Hi everyone! I’m using an ESP32 with an L298N H‑bridge to drive a pair of Pololu 30:1 micro metal gearmotors on a lightweight rover. I reviewed the basics of the L298 here: Introduction to L298 - The Engineering Projects, and it clarified the SAT‑voltage drop and enable‑pin behavior, but I’m still hitting thermal shutdown when the motors stall on tough terrain. According to the Pololu spec sheet the stall current is ~1.6 A, while the L298N can only handle 2 A peak per channel—and that’s before losses. I’ve looked at Pololu’s own recommendations for using TB9051FTG drivers and also skimmed this thorough L298N guide on LastMinuteEngineers for adding flyback diodes and heat‑sinking tips. Has anyone here tamed the L298N’s voltage drop or used external current‑sense resistors/limiters to protect both the driver and the ESP32’s 5 V rail? Bonus points if you’ve managed smooth PWM speed control without runaway heating.
Not possible with that dinosaur, since it is a consequence of 1970s technology using bipolar Darlington output transistors. The L29x drivers were suitable only for the smallest of toy motors, and are ridiculously wasteful of energy, which makes it sensible to switch to modern MOSFET motor drivers.
Pololu has the best selection (I’m not affiliated).
1 Like