I have that Motor Shield. I’m wondering how it splits the power if I have two DC motors plugged in. I will have 12 V input for power. Will the shield give both motors 12 volts but less current, or give each motor high current but only 6 volts?
12v, splits current
Perfect, that’s what I thought. I’m assuming it supplies minimum current to the Arduino when plugged in.
What do the large capacitors on the board do?
Hello.
To clarify, the M2S18v18 Motoron has 2 separate motor channels. Each can be driven up to 100% duty cycle (12V in your case) separately, and each can handle around 18A continuously (assuming your power supply can source it).
By default, the Motoron shields do not power the Arduino. If the voltage of your motor power supply is within the allowed input voltage range for your Arduino, then you can power the Arduino by connecting the Motoron’s AVIN pin to the nearby VM pin. Alternatively, you can power the Arduino through a separate regulator added to the shield. You can find more details about these options in the Motoron M2S pinout section of the Motoron user’s guide. In either case, the current is not “pushed” through the Arduino as it sounds like you’re implying. Instead, the Arduino will draw what it needs, so the shield does not have to do anything special to limit it.
If you’re referring to the electrolytic capacitors on the Motoron shield, they are on the shield’s motor supply voltage line. In general, brushed DC motors can create a lot of electrical noise; capacitors help filter noise and smooth out voltage fluctuations. Additionally, they act as a power reserve for sudden current spikes.
Brandon