Summary

Chapter 5 showed you how to use motors in your projects. It also introduced you to the important concepts concerning transistors and diodes; you will use both of these components a lot in your projects, especially if you are controlling devices that require larger voltages or currents than the Arduino can supply.

You now also know how to construct a H-Bridge and how to use it to change the direction of a motor. You have also used the popular L293D Motor Driver IC; you will work with this chip later on in the book when you look at a different kind of motor. The skills required to drive a motor are vital if you are going to build a robot or a radio controlled vehicle of any kind using an Arduino.

Subjects and concepts covered in Chapter 5

• Using a transistor to power high power devices
• Controlling a motor's speed using PWM
• The current supplied by an Arduino digital pin
• Using an external power supply is essential for high power devices
• The concept of transistors and how they work
• Motors and how they work
• Using a diode to avoid back EMF
• How a diode works
• How motors can be used to generate power
• How vital diodes can be in protecting a circuit
• How to power a motor with an L293D Motor Driver IC
• Why heatsinks are essential for dissipating heat from ICs
• The concept of a H-Bridge and how it can be used to change motor direction