Servos are cool but you can only move them from 0 to 180 degrees. For continuous rotation, stepper and DC motors are where it’s at. A stepper motor is a very precise motor that you can instruct to rotate one step at a time and provide great torque at low speeds. They are used in CNC machines, 3D printers and in robotics. DC motors will give you the ability to put your project on wheels as well as give it other spinning features. Since these components can draw more current than an Arduino pin can provide, we’re going to learn how to power them externally and connect them to their corresponding motor drivers to give us control over speed and direction of rotation.
MATERIALS:
You’ll be able to follow along and build all the projects featured in this course with the ELEGOO UNO Project Super Starter Kit.
LESSON CONTENT:
- Working with external power and power modules
- Understanding motor drivers
- Wiring DC and stepper motors to drivers and the Arduino
- Setting speed and direction of motors with code
- Controlling speed and direction of motors with push buttons
- Combining a DC motor with a servo to make a rotating fan
- Assignment
LESSON 9: Joysticks