The L293D Motor Driver Shield for Arduino is a popular, easy-to-use expansion board designed for rapid prototyping in mobile robotics and multi-motor automation projects.
The L293D Motor Driver Shield for Arduino is a popular, easy-to-use expansion board designed for rapid prototyping in mobile robotics and multi-motor automation projects. Built directly for the Arduino Uno, Mega 2560, and Duemilanove form factors, it stacks seamlessly on top of the microcontroller board without complex jumper wire connections.
At its core, the shield houses two L293D push-pull four-channel driver ICs alongside a 74HC595 8-bit serial-to-parallel shift register. The 74HC595 shift register expands the Arduino’s pin capability, requiring only 4 digital pins to control the direction of up to 4 DC motors. It can independently control 4 bidirectional DC brushed motors with 8-bit speed resolution, 2 2-phase bipolar or unipolar stepper motors (single/double coil, interleaved, or micro-stepping), or 2 5V hobby RC servos connected to dedicated 3-pin headers.
The shield supports a wide motor power supply voltage range (4.5V to 25V DC) and provides 600mA continuous output current per channel (1.2A peak pulse). It includes built-in internal kickback/flyback diodes for back-EMF protection, pull-down resistors to keep motors disabled during power-up, a PWR LED indicator, a reset button, and an onboard PWR jumper to select between shared Arduino power and external motor power.
| Core Driver ICs | 2× L293D Quadruple Half-H Drivers + 1× 74HC595 Shift Register IC |
|---|---|
| DC Motor Drive | Drives up to 4 bidirectional brushed DC motors with individual 8-bit PWM speed control |
| Stepper Motor Drive | Drives up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar) |
| Servo Motor Interface | 2× dedicated 3-pin header ports for 5V hobby RC servos (tied to Arduino timers) |
| Continuous Current Output | 600mA continuous output current per channel (1.2A peak per channel) |
| Pin Saving Design | Uses 74HC595 serial shift register to reduce required Arduino control pins |
| Circuit Protection | Built-in internal clamping diodes against motor back-EMF inductive spikes |
| Board Controls | Onboard PWR LED indicator, Arduino Reset button, and Power Select Jumper |
| Terminal Connections | Screw terminal blocks for 4 DC motors/steppers and external power input |
Which interface does it use?
2× dedicated 3-pin header ports for 5V hobby RC servos (tied to Arduino timers).
Is it compatible with Arduino?
Yes. It works with Arduino projects.
Can I buy the L293D Motor Driver Shield for Arduino in Kanpur?
Yes – buy online with delivery across India, or pick it up from the iTechBuilders store, Damodar Nagar, Kanpur.
