SENSORS/ACTUATORS

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Arduino Mega - DRV8833 DC Motor Driver

This tutorial instructs you how to use the Arduino Mega 2560 to run small DC motors through a DRV8833 motor driver module. The Mega has 15 PWM pins, so giving the driver its four control signals still leaves plenty of PWM pins for servos, LEDs and other parts of a bigger robot. In detail, we will learn:

What the DRV8833 is, and what each pin of the module does
How the two IN pins of one channel set the direction, the speed, coast and brake
How to connect the Arduino Mega 2560 to the DRV8833 and spin one DC motor
How to program the Arduino Mega 2560 to drive two DC motors, like the wheels of a small robot car

We suggest:

Utilizing the L298N driver if your motor needs more than 10.8V, such as a 12V motor.
Utilizing the DC motor shield if you prefer a board that plugs straight on top of the Mega.

Arduino Mega and DRV8833 DC motor driver

Hardware Preparation

1	×	Arduino MEGA
1	×	Alternatively, DIYables MEGA Development Board
1	×	USB 2.0 cable type A/B (for USB-A PC)
1	×	USB 2.0 cable type C/B (for USB-C PC)
1	×	DRV8833 Motor Driver Module
2	×	5V DC Motor
1	×	5V Power Adapter
1	×	DC Power Jack
1	×	Jumper Wires
1	×	Recommended: Screw Terminal Block Shield for Arduino Uno/Mega
1	×	Recommended: Sensors/Servo Expansion Shield for Arduino Mega
1	×	Recommended: Breadboard Shield for Arduino Mega
1	×	Recommended: Enclosure for Arduino Mega

Or you can buy the following kits:

DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this section are Amazon affiliate links. We may receive a commission for any purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Additionally, some of these links are for products from our own brand, DIYables .

The first part of this tutorial uses only one of the two motors.

Overview of DRV8833 DC Motor Driver

The DRV8833 is a small motor driver chip made by Texas Instruments. Inside it there are two H-bridges, so one module can run two brushed DC motors on its own, each one forward or backward at any speed. (It can also drive one small bipolar stepper motor, but this tutorial only covers DC motors.) The H-bridges are built from MOSFETs with a low resistance of about 360 mΩ. Compared with the older L298N, the voltage lost inside the driver is much smaller and the board stays cooler, which matters a lot when the motors run from a 6V battery pack.

	DRV8833
Motor supply voltage (VCC)	2.7V to 10.8V
Logic voltage	3.3V or 5V (no separate logic supply needed)
Output current per channel	about 1.5A continuous, 2A peak
Number of DC motors	2
Speed control	PWM on the IN pins, up to 50 kHz
Protection	under-voltage, over-current, over-temperature

If one motor needs more current, the two channels can be joined in parallel for about 3A. This is an advanced setup, and we do not use it here.

The DRV8833 Motor Driver Module Pinout

The module has 12 pins. Labels vary between sellers: some boards print AIN1/AIN2/BIN1/BIN2, AOUT1/AOUT2/BOUT1/BOUT2, SLP and FLT instead of the names below.

Power pins:

VCC pin: must be connected to the positive wire of the motor power supply (2.7V to 10.8V). This pin powers the motors only.
GND pin: must be connected to the negative wire of the motor power supply and to GND of the Arduino Mega.

Control pins:

IN1 and IN2 pins: must be connected to two PWM pins of the Arduino Mega. They control motor A.
IN3 and IN4 pins: must be connected to two PWM pins of the Arduino Mega. They control motor B.
EEP pin: the sleep pin. It must be HIGH for the driver to work. Connect it to the 5V pin of the Arduino Mega. If it is LOW, the chip sleeps and the motors do not move.
ULT pin: the fault pin. It goes LOW when the chip detects a problem, such as too much current or too much heat. It is optional; you can leave it unconnected.

Motor pins:

OUT1 and OUT2 pins: must be connected to the two wires of motor A.
OUT3 and OUT4 pins: must be connected to the two wires of motor B.

※ NOTE THAT:

The arrangement of pins on a module may differ from one manufacturer to another. It is essential to always refer to the labels printed on the module when using it. Take a close look!

The chip makes its own internal logic voltage from VCC. This is why the module has no 5V logic pin, and why the 5V signals of the Arduino Mega can drive the IN pins directly.

