20A 6V-30V 2-Channel DC Motor Driver

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

The onboard test buttons and motors output LEDs allow a 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 a wide variety of host controllers (e.g. Arduino, Raspberry Pi etc).

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, the MDD20A is able to deliver its full potential depending on the actual condition without damaging the MOSFETs.

We also have a single-channel option available for running a single motor.

True Current ratings

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 etc.

Cytron test all of its motor drivers by running the motor at full load in our lab and monitoring its temperature with a thermal camera. This test is carried out until the temperature stops increasing and reaches a stable point (usually achieve in 15 minutes). This way, they can get the true current ratings for all their motor drivers.

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

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
• Does not have reverse-voltage protection

Package Contents

• 1 x 20A 6V-30V DC Motor Driver (2-Channel)
• 4 x PCB Spacer

Resources

• Datasheet
• Sample Code
• MDD20A CAD file