easy-to-use accessory for Arduino projects involving motor control. Some example applications include:
Comparison with Other Shields:
The HW-130 motor control shield is a popular choice among Arduino enthusiasts, but there are other shields available with similar features. Some examples include:
Tips and Tricks:
The is a multi-channel motor driver shield based on the L293D chipset. It is a popular, low-cost clone of the original Adafruit Motor Shield v1 , designed to plug directly onto an Arduino Uno Go to product viewer dialog for this item. or Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . 1. Key Technical Specifications
The shield uses two L293D dual H-bridge chips and one 74HC595 shift register to expand the number of control pins. Motor Supply Voltage ( Vmotorcap V sub m o t o r end-sub ): 4.5V to 25V (up to 36V on some versions). Output Current: 600mA continuous per channel (1.2A peak). Drive Capacity: Up to 4 DC motors with individual 8-bit speed selection. Up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar).
Up to 2 "hobby" servos (5V) connected to the Arduino’s dedicated timers.
Protection: Built-in thermal shutdown and internal kickback protection diodes. 2. Pin Layout & Functions
Because it uses a shift register, most motor control signals are handled internally. However, certain Arduino pins are "reserved" when the shield is plugged in. Arduino Pins Used Description DC/Stepper Control 4, 7, 8, 12 Communicates with the 74HC595 latch. PWM Speed (DC) 3, 5, 6, 11 Controls motor speed via PWM. Servo 1 Digital Pin 9 Connects to the standard Servo 1 header. Servo 2 Digital Pin 10 Connects to the standard Servo 2 header. Analog Inputs Generally free for sensors or extra I/O. 3. Power Connection (Critical) L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
The HW-130 Motor Control Shield (often identified as the L293D Motor Driver Shield) is one of the most popular and versatile expansion boards for the Arduino Uno and Mega. Designed to handle the high current demands that microcontroller pins cannot support directly, it simplifies complex robotics projects by managing up to four DC motors or two stepper motors simultaneously. Key Technical Specifications
The HW-130 is built around two L293D quadruple half-H bridge chips and a 74HC595 shift register to minimize the number of Arduino pins used. Specification Motor Driver Chip 2 x L293D Operating Voltage 4.5V to 25V DC (Motor Supply) Output Current 0.6A per channel (1.2A Peak) DC Motor Support Up to 4 bi-directional motors Stepper Support Up to 2 stepper motors (Unipolar or Bipolar) Servo Support 2 dedicated 5V hobby servo headers Protection Thermal shutdown and internal kickback diodes Understanding the Pinout & Layout
The shield is designed to be plug-and-play, mounting directly onto the Arduino Uno. However, it uses specific pins for internal communication via the shift register: HW-130 Motor Control Shield is a popular, low-cost
Motor Control (via Latch): Digital pins 4, 7, 8, and 12 drive the motors through the 74HC595 serial-to-parallel latch. PWM Speed Control: M1: Digital Pin 11 M2: Digital Pin 3 M3: Digital Pin 5 M4: Digital Pin 6 Servos: Digital pins 9 (Servo #1) and 10 (Servo #2).
Available Pins: Analog pins A0-A5 are completely free for sensors or other inputs. Power Management: The PWR Jumper
One of the most critical components of the HW-130 is the PWR Jumper:
The HW-130 Motor Control Shield is a popular, low-cost expansion board for the Arduino Uno and Mega, designed to drive a variety of motors simultaneously with minimal wiring. It is technically identical to the classic Adafruit Motor Shield v1 design and is powered by dual L293D dual-channel H-bridge drivers. Technical Specifications
According to data from Matha Electronics and iFuture Tech, the core specs are: L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
Here is the "deep story" datasheet and technical breakdown you need to get the most out of this hardware.
Best for:
Avoid if:
There are usually jumpers near the power terminals.
This shield often breaks out Pin 9 and Pin 10 to a specific servo header.
The shield stacks directly on an Arduino Uno, Mega 2560 (partial pin usage), or Nano (with careful alignment). Below is the critical mapping:
| Shield Function | Arduino Pin | |----------------|-------------| | Motor A direction | Digital 12 | | Motor A PWM speed | Digital 3 | | Motor B direction | Digital 13 | | Motor B PWM speed | Digital 11 | | Servo 1 signal | Digital 9 | | Servo 2 signal | Digital 10 | | Enable A (jumper) | Digital 6 (if removed, else always on) | | Enable B (jumper) | Digital 5 (if removed, else always on) | | External power (VS) | Screw terminal “EXT_PWR” |
Note: On some HW-130 boards, Enable pins (6 & 5) are hard-wired to 5V via jumpers. Remove jumpers for PWM enable control.
| Parameter | Value | |-----------|-------| | Driver IC | L293D (x1) | | Logic voltage | 5V (from Arduino) | | Motor supply voltage (VS) | 4.5V – 12V (external) | | Max continuous current per channel | 600 mA | | Peak current | 1.2 A (per channel) | | PWM frequency | ~490 Hz (Arduino default) | | Onboard flyback diodes | Yes (internal to L293D) |
The datasheet typically states "6V to 12V for motors, 5V logic." What it does not explain: Compatible with Arduino Uno, Mega, and other boards