Hw 130 Motor Control Shield For Arduino Datasheet Info
The HW-130 doesn't have a real datasheet—it has a legacy. It uses the same L298N logic as every 2005-era robotics project. Save this post as your reference, and remember: Remove the 5V jumper when using a battery!
Have you fried an Arduino with one of these? (I have.) Tell your horror story in the comments below.
While the HW 130 does not have an official manufacturer datasheet, it complies with the STMicroelectronics L298N Datasheet. For engineering purposes, refer to:
Absolute Maximum Ratings for HW 130:
Pin Capacitance:
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution | |----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Motors not spinning | Insufficient voltage/current | Use external 7.2–9V supply | | IC gets very hot | Current >600 mA per channel sustained | Reduce load, add heatsink, or use relays | | Erratic motor movement | Glitching due to inductive kickback | Add 100nF caps across motor terminals | | Stepper motor skips steps | Too high speed or low current | Reduce speed, increase voltage | | Shield interferes with SPI | Pins 11–13 are used partially (13 free) | Avoid SPI devices unless remapped |
Note: The L293D has a dropout voltage of ~1.5V. For a 6V motor, supply at least 7.5V. hw 130 motor control shield for arduino datasheet
| Parameter | Value / Range | |-------------------------|---------------------------------------| | Driver IC | L293D (x1) | | Input Voltage (VCC) | 4.5V to 12V DC (external power) | | Logic Voltage | 5V (from Arduino) | | Max Continuous Current | 600 mA per channel (peak: 1.2A) | | Number of DC Motors | Up to 4 (or 2 with speed/direction) | | Stepper Motors | 1 bipolar (unipolar not supported) | | PWM Channels | 4 (pins 5, 6, 9, 10 on Arduino) | | Thermal Shutdown | Yes (built into L293D) | | Flyback Diodes | Integrated in L293D (internal) | | PCB Size | 68.5mm x 53.3mm (standard Uno shield) | | Stackable | Yes (with pin headers) |
Maximum Power Dissipation: Approx. 4W (with proper cooling)
The HW-130 is a clone of the L293D motor driver shield (similar to the Adafruit design). It allows independent control of up to 4 DC motors or 2 stepper motors + 2 servos. The datasheet is usually a 1–2 page PDF or a wiki-style schematic.
The HW 130 Motor Control Shield is the unsung hero of entry-level robotics. Its direct compatibility with Arduino’s pinout (using pins 3,4,5,6,7,11) makes it plug-and-play for thousands of existing tutorials and libraries like AFMotor or Adafruit Motor Shield V1.
By treating this article as your living datasheet, you now understand not just how to wire the shield, but how to manage its power regulator, implement PWM speed control, and even read stall currents. Whether you are building a line-following robot, a CNC pen plotter, or a simple tank chassis, the HW 130 offers the reliability and power handling you need—all for the price of a coffee.
Final Pro Tip: Always add large electrolytic capacitors (1000µF, 25V) across the Vs and GND terminals. The L298N creates severe voltage spikes during switching, which can reset your Arduino. A capacitor absorbs this noise, creating a professional-grade robot. The HW-130 doesn't have a real datasheet—it has a legacy
Happy building!
HW-130 Motor Control Shield (often marketed as the L293D Motor Driver Shield) is a versatile, entry-level expansion board for Arduino designed to simplify the complex task of driving inductive loads like DC motors, steppers, and servos. Based on the classic Adafruit Motor Shield V1 design, it centralizes motor control by consolidating multiple H-bridges and shift registers into a single "plug-and-play" footprint. ResearchGate Core Technical Architecture
The shield's functionality is built around three primary integrated circuits: Dual L293D Motor Drivers
: These are quadruple high-current half-H drivers. Each chip provides two full H-bridges, allowing the shield to drive up to four DC motors two stepper motors simultaneously. 74HC595 Shift Register
: This IC expands the Arduino's digital pins. It converts serial data from just three Arduino pins into eight parallel outputs to control the direction of the L293D chips, preserving other Arduino pins for sensors or communication. Critical Specifications
According to various technical datasheets for this hardware revision: Adafruit Motor Shield Absolute Maximum Ratings for HW 130:
The HW-130 Motor Control Shield (often identified with the L293D chipset) is a versatile, plug-and-play expansion board for Arduino Uno and Mega. It is designed to drive multiple motor types simultaneously with minimal wiring. Technical Specifications Specification H-Bridge Chipset Shift Register 74HC595 (expanded for direction control) Motor Voltage 4.5V to 25V DC (L293D chips support up to 36V) Continuous Current 0.6A per bridge Peak Current 1.2A per bridge (short bursts) Logic Voltage 5V (via Arduino) Speed Control 8-bit resolution (PWM) Key Features
Motor Support: Can drive up to 4 DC motors, 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar), and 2 hobby servos (5V) concurrently.
Protection: Built-in internal kickback protection diodes and thermal shutdown protection.
Pull-down Resistors: Keeps motors disabled during power-up to prevent erratic movement.
Physical Design: Includes a reset button brought to the top for easy access and large terminal blocks for 10-22 AWG wiring. Pinout & Usage
The shield uses specific Arduino pins to manage its functions, leaving others free for sensors or modules. L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield
The HW 130 includes a 78M05 linear voltage regulator. This circuit is critical:
Warning: Do not connect a 12V battery to Vs while JP1 is open. The 5V line will float, and your Arduino will not get logic power.