The Pi-Plates MOTORplate is a remarkable add - on for your Raspberry Pi, offering a comprehensive set of professional motion control features. Each MOTORplate can control various motor combinations: two stepper motors, four DC motors, or a mix of one stepper and two DC motors. An onboard microprocessor handles complex tasks like controlling acceleration trajectories and microstepping, freeing up your Raspberry Pi to focus on other important jobs. You can use this board to drive a precision XY stage with stepper motors or power the treads of your robot. Pi - Plates are a stackable and interchangeable family of circuit boards. They let your Raspberry Pi interact with the outside world. These plates are designed to offer a wide range of features at a low cost, using the fewest pins on the RPi header. They are compatible with all 40 - pin Raspberry Pi models, meeting the needs of hobbyists, experimenters, and professionals. Key features include the ability to drive different motor combinations, high output currents (up to 1.2 amps average and 3.2 amps peak), efficient motor - driving MOS transistors, auxiliary power inputs with selectors and reverse - voltage protection, a dedicated onboard processor, real - time acceleration trajectory calculation, and compatibility with all Raspberry Pi versions. You can stack up to eight MOTORplates for enhanced drive capability. The board uses minimal current during standby, has ESD and overvoltage protection for all inputs, provides +5 and ground on terminal blocks for sensors and switches, includes a programmable LED, and is compatible with ServoBlaster. Documentation includes a User Guide and MOTORplate Example Code.
Using the Pi - Plates MOTORplate is easy. First, connect it to your Raspberry Pi. Make sure your Raspberry Pi has a 40 - pin header as this board is compatible with such models. You can choose the power source for the motor controller chips, either from the Raspberry Pi's 5VDC supply or a dedicated 15V MAX power input. When connecting motors, decide whether you want to use stepper motors, DC motors, or a combination. The onboard microprocessor will take care of complex operations like acceleration and microstepping. You can stack up to eight MOTORplates together to increase the drive capacity. For programming, refer to the User Guide and use the included MOTORplate Example Code. Remember, all inputs are ESD and overvoltage protected, but it's still a good idea to handle the board carefully. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or moisture. During standby, the board uses less than 10mA of DC current, so it's energy - efficient. The +5 and ground on the terminal blocks can be used to power hall effect sensors, optoisolators, and limit switches. Also, you can program the LED according to your needs. If you encounter any issues, always refer back to the User Guide. And since it's compatible with ServoBlaster, you can explore additional functions with that software.