How Two IN Pins Control One Motor

Unlike the L298N, the DRV8833 has no ENA or ENB pin. Each channel uses just two inputs, and the pair of levels decides what the motor does:

IN1	IN2	Motor A
LOW	LOW	Coast - the motor is free and rolls to a stop
HIGH	LOW	Forward
LOW	HIGH	Reverse
HIGH	HIGH	Brake - the motor stops fast

Motor B follows the same table with IN3 and IN4. To set the speed, the Arduino Mega sends a PWM signal to one IN pin and keeps the other one LOW. For forward, the PWM goes to IN1 while IN2 stays LOW. For reverse, IN1 stays LOW while the PWM goes to IN2. That is why both IN pins of a channel must be PWM pins.

The Arduino Mega has PWM on pins 2 to 13 and 44 to 46. In this tutorial we use pins 10 and 9 for motor A, and pins 6 and 5 for motor B. We skip pins 4 and 13, because their PWM runs at a different frequency (about 980 Hz instead of 490 Hz).

Power Supply for the Motors

Never power the motors from the 5V pin of the Arduino Mega. A motor can pull several hundred mA, and even more when it starts. This can reset the Mega or damage it. Use a separate supply on the VCC and GND pins of the module, for example:

A 5V power adapter through a DC power jack, as used in this tutorial
A pack of four AA batteries (about 6V), good for a robot car

The GND of the motor supply, the GND of the module and the GND of the Arduino Mega must all be connected together. Without a common ground, the IN signals have no reference, and the motors act strangely.

Part 1: Control One DC Motor

Wiring Diagram

Motor A is connected to OUT1 and OUT2, and the Arduino Mega sends its control signals from pins 10 and 9.

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

DRV8833 Module	Connected To
IN1	Arduino Mega pin 10
IN2	Arduino Mega pin 9
EEP	Arduino Mega 5V
GND	Arduino Mega GND and the - wire of the 5V adapter
VCC	The + wire of the 5V adapter (via DC power jack)
OUT1	DC motor wire 1
OUT2	DC motor wire 2
ULT	Not connected

How To Program For One DC Motor

No library is needed. The code uses only the built-in Arduino functions.

The first step is to specify the two Arduino Mega pins that are connected to IN1 and IN2:

const int IN1_PIN = 10; const int IN2_PIN = 9;

Both pins are configured as outputs in the setup() function:

pinMode(IN1_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(IN2_PIN, OUTPUT);

To spin forward at a given speed (0 to 255), PWM is written to IN1 and IN2 is held LOW:

analogWrite(IN1_PIN, speed); digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, LOW);

To spin in reverse, the roles of the two pins are swapped:

digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, LOW); analogWrite(IN2_PIN, speed);

To let the motor coast, both pins are set LOW. To brake, both pins are set HIGH:

digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, LOW); // coast digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, HIGH); // brake digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, HIGH);

Arduino Mega 2560 Code for One DC Motor

The code below repeats these steps:

Speeds the motor up from stop to full speed in the forward direction
Holds full speed for 2 seconds
Lets the motor coast to a stop
Runs in reverse at about 70% speed for 2 seconds
Brakes the motor

