Comments: Ardumoto Shield Hookup Guide
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Hi. I want to use a 12V DC motor to motorize my DIY camera slider because it has to move a max weight of 5kg (camera + lens + carriage). The plan of displacement can also be vertical. Since the Arduino board and the Ardumoto Shield need about 5V, i think that would not be possible to use the same power source to drive the motors due to lack of voltage. Is it possible to power the motors with a second power source, independent from the one that powers the Arduino and Ardumoto ? If it is possible, how should i connect the two power sources to the board(s) ? Your help would be apreciated. Thanks. Best Regards.
There isn't anything built into the board to allow this, but there is a creative way to power them independently: apply your motor's power to the Ardumoto Shield's VIN supply input. Traditionally this power signal is routed to the Arduino's VIN pin to power that board as well, but you can avoid connecting it to the Arduino by either snipping that header pin or bending it slightly outward so it doesn't slot into the Arduino's female header. Then you can power the Arduino independently with 5V/USB/etc.
Total output current can be up to 4A, not including switching current etc. Why would it ever make sense to power this board through the VIN pin from the Arduino? Those pins are only rated for 3A each. I'm thinking that powering this board directly and having the Arduino board powered off this is the way to go.
The L298 can supply up to 2A per channel, but the protection diodes MBRA140 have 1A of average rectified forward current. Does it mean that the whole set can only supply 1A per channel?