L298 motor driver

The L298N is a dual H-bridge motor driver IC used to control two DC motors or one stepper motor. It is widely used in Arduino robot car projects, including your 2WD smart car kit.

Key Specifications

• Driver IC: L298N (Dual H-Bridge)

• Motor Voltage: 5V–35V

• Logic Voltage: 5V

• Max Current: 2A per channel (peak, with heat sink)

• Control Type: TTL logic

• PWM Speed Control: Yes

• Onboard 5V Regulator (if jumper enabled)

Pin Description (L298N Module)

Power Section

• 12V (VIN) → Motor supply (Battery 7.4V–12V)

• 5V → Logic supply (or 5V output if regulator enabled)

• GND → Common ground

Motor Outputs

• OUT1, OUT2 → Motor A

• OUT3, OUT4 → Motor B

Control Pins

• ENA → Speed control Motor A (PWM)

• IN1, IN2 → Direction control Motor A

• IN3, IN4 → Direction control Motor B

• ENB → Speed control Motor B (PWM)

How It Works (Technical Explanation)

The L298 uses H-bridge topology, allowing:

• Forward rotation

• Reverse rotation

• Braking

• Speed control via PWM

Example logic:

Why It’s Used in 2WD Robot Car

In your 2WD smart car kit:

• Motor A → Left Wheel

• Motor B → Right Wheel

• ENA / ENB → Speed control

• Battery (2S 7.4V) → VIN

• Common GND → Arduino GND

Advantages

• Cheap and widely available in Pakistan

• Easy to use with Arduino

• Built-in heat sink

• Supports PWM