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I've got this board from a local store. It's an L293D based dual DC motor driver. All the pins are labelled except the 5 on the bottom as shown in the picture below. Couldn't find any datasheet or manual for using this board.

enter image description here

I've connected the board's Vcc to Arduino's 5V and board's ground to Arduio's GND. Then put the IN1 to HIGH and IN2 to low, and got a voltage of 4.3 across the motor A's terminals.

Now what I want to do is use an external power source (11.1V battery) for the motor terminals, NOT the Arduino's 5V.

  • Are there any datasheet/manual for this board?
  • How do I use external power source with this board?
  • What are the pin-out/labels for those 5 pins annotated with a red box in the picture above?
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  • $\begingroup$ Unless somebody visually recognizes the board, there is no chance of anyone finding any documentation without at least manufacturer information. $\endgroup$
    – 50k4
    Sep 3, 2019 at 9:06
  • $\begingroup$ Also...you might want to try to measure continuity to see where those pins end up and identify them that way (or if their trace is visible try to follow that) $\endgroup$
    – 50k4
    Sep 3, 2019 at 9:07
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    $\begingroup$ As discussed on Robotics Meta, identification questions are not considered off-topic. This is a practical, answerable question based on an actual problem that Raihanul is facing. We should also endeavour to be nice, especially to new members of our community. $\endgroup$
    – Mark Booth
    Sep 3, 2019 at 13:30

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A Google Image search on L293D board suggests that this is a widely available board manufactured by (or at least designed by) Deek-Robot.

The 5 pin connector mostly duplicates pins on the 6 pin green terminal block:

enter image description here

I suspect it is mostly useful for a quick motor connection when testing, whereas the green connector is used for a final motor connection.

Note that the Deek-Robot product page includes a link to the (very simple) circuit diagram and a link to the L293D datasheet.

Also, note that this chip can get very hot when pushed close to it's limits. 4 of the 16 pins are designed to be heat sinks to the ground plane, but it looks like this board doesn't have a very good thermal connection, so you may want to consider attaching a chip heatsink to the top side of the chip with thermal glue if it gets too hot. I've even known people to solder the heatsink to the chip via the heatsink pins as the plastic chip packaging is quite thermally insulating.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hot indeed! only connected the +5V Vcc and Gnd and it startd getting hot... I am not sure how to connect pins IN1 through 4... I suppose they should go to the arduino, but when i check, they seem to + 5V already.... $\endgroup$
    – ntg
    Jan 3, 2022 at 12:40
  • $\begingroup$ Also, wonder what the Two jumpers EN1, EN2 are for???... $\endgroup$
    – ntg
    Jan 3, 2022 at 12:46
  • $\begingroup$ I don't know for certain, but I've seen L293D's used to control a single more powerful motor, rather than controlling two motors, so it may allow you to do that. $\endgroup$
    – Mark Booth
    Jan 10, 2022 at 15:16
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    $\begingroup$ I do not know what I was doing wrong at the time, (not providing +Vcc to one of the inputs where I should have? Turning on both pins IN1, IN2? Just leaving IN1 up for extended times while IN2 was down (i now turn anything on for less than a second when i want to move the mottors)? ) but the chips are not that hot anymore. On the other hand my motors and their power is just 3V (2 class D batteries), its quite possible with any real mottor I would have burned everything by now.... $\endgroup$
    – ntg
    Jan 12, 2022 at 6:44

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