Department of Production Engineering and Metallurgy

Using Transistors and

Driving DC Motors

CAD/CAM
Sophomore

By
Abass M. Jabber El-Enzy

2023
Using Transistors and Driving DC Motors
DC motors are available in a variety of voltages and power ratings. First, you’ll experiment
with 9V DC motors. Later in this chapter, you’ll use 5V geared motors. DC motors generally
require more current than the Arduino’s built-in power supply can provide, and they can
create harmful voltage spikes due to their inductive nature. To address this issue, you will
first learn how to effectively isolate a DC motor from your Arduino, and then how to power
it using a secondary supply. A transistor will allow the Arduino to switch the motor on and
off safely, as well as to control the speed using the pulse-width modulation (PWM)
techniques, “Interfacing with Analog Sensors.” Refer to the schematic shown in Figure 4-1 as
you learn about the various components that go into connecting a DC motor to an Arduino
with a secondary power supply. Make sure you understand all of these concepts before you
actually start wiring.
Using Transistors and Driving DC Motors
Using Transistors as Switches
Wiring the Motor