The L293D Motor Driver Shield is the most popular expansion board for robotics, designed to sit directly on top of an Arduino Uno. At Electrapac, we recommend this shield for hobbyists building their first 4-wheel drive (4WD) robot or those needing to control a mix of DC, Stepper, and Servo motors simultaneously.

Product Overview

The L293D shield is a monolithic integrated, high voltage, high current, 4-channel driver. It features two L293D motor driver chips and one 74HC595 shift register. This clever design allows you to control up to 4 Bi-directional DC motors or 2 Stepper motors, plus 2 Servo motors, all while using very few of your Arduino's digital pins. It is the "brain" behind thousands of DIY RC cars and robotic arms worldwide.

Key Features for Electrapac Customers

• Plug-and-Play Design: Specifically designed to plug directly into the headers of an Arduino Uno or Mega. No messy breadboard wiring is required for the main motor connections.

• Versatile Motor Control: This single shield can handle a complex mix of hardware:

  • 4 DC Motors: Independent 8-bit speed control.

  • 2 Stepper Motors: Support for single, double, interleaved, or micro-stepping.

  • 2 Servos: High-resolution 5V timers for precise arm or steering movement.

• External Power Terminal: Features a dedicated screw terminal for motor power ($EXT\_PWR$). This allows you to power your motors from a 9V or 12V battery while keeping the Arduino safe on its own power supply.

• Pull-down Resistors: Keeps motors disabled during power-up, preventing your robot from "jumping" or moving unexpectedly when you turn it on.

• Large Screw Terminals: Makes it incredibly easy to connect motor wires (18-26AWG) without soldering.

Wiring & Setup Tips

To get your RC project moving with parts from www.electrapac.com:

1. Power Jumper: There is a jumper labeled PWR. If connected, the Arduino will share power with the motors. For high-load projects, remove the jumper and provide separate power to the $EXT\_PWR$ terminal to prevent the Arduino from resetting.

2. Library Support: Use the AFMotor library in the Arduino IDE for the easiest programming experience.

3. Heat Management: If running motors near the 600mA limit, we recommend sticking small aluminum heatsinks onto the two L293D chips.

Primary Applications

• 4WD Robotic Platforms: Driving four wheels with independent direction control.

• Robot Arms: Using the servo ports for grippers and the DC ports for base rotation.

• Automated Curtains/Blinds: Using the stepper motor ports for high-torque, precise movement.

• RC Tanks: Controlling dual treads for skid-steer navigation.

Why Shop at Electrapac?

We source our L293D Shields with high-quality screw terminals and thick copper traces to ensure stable power delivery to your motors. At www.electrapac.com, we provide the hardware that turns a static Arduino into a mobile machine.