Hello,
I would like to use this driver(Pololu Dual DC Motor Driver 3A, 5V-28V- MC33926) to drive four gear motors which you can see it in the link below:
https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/ghm-13-spur-gear-head-motor.html
I checked the specifications of both driver and motor.In terms of nominal voltage and continuous current,they are in line with each other but it says it is for brushed dc motors and I don’t know if these gear motors are brushed or brushless.Does it really matter in choosing a driver for a DC motor?
Hello.
Brushed and brushless DC motors are very different in the way that they are controlled. This answer on Stack Exchange has a thorough explanation of how they are different, if you are interested.
From the page you linked to (and the datasheet on that page) that motor appears to be a brushed DC motor, so our Dual MC33926 Motor Driver Carrier should be fine for driving it. Please note that the Dual MC33926 Motor Driver Carrier has 2 separate motor channels, so you would need 2 of them to control 4 motors independently.
By the way, we are currently rationing MC33926 because of ongoing component shortages, so you might consider our dual TB9051FTG motor driver instead, which has similar performance specifications.
Brandon
Hello Brandon,
Thank you for your response. I don’t think I need two of them since I can connect two of them in parallel to each channel(The total amount of current for two of them in parallel is less than 2A and Pololu Dual DC Motor Driver 3A, 5V-28V- MC33926 can deliver 3A continuously for each channel) because I want those two motors connected to the same channel to act exactly similar. What is your opinion about this approach? Can I drive four motors with one driver?
Regards,
Souroosh
Yes, if you do not need independent control, you can connect multiple motors in parallel to each motor channel. However, we generally recommend that you choose a motor driver that can handle the maximum combined current draw of those motors continuously. I am not sure where your 2A maximum comes from, but the motors you linked to have a 3.8A stall current at 12V, so it is possible for them to draw a combined 7.6A if they both stall simultaneously. If you take precautions against drawing too much current (such as limiting the maximum duty cycle, implementing acceleration ramping, and generally being careful to not stall the motors), it should be fine. Otherwise, you might consider upgrading to something like the Dual VNH5019 Motor Driver, which can handle up to 12A per channel continuously.
Brandon
Thank you Brandon!
I really appreciate your time and help!
Souroosh
1 Like