MD30C Cytron 30Amp 5V-30V DC Motor Driver (1 channels)

Description
The MDD20A enables bidirectional control of two high-power brushed DC motors from 6V to 30V. With full discrete NMOS H-Bridge design, this motor driver is able to support 20Amp continuously for each motor without any heatsink.

A lot of motor drivers in the market specify their current ratings according to the MOSFET specifications. This is highly inaccurate and overrated because the actual current capability is dependent on many other factors such as switching frequency, heatsink efficiency, PCB size, copper thickness and etc. At Cytron, we test all our motor drivers by running the motor at full load in our lab and monitor its temperature with thermal camera. This test is carried out until the temperature stops increasing and reaches a stable point (usually achieve in 15 minutes). This way, we can get the true current ratings for all our motor drivers.

The onboard test buttons and motors output LEDs allow functional test of the motor driver in a quick and convenient way without hooking up the host controller.

This motor driver can be controlled with PWM and DIR inputs. With input logic voltage range from 1.8V to 12V, it’s compatible with wide variety of host controller (e.g. Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PLC).

Various protection features are also incorporated in each channel of the MDD20A. Overcurrent protection prevents the motor driver from damage when the motor stalls or an oversized motor is hooked up. When the motor is trying to draw current more than what the motor driver can support, the motor current will be limited at the maximum threshold.

Assisted by temperature protection, the maximum current limiting threshold is determined by the board temperature. The higher the board temperature, the lower the current limiting threshold. This way, MDD20A able to deliver its full potential depending on the actual condition without damaging the MOSFETs.

Note: Power input does not have reverse-voltage protection. Connecting the battery in reverse polarity will damage the motor driver instantaneously.

Note: MD30C is Revision 2.0 since January 2016.

We know DC brushed motor is widely used for many different applications; from conveyor, AGV (Automated Guide Vehicle), mobile robot and combat robot. One of the reasons is the ease to use it, just connect the two terminals of motor to power respectively, it will start rotating, so simple. Yet, to control the speed and direction from a controller, a motor driver is needed.

This is MD30C DC brushed motor driver. It is the successor of MD30B which is designed to drive medium to high power brushed DC motor with output current up to 80A peak (1 second) and 30A continuously. Full NMOS(solid state) design not only provides faster switching time, it is also more efficient and no heatsink or fan is required to get 30A continuous in room temperature.

Besides that, MD30C also incorporates some user friendly features such as reverse polarity protection for Vin/Vmotor and onboard PWM generator which allows it to operate without additional controller. The motor can simply be controlled with the onboard switches and potentiometer. External switches and potentiometer can also be used.

Which motor is good to be driven by MD30C? As long as the motor:
DC Brushed motor (Two terminals)
Operating voltage from 5V to 30VDC
Rated Current ≤ 30A
Peak Current ≤ 80A
Example of suitable DC brush motor with MD10C (Not limit to):

Relatively low current motor: SPG50 series, SPG30 and SPG30E series, IG45 series, IG42 series, IG32 series, DKM 40W series.
Power Window Motor with coupling, left or right, or Wheel kit
350W Electric Scooter Motor
450W Electric Scooter Motor with Gear
DKM 120W series
Features:
Bi-directional control for 1 brushed DC motor, single channel
Motor Voltage: 5V to 30VDC
Maximum Output Current: 80A peak (1 second), 30A continuous
Reverse polarity protection for Vmotor
3.3V and 5V logic level input, compatible with:
5V Arduino boards such as Arduino UNO, Maker UNO, CT-UNO, Arduino Mega2650
3.3V Arduino board such as Arduino Zero
Raspberry Pi boards which include 3B, 3B , 3A , Zero, Zero W, Zero WH
Full NMOS H-Bridge for higher efficiency and no heat sink is required
Regenerative Braking
Brakes the motor when PWM pin is low (logic low)
Speed control PWM frequency up to 20KHz (Actual output frequency is same as input frequency when external PWM is selected)
Onboard PWM generator with switches and potentiometer for standalone operation
Support both locked-antiphase and sign-magnitude for external PWM operation. Note: PWM is not “RC PWM”
Dimension: ~94mm x ~79mm

Document:
User’s manual (Dec 2017)
Fritzing file, tutorial
Arduino Library and Example (Github)
MD30C CE certificate
MD30C FCC certificate
MD30C RoHS certificate
Tutorials:
Using MD30C without MCU, standalone operation
Controlling MD10C with Arduino – You can apply the same connection and program for MD30C.
Instructables tutorial by randofo – Controlling Motor Speed

Features:

Bidirectional control for two brushed DC motors.
Operating Voltage: DC 6V to 30V
Maximum Motor Current (Each Channel): 20A continuous, 60A peak
Buttons for quick testing.
LEDs for motors output state.
PWM and DIR inputs.
Inputs compatible with 1.8V, 3.3V, 5V and 12V logic (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PLC, etc).
PWM frequency up to 20kHz (Output frequency is same as input frequency).
Compatible with sign-magnitude and locked-antiphase PWM operation.
Overcurrent protection with active current limiting.
Temperature protection.
Undervoltage shutdown.
Example Application: Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), Solar Tracker, Game Simulator, Mobile Robot, Automation Machine.