Dual TB9051FTG Motor Driver Shield for Arduino

This motor driver shield and its corresponding Arduino library make it easy to control two bidirectional, brushed DC motors with an Arduino or compatible board, such as the A-Star 32U4 Prime. The board features a pair of Toshiba TB9051FTG motor drivers, which operate from 4.5 to 28 V and can deliver up to 2.6 A per channel continuously, and includes current sense circuitry, reverse battery protection, and logic gates to reduce the required number of I/O pins. The drivers automatically limit the peak current to around 5 A, which they can deliver for a few seconds in typical applications before the thermal protection activates.

This versatile motor driver is intended for a wide range of users, from beginners who just want a plug-and-play motor control solution for their Arduinos (and are okay with a little soldering) to more advanced users who want a general-purpose dual-channel version of our single-channel TB9051FTG carrier to use with other microcontroller boards, outside of the Arduino environment. The Arduino pin mappings can all be customized if the defaults are not convenient, and the simplified TB9051FTG control lines are broken out along the left side of the board, providing a convenient interface point for other microcontroller boards. This versatility, along with an option to power the Arduino from the shield, either directly or through an added regulator, sets this board apart from similar competing motor shields.

The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the two TB9051 ICs, as shown in the left picture above; stackable Arduino headers and terminal blocks for connecting motors and motor power are included but are not soldered in (see the Included hardware section below).

For a higher-power alternative to this shield, please consider the dual VNH5019 motor driver shield, which can deliver a continuous 12 A per channel, and for lower-power, lower-cost alternatives, consider the dual MAX14870 motor driver shield, DRV8835 dual motor driver shield, or A4990 dual motor driver shield. We also have a similar dual TB9051FTG motor driver intended specifically for use with the Raspberry Pi.

• Dual-channel H-bridge motor driver in the form factor of an Arduino shield
• Wide operating voltage range: 4.5 V to 28 V
• Output current: up to 2.6 A continuous (5 A peak) per motor
• Automatic current chopping feature helps prevent overheating by gracefully reducing power rather than abruptly shutting down
• PWM operation up to 20 kHz, which is ultrasonic and allows for quieter motor operation
• Current sense voltage output proportional to motor current (approx. 500 mV/A; only active while H-bridge is driving)
• Motor indicator LEDs show what the outputs are doing even when no motor is connected
• Can be used with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible board (through the stackable shield headers) or with other microcontroller boards (through the 0.1″ header along the left side)
• When used as a shield, the motor power supply can optionally be used to power the Arduino base as well, either directly or through an added regulator like the D24V5F9 or S10V3F9
• Arduino pin mappings can be customized if the default mappings are not convenient
• Arduino library makes it easy to get started using this board as a motor driver shield
• Secondary access points for most Arduino pins, all on the same 0.1″ grid
• Exposed solderable ground pad below each driver IC on the bottom of the PCB
• Reverse-voltage protection on motor supply
• Robust drivers:
  • Transient operation (