/* * This Arduino Mega code was developed by newbiely.com * * This Arduino Mega code is made available for public use without any restriction * * For comprehensive instructions and wiring diagrams, please visit: * https://newbiely.com/tutorials/arduino-mega/arduino-mega-drv8833-dc-motor-driver */ // Arduino Mega controls ONE DC motor through the DRV8833 motor driver (channel A) // Both IN pins must be PWM pins, because the speed is set by PWM on the IN pins. // The EEP (sleep) pin of the module is wired to the Arduino Mega 5V pin, so the driver is always awake. const int IN1_PIN = 10; // Arduino Mega PWM pin connected to the IN1 pin of the DRV8833 const int IN2_PIN = 9; // Arduino Mega PWM pin connected to the IN2 pin of the DRV8833 void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(IN1_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(IN2_PIN, OUTPUT); motorCoast(); // start with the motor stopped } // speed: 0 to 255. PWM goes to IN1, IN2 stays LOW void motorForward(int speed) { analogWrite(IN1_PIN, speed); digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, LOW); } // speed: 0 to 255. IN1 stays LOW, PWM goes to IN2 void motorReverse(int speed) { digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, LOW); analogWrite(IN2_PIN, speed); } // IN1 = LOW, IN2 = LOW: the motor is free and slows down by itself void motorCoast() { digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, LOW); } // IN1 = HIGH, IN2 = HIGH: the motor stops quickly void motorBrake() { digitalWrite(IN1_PIN, HIGH); digitalWrite(IN2_PIN, HIGH); } void loop() { // 1. Forward: speed goes up from 0 to 255, step by step Serial.println("Forward: speeding up"); for (int speed = 0; speed <= 255; speed += 5) { motorForward(speed); delay(40); } // 2. Keep full speed for 2 seconds Serial.println("Forward: full speed"); delay(2000); // 3. Coast to a stop Serial.println("Coast (free stop)"); motorCoast(); delay(2000); // 4. Reverse at about 70% speed for 2 seconds Serial.println("Reverse: 70% speed"); motorReverse(180); delay(2000); // 5. Brake (fast stop) Serial.println("Brake (fast stop)"); motorBrake(); delay(2000); Serial.println("----"); }

Detailed Instructions

If this is the first time you use Arduino Mega 2560, see how to setup environment for Arduino Mega on Arduino IDE.
Wire the components as shown in the diagram. Keep the 5V adapter unplugged for now.
Connect the Arduino Mega board to your computer using a USB cable.
Open Arduino IDE on your computer.
Select the Arduino Mega or Mega 2560 board and the correct COM port.
Copy the above code and paste it into the Arduino IDE.
Click the Upload button to upload the code to the Arduino Mega.
Plug in the 5V power adapter.
Open the Serial Monitor and set the baud rate to 9600.
Watch the motor and the Serial Monitor:

Newbiely | Arduino IDE 2.3.8

──

☐

Newbiely.ino

···

8 Serial.println("Hello World!");

Output

Serial Monitor

Message (Enter to send message to 'Arduino Mega Or...' on 'COM15')

New Line

9600 baud

Forward: speeding up Forward: full speed Coast (free stop) Reverse: 70% speed Brake (fast stop) ---- Forward: speeding up Forward: full speed Coast (free stop) Reverse: 70% speed Brake (fast stop) ----

Ln 11, Col 1

Arduino Mega Or... on COM15

Listen to the motor during the two stops. After "Coast", it keeps turning for a short moment. After "Brake", it stops almost at once. If the motor turns the wrong way, swap its two wires on OUT1 and OUT2.

Part 2: Control Two DC Motors

Now let's use both channels. Think of a small two-wheel robot car: motor A drives the left wheel and motor B drives the right wheel. When both wheels turn the same way, the car goes straight. When they turn opposite ways, the car spins in place.

Wiring Diagram

Motor B is added on OUT3 and OUT4, and two more PWM pins of the Mega (6 and 5) go to IN3 and IN4.

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

DRV8833 Module	Connected To
IN1	Arduino Mega pin 10
IN2	Arduino Mega pin 9
IN3	Arduino Mega pin 6
IN4	Arduino Mega pin 5
EEP	Arduino Mega 5V
GND	Arduino Mega GND and the - wire of the power supply
VCC	The + wire of the power supply
OUT1, OUT2	Motor A (left wheel)
OUT3, OUT4	Motor B (right wheel)

Two motors draw about twice the current. A 5V adapter of 2A or more, or a 4xAA battery pack, is a good choice.

How To Program For Two DC Motors

Writing four pins by hand for every move gets long. The code uses one small helper function that takes a signed speed from -255 to 255:

A positive value means forward, a negative value means reverse, and 0 means coast.

motorA(200); // left wheel forward motorB(-200); // right wheel reverse

With this helper, each car move needs only two lines:

Move	motorA()	motorB()
Forward	+ speed	+ speed
Backward	- speed	- speed
Turn left	- speed	+ speed
Turn right	+ speed	- speed
Stop	0	0

