I plan to use the 24v21 motor driver to control a dc gearmotor. I have read that DC motors need starting circuits. How do I know if the gearmotor has a built-in starter, or if a starter needs to be used to add resistance to the armature to limit the initial armature current? Will the driver be able to control the initial current and add resistance in place of a separate starter?
Hello.
It sounds like the motor you want to control has a lot of power! In general, for the size of motor that our drivers are appropriate for, we recommend people use motor drivers that can continuously handle the stall current of their motor. Additionally, if that stall current is only a little bit outside the capability of the motor driver, there are a few things you can do in software to keep the system operating safely (e.g. acceleration limiting and incrementally ramping up the speed). If you post a link to the datasheet or product page for your motor, I can see if the 24v21 is a reasonable driver for it.
-Jon
There isn’t a lot of documentation on the motor that I can find. Its a Unite MY1018Z gear motor, 450W and 24V with 420 rated RPM. Documentation is very limited so I don’t actually know the stall current. The motor is to be used to drive a wheel of a very light vehicle, with one motor per wheel. The vehicle will maybe weigh 500lbs with maximum cargo limit. It only needs to go about 3 mph. The gearmotor is designed as an electric scooter/ ebike motor.
It looks like the rated current draw for that motor is almost 20A. Since the stall current can be several times as high as the rated current, I think our 24v21 is not an appropriate driver for your motor. Instead, you might consider using the RoboClaw 2x60A, which has two channels (so it can control two motors), and each channel can handle 60A continuously. Since the stall current is not known, I recommend being safe and implementing the things I mentioned in my earlier post, like acceleration limiting and incrementally ramping up the speed. If you decide to use the RoboClaw and have more questions about managing motor startup well, you might try contacting the RoboClaw’s manufacturer, Ion Motion Control.
By the way, we do not recommend using our products where their failure can result in injury or significant property damage.
-Jon