Logic power, Trying out the controller with usb – Pololu Simple User Manual
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and pairs of 0.1"-spaced holes, which are compatible with the included
and can be used with perfboards,
, and 0.1" connectors. For high-power applications that exceed
the 15 A rating of the terminal blocks, we recommend soldering thick wires directly to a connector-free version of
the board and using
(see the custom-connector pictures
above). Another benefit of the connector-free version is flexibility in placement of the power capacitor (e.g. on the
other side of the board) to accommodate compact installations or to make room for a heat sink. The power capacitor
has a significant effect on performance; the included capacitor is the minimum size recommended, and bigger ones
can be added if there is space. A bigger capacitor might be required if the power supply is poor or far (more than
about a foot) from the controller. The pin-out diagrams above show where you can connect the included (or your own
larger) power capacitor.
Logic Power
The Simple Motor Controllers use 3.3 V logic, but all of the controllers’ digital inputs are 5V-tolerant, so it can
interface directly with 5V systems. The only pins on the board that cannot tolerate 5V are the two analog input
channels, A1 and A2. The simple motor controllers incorporate both a 5V regulator and a 3.3V regulator, but the
5V regulator is only used when power is supplied to VIN. Otherwise, the USB 5V bus voltage replaces the output
of the 5V regulator. The 5V and 3.3V power buses are available via the RC BEC jumper pads (see the upper-right
corners of the power connection diagrams above), and a shorting block can be used to connect the RC power row to
the desired voltage rail, thereby powering a connected RC receiver with 3.3 or 5 V. These pins can also be used to
supply approximately 150 mA to other components in your system.
Trying Out the Controller with USB
Once you have a connected a power supply and a motor, you can use the Simple Motor Control Center to make the
motor move and test how various settings affect the behavior of the motor (see
for more information on
configuring the Simple Motor Controller). The Simple Motor Controller defaults to “Serial/USB” input mode, which
lets you control the motor speed with the slider bar under the status tab. If you have already changed the input mode
of the device to something else, you can restore it by going to the Input Settings tab, selecting Serial/USB as the Input
Mode, and clicking the Apply Settings button in the lower right corner.
Pololu Simple Motor Controller User's Guide
© 2001–2014 Pololu Corporation
4. Connecting Your Motor Controller
Page 31 of 101