DRV8833 Dual Motor Driver Carrier

Rating:
100% of 100
SKU: POLOLU-2130 Brand: Pololu Guides (1)
This tiny breakout board for TI’s DRV8833 dual motor driver can deliver 1.2 A per channel continuously (2 A peak) to a pair of DC motors. With an operating voltage range from 2.7 V to 10.8 V and built-in protection against reverse-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature, this driver is a great solution for powering small, low-voltage motors.
$16.85 AUD, inc GST
$15.32 AUD, exc GST

In stock, ships same business day if ordered before 2PM
Delivered by Tue, 2nd of Apr

Quantity Discounts:

  • 10-25 $14.85 (exc GST)
  • 25+ $14.55 (exc GST)
- +

5 from local stock, 1 supplier stock; your order will dispatch between Dec 1 to Dec 10. And yes, stock levels and lead times are accurate!

Shipping:

  • $6+ Standard (5+ days*, tracked)
  • $10+ Express (2+ days*, tracked)
  • FREE Pickup (Newcastle only - must order online*)

Shipping costs may increase for heavy products or large orders.

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page.

*Conditions apply, see shipping tab below.

DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier, bottom view with dimensions.

Texas Instruments’ DRV8833 is a dual H-bridge motor driver IC that can be used for bidirectional control of two brushed DC motors at 2.7 V to 10.8 V. It can supply up to about 1.2 A per channel continuously and can tolerate peak currents up to 2 A per channel for a few seconds, making it an ideal driver for small motors that run on relatively low voltages. Since this board is a carrier for the DRV8833, Pololu recommend careful reading of the DRV8833 datasheet. The board ships populated with SMD components, including the DRV8833, and adds a FET for reverse battery protection.

This board is very similar to Pololu's DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier in operating voltage range and continuous current rating, but the DRV8835 has a lower minimum operating voltage, offers an extra control interface mode, and is 0.1" smaller in each dimension; Pololu also carry a DRV8835 dual motor driver shield that is easy to use with an Arduino. The DRV8833 has a higher peak current rating (2 A per channel vs 1.5 A), optional built-in current-limiting, and no need for externally supplied logic voltage.

For a smaller, lower-cost, single-channel alternative to this driver, please consider Pololu's DRV8838 carrier, which offers a similar operating voltage range and current capabilities.

For higher-voltage alternatives to this driver, consider Pololu's A4990 and DRV8801 motor driver carriers.

Features

  • Dual-H-bridge motor driver: can drive two DC motors or one bipolar stepper motor
  • Operating voltage: 2.7?? V to 10.8 V
  • Output current: 1.2 A continuous (2 A peak) per motor
  • Motor outputs can be paralleled to deliver 2.4 A continuous (4 A peak) to a single motor
  • Inputs are 3V- and 5V-compatible
  • Under-voltage lockout and protection against over-current and over-temperature
  • Reverse-voltage protection circuit
  • Current limiting can be enabled by adding sense resistors (not included)

Using the motor driver

Minimal wiring diagram for connecting a microcontroller to a DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier.

In a typical application, power connections are made on one side of the board and control connections are made on the other. The nSLEEP pin is pulled high on the board and can be left disconnected if you do not want to use the low-power sleep mode of the DRV8833. Each of the two motor channels has a pair of control inputs, xIN1 and xIN2, that set the state of the corresponding outputs, xOUT1 and xOUT2; pulse width modulated (PWM) signal can be applied to each of these inputs. The control inputs are pulled low internally, effectively disabling the motor driver outputs by default. See the truth tables in the DRV8833 datasheet for more information on how the inputs affect the driver outputs.

The nFAULT pin is an open-drain output that is driven low by the chip whenever an over-current, over-temperature-or under-voltage condition occurs. Otherwise, it remains in a floating state, so you will need to connect an external pull-up resistor (or use a microcontroller input with its built-in pull-up enabled) if you want to monitor fault conditions on the driver.

Pinout

PIN Default State Description
VIN   Reverse-protected 2.7? V to 10.8 V motor power supply connection. Operation with VIN below 5 V slightly reduces the maximum current output.
VMM   This pin gives access to the motor power supply after the reverse-voltage protection MOSFET (see the board schematic below). It can be used to supply reverse-protected power to other components in the system. It is generally intended as an output, but it can also be used to supply board power.
GND   Ground connection points for the motor power supply and control ground reference. The control source and the motor driver must share a common ground.
AOUT1   The motor A half-bridge 1 output.
AOUT2   The motor A half-bridge 2 output.
BOUT1   The motor B half-bridge 1 output.
BOUT2   The motor B half-bridge 2 output.
AIN1 LOW A logic input control for motor channel A. PWM can be applied to this pin.
AIN2 LOW A logic input control for motor channel A. PWM can be applied to this pin.
BIN1 LOW A logic input control for motor channel B. PWM can be applied to this pin.
BIN2 LOW A logic input control for motor channel B. PWM can be applied to this pin.
nSLEEP HIGH Sleep input: when this pin is driven low, the chip enters a low-power sleep mode. (Labeled SLP on the board silkscreen.)
nFAULT FLOAT Fault output: driven low in the event of an over-current, over-temperature, or under-voltage condition; floating otherwise. (Labeled FLT on the board silkscreen.)
AISEN   Current sense pin for motor A. This pin is connected to ground and does not function by default, but current limiting can be enabled by making the modifications described below.
BISEN   Current sense pin for motor B. This pin is connected to ground and does not function by default, but current limiting can be enabled by making the modifications described below.