Arduino Mega 2560 Code for Two DC Motors

/* * This Arduino Mega code was developed by newbiely.com * * This Arduino Mega code is made available for public use without any restriction * * For comprehensive instructions and wiring diagrams, please visit: * https://newbiely.com/tutorials/arduino-mega/arduino-mega-drv8833-dc-motor-driver */ // Arduino Mega controls TWO DC motors through the DRV8833 motor driver // Motor A = left wheel (IN1, IN2), Motor B = right wheel (IN3, IN4) // All four IN pins are PWM pins of the Arduino Mega. // The EEP (sleep) pin of the module is wired to the Arduino Mega 5V pin. const int IN1_PIN = 10; // Arduino Mega PWM pin -> DRV8833 IN1 (motor A) const int IN2_PIN = 9; // Arduino Mega PWM pin -> DRV8833 IN2 (motor A) const int IN3_PIN = 6; // Arduino Mega PWM pin -> DRV8833 IN3 (motor B) const int IN4_PIN = 5; // Arduino Mega PWM pin -> DRV8833 IN4 (motor B) const int DRIVE_SPEED = 200; // speed used for driving (0 to 255) // Set one motor channel with a signed speed: // speed > 0 : forward (PWM on the first pin, second pin LOW) // speed < 0 : reverse (first pin LOW, PWM on the second pin) // speed == 0 : coast (both pins LOW) void setMotor(int pinA, int pinB, int speed) { speed = constrain(speed, -255, 255); if (speed > 0) { analogWrite(pinA, speed); digitalWrite(pinB, LOW); } else if (speed < 0) { digitalWrite(pinA, LOW); analogWrite(pinB, -speed); } else { digitalWrite(pinA, LOW); digitalWrite(pinB, LOW); } } void motorA(int speed) { setMotor(IN1_PIN, IN2_PIN, speed); } void motorB(int speed) { setMotor(IN3_PIN, IN4_PIN, speed); } void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(IN1_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(IN2_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(IN3_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(IN4_PIN, OUTPUT); motorA(0); motorB(0); } void loop() { Serial.println("Car: forward"); motorA(DRIVE_SPEED); motorB(DRIVE_SPEED); delay(2000); Serial.println("Car: backward"); motorA(-DRIVE_SPEED); motorB(-DRIVE_SPEED); delay(2000); Serial.println("Car: turn left"); // left wheel back, right wheel forward motorA(-DRIVE_SPEED); motorB(DRIVE_SPEED); delay(1000); Serial.println("Car: turn right"); // left wheel forward, right wheel back motorA(DRIVE_SPEED); motorB(-DRIVE_SPEED); delay(1000); Serial.println("Car: stop"); motorA(0); motorB(0); delay(2000); }

Detailed Instructions

Wire both motors as shown in the diagram above.
Copy the code and paste it into the Arduino IDE.
Click the Upload button to upload the code to the Arduino Mega.
Plug in the motor power supply.
Lift the car (or hold the motors) so the wheels can turn freely on your desk.
Open the Serial Monitor and check the output:

Newbiely | Arduino IDE 2.3.8

──

☐

Newbiely.ino

···

8 Serial.println("Hello World!");

Output

Serial Monitor

Message (Enter to send message to 'Arduino Mega Or...' on 'COM15')

New Line

9600 baud

Car: forward Car: backward Car: turn left Car: turn right Car: stop Car: forward Car: backward Car: turn left Car: turn right Car: stop

Ln 11, Col 1

Arduino Mega Or... on COM15

If one wheel turns the wrong way during "forward", swap the two wires of that motor on the module. You do not need to change the code.

Additional Knowledge

DRV8833 vs L298N

	DRV8833	L298N
Motor voltage	2.7V to 10.8V	5V to 35V
Current per channel	about 1.5A	about 2A
Switch type	MOSFET	bipolar transistor
Voltage lost in the driver	small	about 2V or more
Heat	low	high, needs a big heatsink
Speed pins	none (PWM on IN pins)	ENA and ENB
Pins used on the Arduino Mega (2 motors)	4	6
Board size	very small	large

It is evident that the DRV8833 is the better pick for small battery-powered robots running at 3V to 9V, because it wastes far less of the battery voltage. The L298N is still useful when the motor needs 12V or more.

Fault Pin (ULT)

If you want the Arduino Mega to know when the driver shuts down, connect the ULT pin to a digital input of the Mega and enable the internal pull-up with pinMode(pin, INPUT_PULLUP). The pin reads LOW during a fault, such as a short circuit or overheating, and HIGH when all is fine.

Video Tutorial

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