This discrete MOSFET H-bridge motor driver enables bidirectional control of one high-power DC brushed motor. The small 1.3″ × 0.8″ board supports a wide 6.5 V to 30 V voltage range and is efficient enough to deliver a continuous 17 A without a heat sink. Additional features of this second-generation (G2) driver include reverse-voltage protection along with basic current sensing and current limiting functionality.

The Pololu G2 high-power motor driver is a discrete MOSFET H-bridge designed to drive large brushed DC motors. The H-bridge is made up of one N-channel MOSFET per leg; the rest of the board contains the circuitry to take user inputs and control the MOSFETs. The absolute maximum voltage for this motor driver is 30 V, and higher voltages can permanently destroy the motor driver. Under normal operating conditions, ripple voltage on the supply line can raise the maximum voltage to more than the average or intended voltage, so a safe maximum voltage is approximately 24 V.

Note: Battery voltages can be much higher than nominal voltages when they are charged, so the maximum nominal battery voltage we recommend is 18 V (and use with 24 V batteries is not recommended) unless appropriate measures are taken to limit the peak voltage.

The versatility of this driver makes it suitable for a large range of currents and voltages: it can deliver up to 17 A of continuous current with a board size of only 1.3″ × 0.8″ and no required heat sink. The module offers a simple interface that requires as few as two I/O lines while still allowing for your choice of sign-magnitude or locked-antiphase operation. A current sense output gives an indicator of motor current, and the driver can limit the motor current to a configurable threshold. The power supply inputs feature reverse-voltage protection, while integrated detection of various fault conditions helps protect against other common causes of catastrophic failure; however, please note that the board does not include over-temperature protection.

The G2 High-Power Motor Driver 18v17 is a second-generation successor to our original High-Power Motor Driver 18v15 and can be used as a near drop-in replacement in typical applications. See “Differences from original high-power motor drivers” below for more details.

This version can be distinguished from the 24v13 by the number 150 on top of the tall silver electrolytic capacitor.

Features

• Operating voltage: 6.5 V to 30 V (absolute maximum)
• Output current: 17 A continuous
• Inputs compatible with 1.8 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V logic
• PWM operation up to 100 kHz
• Current sense output proportional to motor current (approx. 20 mV/A; only active while H-bridge is driving)
• Active current limiting (chopping) with default threshold of 40 A (can be adjusted lower)
• Reverse-voltage protection
• Undervoltage shutdown
• Short circuit protection

Dimensions

General specifications

Identifying markings

Notes:

1

Without included connectors.

2

Absolute maximum; higher voltages can permanently destroy the motor driver. Recommended maximum is approximately 24 V, which leaves a safety margin for ripple voltage on the supply line.

3

Typical results with 100% duty cycle at room temperature.