Current limiting

The DRV8833 can actively limit the current through the motors by using a fixed-frequency PWM current regulation (current chopping). By default, this carrier board connects the current sense pins to ground, disabling the current limiting feature. To enable current limiting, you can use a knife to cut the break points on the back of the board and then solder some appropriate current sense resistors to the unpopulated pads on the front, as indicated in the image below. The pads are sized for 1206 surface-mount resistors. Refer to the DRV8833 datasheet for information on how the resistor value determines the chopping current.

Real-world power dissipation considerations

The DRV8833 datasheet recommends a maximum continuous current of 1.5 A per motor channel. However, the chip by itself will overheat at lower currents. For example, in Pololu's tests at room temperature with no forced air flow, the chip was able to deliver 1.5 A per channel for about a minute before the chip’s thermal protection kicked in and disabled the motor outputs, while a continuous current of 1.2?–1.3 A per channel was sustainable for many minutes without triggering a thermal shutdown. The actual current you can deliver will depend on how well you can keep the motor driver cool. The carrier’s printed circuit board is designed to draw heat out of the motor driver chip, but performance can be improved by adding a heat sink. Pololu's tests were conducted at 100% duty cycle; PWMing the motor will introduce additional heating proportional to the frequency.

This product can get hot enough to burn you long before the chip overheats. Take care when handling this product and other components connected to it.

Included hardware

Two 1×8-pin breakaway 0.1" male headers are included with the DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier, which can be soldered in to use the driver with perfboards, breadboards, or 0.1" female connectors. (The headers might ship as a single 1×16 piece that can be broken in half.) The right picture above shows the two possible board orientations when used with these header pins (parts visible or silkscreen visible). You can also solder your motor leads and other connections directly to the board.

Schematic

Schematic diagram of the DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier.

People often buy this product together with:

TB6612FNG Dual Motor Driver CarrierTB6612FNG Dual Motor Driver Carrier
Pololu Micro Metal Gearmotor Bracket Pair - BlackPololu Micro Metal Gearmotor Bracket Pair - Black
Zumo Chassis Kit (No Motors)Zumo Chassis Kit (No Motors)

Dimensions

Size: 0.5" × 0.8"1
Weight: 1.0 g1

General specifications

Motor driver: DRV8833
Motor channels: 2
Minimum operating voltage: 2.7 V
Maximum operating voltage: 10.8 V
Continuous output current per channel: 1.2 A2
Peak output current per channel: 2 A
Continuous paralleled output current: 2.4 A2
Reverse voltage protection?: Y

Identifying markings

PCB dev codes: md17a
Other PCB markings: 0J3762

Notes:

1
Without included hardware.
2
Typical results with 100% duty cycle at room temperature.

File downloads

Recommended links

Product Comments

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).

We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):

  • $3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
  • $6+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
  • $10+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
  • Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.

Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.

Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.

International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:

  • $11+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
  • $16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)

If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.

Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):

Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia

Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.

Have a product question? We're here to help!

Write Your Own Review

Videos

View All

Guides

The Maker Revolution

The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...
The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...

Motor Drivers vs. Motor Controllers

If you’ve ever built a robot with wheels, or any motorised parts really, you’ll have com...
If you’ve ever built a robot with wheels, or any motorised parts really, you’ll have com...

Projects

UNITRAC

The UNITRAC (UNIversal TRACtion system) is a simple 3D printable conversion for the Black Gladiator-...
The UNITRAC (UNIversal TRACtion system) is a simple 3D printable conversion for the Black Gladiator-...
Feedback

Please continue if you would like to leave feedback for any of these topics:

  • Website features/issues
  • Content errors/improvements
  • Missing products/categories
  • Product assignments to categories
  • Search results relevance

For all other inquiries (orders status, stock levels, etc), please contact our support team for quick assistance.

Note: click continue and a draft email will be opened to edit. If you don't have an email client on your device, then send a message via the chat icon on the bottom left of our website.

Makers love reviews as much as you do, please follow this link to review the products you have purchased.