Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield Kit for Arduino

Pololu item #: 5069
Brand: Pololu supply outlook
Status: Active and Preferred 
RoHS 3 compliant

Price break Unit price (US$)
1 25.95
5 23.87
25 21.96
100 20.21


The Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino makes it easy to control DC motors from an Arduino or Arduino-compatible board through an I²C interface. Each module can independently control up to three motors, and multiple shields can be stacked on top of the same Arduino for projects that need to control even more motors. The M3S550 supports motor supply voltages from 1.8 V to 22 V and can deliver continuous output currents up to 1.7 A per motor. This version ships with a variety of header pin and terminal block options included but not soldered in.

 Description Specs (15) Pictures (14) Resources (5) FAQs (0) On the blog (1) 

Overview

The Motoron M3S550 shield makes it easy to control up to three bidirectional, brushed DC motors with an Arduino or compatible board, such as the A-Star 32U4 Prime. It supports motor supply voltages from 1.8 V to 22 V and can deliver continuous output currents up to 1.7 A per motor. Multiple Motoron controllers can be stacked on top of each other, allowing independent control of many motors. Unlike most of our motor drivers and motor driver shields, the Motoron does not require any PWM outputs or timers on your Arduino. Instead, the Arduino communicates with the Motoron using I²C, so only two I/O lines are needed regardless of how many Motorons you connect.

Three M3S550 versions are available to provide different options for the through-hole connectors:

For applications using a Raspberry Pi, consider the Motoron M3H550 instead (also available with different connector options).

Details for item #5069

Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield Kit for Arduino.

This version of the Motoron M3S550 is a kit that ships with the following connectors included but not soldered in:

There are more parts included than can be soldered to the board, providing different assembly options to suit a variety of applications. Additional connector options are available separately, and you can also solder wires directly to the board for more compact installations.

Note: For applications where the Motoron will be used as a standalone board or at the top of a shield stack, it can be assembled with the included 0.1″ male header pins and larger (5.0mm-pitch) blue terminal blocks. For applications where the Motoron will be one of the intermediate members of a stack of shields, we recommend assembling it with the stackable headers and smaller (3.5mm-pitch) green terminal blocks (just like our version with connectors already soldered). The terminal blocks are intended to be soldered to the larger through-holes for the power and motor connections, and the blue ones should get locked together prior to installation (see our short video on terminal block installation).

A Raspberry Pi Pico on a breadboard using a Motoron M3S550 shield to control three motors.

Motoron M3S550 shield being controlled by an Arduino Uno.

Motoron M3S256 or M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield pinout.

Features and specifications

  • Three motor control channels allow for independent control of up to three bidirectional brushed DC motors per Motoron
  • Wide motor supply voltage range: 1.8 V to 22 V (absolute maximum)
  • Maximum output current per motor: 1.7 A continuous, 5 A peak for <1 second
  • Reverse-voltage protection on motor power supply (down to −20 V)
  • Logic voltage input (IOREF) range: 3.1 V to 5.5 V
  • Logic voltage: 3.3 V typical, but lower if IOREF is less than 3.3 V (produced by an LDO powered from IOREF)
  • Compatible with 3.3 V and 5 V I²C busses (maximum signal voltage is 6.5 V)
  • Control interface: I²C
  • I²C clock speed: up to 400 kHz
  • Optional cyclic redundancy checking (CRC)
  • Configurable motion parameters:
    • Max acceleration/deceleration forward/reverse
    • Starting speed forward/reverse
    • Direction change delay forward/reverse
  • PWM frequency: eight options available from 1 kHz to 80 kHz
  • Command timeout feature stops motors if the Arduino stops functioning
  • Configurable automatic error response
  • Motor power supply (VIN) voltage measurement
  • Optional pins make it easy to power the Arduino from reverse-protected motor power, either directly or through an external regulator (not included)
  • Two status LEDs
  • Motor direction indicator LEDs
  • Motoron Arduino library simplifies using the Motoron with an Arduino or compatible controller
  • Comprehensive user’s guide

The Motoron family

The tables below list the members of the Motoron family and show the key differences among them. Each type is available in several versions to provide different options for the through-hole connectors: they can be purchased as an assembled product with connectors soldered in, as a kit with connectors included but not soldered in, or (for Arduino and Raspberry Pi expansions) as a standalone board without connectors.

Motoron motor controllers
micro versions

M1T550



M1U550

M2T550



M2U550

M1T256



M1U256

M2T256



M2U256
Control interface: I²C or UART serial
Motor channels: 1 (single) 2 (dual) 1 (single) 2 (dual)
Minimum motor
supply voltage:
1.8 V 4.5 V
Absolute max motor
supply voltage:
22 V 48 V
Recommended max
nominal battery voltage:
16 V 36 V
Max continuous
current per channel:
1.8 A 1.6 A 2.2 A 1.8 A
Logic voltage range: 3.0 V to 4.9 V(1) 3.0 V to 5.5 V
Current sensing/limiting:
Available versions
with I²C:
Available verions
with UART serial:
Price: $12.49$14.49 $15.95$17.95 $16.95$18.95 $23.95$25.95
1 The M1x550 and M2x550 are not recommended for use with 5V nominal logic.
Motoron motor controllers
Arduino and Raspberry Pi form factor versions

M3S550



M3H550

M3S256



M3H256

M2S24v14



M2H24v14

M2S24v16



M2H24v16

M2S18v18



M2H18v18

M2S18v20



M2H18v20
Control interface: I²C
Motor channels: 3 (triple) 2 (dual)
Minimum motor
supply voltage:
1.8 V 4.5 V 6.5 V
Absolute max motor
supply voltage:
22 V 48 V 40 V 30 V
Recommended max
nominal battery voltage:
16 V 36 V 28 V 18 V
Max continuous
current per channel:
1.7 A 2 A 14 A 16 A 18 A 20 A
Logic voltage range: M3S550
3.1 V to 5.5 V
3.0 V to 5.5 V 3.0 V to 5.5 V
M3H550
3.0 V to 4.9 V(1)
Current sensing/limiting:
Available versions
for Arduino:
M3S550 M3S256 M2S24v14 M2S24v16 M2S18v18 M2S18v20
Available versions
for Raspberry Pi:
M3H550 M3H256 M2H24v14 M2H24v16 M2H18v18 M2H18v20
Price: $20.95$30.95 $34.95$44.95 $59.95$69.95 $79.95$89.95 $59.95$69.95 $95.95$104.95
1 The M3H550 is not recommended for use with 5V nominal logic.

Related Products

Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino (Connectors Soldered)
Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino (No Connectors)
MP6550 Single Brushed DC Motor Driver Carrier
Stackable 0.100" Female Header Set for Arduino Shields
Screw Terminal Block: 2-Pin, 5 mm Pitch, Side Entry (4-Pack)
Screw Terminal Block: 2-Pin, 3.5 mm Pitch, Side Entry (4-Pack)
0.100" (2.54 mm) Breakaway Male Header: 1×40-Pin, Straight, Black
0.100" (2.54 mm) Shorting Block: Blue, Top Closed

Related Categories

Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino
Motoron Motor Controllers
Motoron M2S Dual High-Power Motor Controllers for Arduino
Motoron M3S256 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino
Motoron M3H550 Triple Motor Controller for Raspberry Pi
Shields for Arduino
Motors and Gearboxes
Arduino-Compatible
Brushed DC Motor Drivers
Voltage Regulators
Premium Jumper Wires
Wires with Pre-Crimped Terminals
Solderless Breadboards
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