Motor shield Arduino Arduino Motor Shield Rev3

The Arduino Motor Shield Rev3, based on the L298 dual full-bridge driver, is designed to drive inductive loads such as relays, solenoids, DC motors and stepper motors. It allows an Arduino board to control two DC motors independently—adjusting speed and direction for each—or combine channels to drive a bipolar stepper motor. The shield is TinkerKit compatible and uses the 1.0 standard pinout including TWI and IOREF pins for board compatibility. Each channel can supply up to 2 A (4 A total maximum) and provides current sensing for each motor.

Advantages

The shield provides independent speed and direction control for two DC motors, fast braking, current sensing per channel and compatibility with TinkerKit modules. Its L298 driver and standard 1.0 pinout (including IOREF and TWI pins) simplify integration with Arduino boards, while the stackable Rev3 form factor supports common Arduino project layouts.

Suitable for

• Driving two DC motors with independent speed and direction control
• Driving one bipolar stepper motor by combining channels
• Small robotics and automation projects requiring current sensing and motor braking

Key specifications

• Driver: L298 dual full-bridge (L298P family)
• Channels: 2 (A and B), each using 4 Arduino pins; 8 pins total in use
• Current: up to 2 A per channel (4 A maximum total)
• Compatibility: Arduino shield Rev3 form factor, TinkerKit compatible, 1.0 pinout with TWI and IOREF
• Features: speed and direction control, fast brake, current sensing
• Brand / MPN / EAN: Arduino / A000079 / 8058333490182

How to use

Mount the Motor Shield Rev3 onto an Arduino board aligning the header pins. Connect motors to the channel A and B outputs and supply an appropriate motor power source to the shield’s power terminals. Use the Arduino digital and PWM pins that the shield exposes to set motor direction and speed in your sketch; read the current-sense pins to monitor motor load. For a bipolar stepper, wire the stepper coils across both channels and control stepping by driving the channels according to your step sequence. Observe the shield’s wiring notes for TWI and IOREF pins when stacking additional shields.

Usage recommendations

Use a motor power supply capable of delivering the required peak current and include appropriate decoupling. Do not exceed 2 A continuous per channel; monitor motor current via the sense pins and enable thermal protection in software if needed. When stacking shields, ensure IOREF and TWI connections match the host board.