Mechanical Engineering Department, CSUN

Mechatronics Laboratory (ME435L)

#6 H-bridge and bi-directional motor control
Lab: ____________________________________
Thuan Trinh
Name: ______________________________ 10/02/2017
Date: ______________

1. What was the objective of this lab (0.5 pts)?

The objective of this lab was to build a H-bridge using MOSFETs and use Arduino to
control motor direction and speed.

2. What components and equipment was used in this lab (0.5 pts)?
We used breadboard, BK DC power supply, a multimeter, four NMOS, two PMOS,
resistors, DC motor, jumper wires, alligator clips, a potentiometer, and push buttons.

3. List the new concepts you learned in this lab (3 pts)?

In this lab, I learned how to use MOSFETs to build H-bridge for controlling DC motor in
both direction. Control a DC motor is just a simple application of H-bridge; it can be used
in many other electronic applications such as robotics, power inverters, etc.
I learned the difference of MOSFETs compare to BJTs in building circuit to control DC
motor. We didn't need to put current limiting resistor and flyback diode for MOSFETs.
I learned how to control H-bridge by physically applied voltage, control using Arduino
codes, and control using Arduino incorporated with push buttons and potentiometer. It is
like multiple types of user interface in controlling DC motor.
I also learn how to ultilize Arduino pins combined with coding to complete a desired
goal.

4. Suggest one improvement that would make this lab better (1 pts)?
It is great to learn about MOSFETs and H-bridge in controlling bi-directional DC motor.
However, it would be better if there is a circuit where we can compare effectiveness of
MOSFETs and BJTs to explain why MOSFETs are more widely used.