
Driving a Motor — SIK Circuit 12
Instructions
Parts & Introduction
Parts & Introduction
DC motors draw too much current for an Arduino pin to drive directly. A transistor acts as an electronic switch — a small signal from the Arduino controls a larger current flowing through the motor. The flyback diode protects against voltage spikes when the motor turns off.
Parts Needed
- 1x Arduino Uno + USB cable
- 1x Breadboard
- 1x DC Motor
- 1x NPN Transistor (P2N2222A)
- 1x Diode (1N4148)
- 1x 330Ω Resistor
- 6x Jumper Wires
Materials for this step:
SparkFun Inventors Kit - V3.21 kit
330 Ohm Resistor1 piece
Jumper Wires6 piecesTools needed:
Hardware Hookup
Hardware Hookup
Wiring Instructions
Transistor pinout (flat side facing you, pins down): Collector, Base, Emitter (left to right).
- Place the transistor in the breadboard.
- Connect Base (middle pin) through a 330Ω resistor to Arduino Digital Pin 9.
- Connect Emitter (right pin) to GND.
- Connect Collector (left pin) to the motor's black wire.
- Connect the motor's red wire to 5V.
- Flyback Diode: Connect the banded end (cathode) to 5V, the other end (anode) to the motor's black wire.
Materials for this step:
330 Ohm Resistor1 piece
Jumper Wires6 piecesArduino Code
Arduino Code
Open the Arduino IDE and upload the following sketch to your Arduino board.
Materials for this step:
Tools needed:
Test & Experiment
Test & Experiment
What You Should See
The default serialSpeed() function lets you type speed values (0-255) into the Serial Monitor to control motor speed in real time.
Troubleshooting
- Motor not spinning: If you sourced your own transistor, double-check the pinout — many NPN transistors have reversed pin orders compared to the P2N2222A.
- Motor won't start at low values: Below ~50, the motor doesn't have enough torque to overcome friction. This is normal.
- Connection issues: Try unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable.
Experiments to Try
- Uncomment
motorAcceleration()to see smooth speed ramping. - Add a potentiometer to control speed with a knob instead of serial input.
- Add a button for on/off control.
Materials
8- $105.00
- $3.00
- $5.00
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