If you’ve ever searched for "HW 130 motor control shield for Arduino datasheet better," you have likely landed on a handful of cryptic Chinese PDFs, low-resolution pinout diagrams, or forum posts with conflicting wiring instructions. You are not alone. The HW-130 is one of the most popular—yet poorly documented—dual motor driver shields on the market.
This article serves as the better alternative to the raw datasheet. We will dissect every technical specification, explain the actual circuit logic, provide corrected wiring diagrams, and show you how to maximize performance. By the end, you will know more about the HW-130 than any six-page datasheet could ever teach you.
The shield has a terminal block (usually green screw terminals) labeled PWR.
| Feature | Specification | | :--- | :--- | | Driver Chip | L298N (ST) | | Operating Voltage | Logic: 5V | Motor Power: 7V – 12V (Recommended), Max 24V | | Output Current | 2A per channel (Max), 1A continuous recommended | | Peak Power | 25W | | Driven Motors | 2x DC Motors OR 1x Stepper Motor (4-wire) | | Protection | Built-in 4x 1N5819 High-speed Schottky Diodes (Back EMF) | | Size | Standard Arduino Shield Dimensions |
If you found this article searching for a "better" solution, here's the honest verdict:
| Feature | HW-130 (L298N) | TB6612FNG | L293D | |---------|----------------|-----------|-------| | Max current | 1.5A (real) | 1.2A | 0.6A | | Voltage drop | ~2V | ~0.5V | ~1.5V | | PWM frequency limit | 25kHz | 100kHz | 5kHz | | Heat generation | High | Low | Medium | | Datasheet quality | Poor | Excellent | Good | hw 130 motor control shield for arduino datasheet better
When to keep using HW-130:
When to upgrade:
The HW-130 routes the L298N pins to specific Arduino pins. This is the critical reference for your code.
These specs are based on the L293D integrated circuit capabilities.
| Parameter | Rating | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Motor Driver IC | L293D | Provides bi-directional control. | | Operating Voltage | 4.5V – 25V | Supplied via the External Power Terminal block. | | Logic Voltage | 5V | Supplied by the Arduino via the USB or Vin. | | Output Current (Per Channel) | 0.6A (Continuous) | Max peak current is 1.2A per channel. | | Total Max Current | ~1.2A – 1.5A | The L293D gets hot quickly above 0.5A. | | Number of Motors | 4 DC Motors OR 2 Stepper Motors | Cannot run 4 steppers, only 2. | | Servo Ports | 2 | Connected directly to Arduino Pins 9 and 10. | | Thermal Protection | Yes | Built into the L293D, but use a heatsink for high loads. | If you’ve ever searched for "HW 130 motor
The HW-130 has no official datasheet – it’s a clone of a clone. But now you know its soul: an L298N chip, a handful of diodes, screw terminals, and a heroic ability to get your robot moving. Treat it with respect for heat and power, and it will serve faithfully.
Final spec table (unofficial but accurate):
| Parameter | Value | |--------------------------|---------------------------| | Chip | L298N | | Logic voltage | 5V (from Arduino or ext) | | Motor voltage | 6V – 12V recommended | | Max continuous current | 1.5A per channel | | Peak current (1 sec) | 3A | | PWM frequency range | 0 – 25 kHz (use 15-20 kHz)| | Servo output | 5V, shared with Arduino | | Arduino pin usage | D4, D6, D7, D8, D9, D12 | | Standby current | ~12mA | | Onboard LED | Power indicator (VM side) |
Now go build something that moves.
The is a multi-channel motor driver shield based on the L293D chipset. It is a popular, low-cost clone of the original Adafruit Motor Shield v1 , designed to plug directly onto an Arduino Uno Go to product viewer dialog for this item. or Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . 1. Key Technical Specifications | Feature | Specification | | :--- |
The shield uses two L293D dual H-bridge chips and one 74HC595 shift register to expand the number of control pins. Motor Supply Voltage ( Vmotorcap V sub m o t o r end-sub ): 4.5V to 25V (up to 36V on some versions). Output Current: 600mA continuous per channel (1.2A peak). Drive Capacity: Up to 4 DC motors with individual 8-bit speed selection. Up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar).
Up to 2 "hobby" servos (5V) connected to the Arduino’s dedicated timers.
Protection: Built-in thermal shutdown and internal kickback protection diodes. 2. Pin Layout & Functions
Because it uses a shift register, most motor control signals are handled internally. However, certain Arduino pins are "reserved" when the shield is plugged in. Arduino Pins Used Description DC/Stepper Control 4, 7, 8, 12 Communicates with the 74HC595 latch. PWM Speed (DC) 3, 5, 6, 11 Controls motor speed via PWM. Servo 1 Digital Pin 9 Connects to the standard Servo 1 header. Servo 2 Digital Pin 10 Connects to the standard Servo 2 header. Analog Inputs Generally free for sensors or extra I/O. 3. Power Connection (Critical) L293D Based Arduino Motor Shield