INTRODUCTION

Since the advent of micro:bit, its simple and practical way of programming is widely loved by makers, students and teachers. Its sample design, coupled with a wealth of pin resources, give it infinite possibilities. This expansion board not only leads to 9 micro:bit onboard GPIO interfaces, but also comes with 4-way motor drives and 8 servo interfaces, of which 4-way motor drives can be reused as 2-way stepper motor drives.

Micro:bit Driver Expansion Board adopts IIC external drive chip to control the motor and servo motor, only takes up two IIC pins and can complete the motor and servo dual control without occupying other resources. Using HR8833 motor driver, the maximum continuous operating current is 1.5A, it can drive the ordinary small motor and N20 mini metal motor. Each motor port comes with a positive and negative rotating indicator to identify the motor running direction conveniently, which is very suitable for students and makers to make small projects. Both the extended GPIO and the servo interface use the DFRobot-Gravity standard interface, supporting a large number of modules and sensors. The servo interface is directly connected to the Vin power supply, thus increasing the supply current which can support multiple servos to work at the same time.

This expansion board supports 3.5V to 5.5V power supply. It provides a DC 2.1 plug and a wiring terminal which can be connected directly to three dry battery boxes. It comes with a USB to DC 2.1 adapter cable, which can be powered by power bank and is more economical and environment-friendly.

Motor Drive Expansion Board Selection Guide

Product Name	2x1A DC Motor Shield for Arduino	Micro:bit Driver Expansion Board	Gravity: Dual Bipolar Stepper Motor Shield for Arduino (DRV8825)	Quad DC Motor Driver Shield for Arduino
SKU	DRI0001	DFR0548	DRI0023	DRI0039
Chip	L293B	HR8833	DRV8825	TB6612FNG
Operating voltage	5V DC	/	3.3V/5V	2.7~5.5V
Motor drive voltage	7-12V DC	3.5~5.5V DC	8.2-45VDC	2.5V-13.5V
Maximum drive current	1A each way	1.5A	1.6A	1.2A continuous current (per channel) 2A (continuous pulse) 3.2A (single pulse)
Motor drive using pins	PIN4/5/6/7 (Arduino Controllor)	/	D4，D5，D6 D7，D8，D12	D3,4,5,6,7,8,11,12
Dimension	56x57mm	63 x 58mm	83*55*25mm	52mm * 53mm
Weight (g)	60	64	48	24
Frequently used With	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series	FIT0278/FIT0503	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series
Key Features	With motor indicator	8-way servo interface DC motor x4/stepper motor x2(multiplexed with motor interface)	Full step, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 step mode	High-speed drive capability, can drive ordinary 2-phase stepper motor to 5000RPM, and drive quad DC at the same time
Product Name	Gravity: IO Expansion & Motor Driver Shield	Gravity: 2x2A Motor Shield for Arduino Twin	TMC260 Stepper Motor Driver Shield	2x2A DC Motor Shield for Arduino
SKU	DFR0502	DRI0017	DRI0035	DRI0009
Chip	TB6612FNG	L298	TMC260	L298P
Operating voltage	2.7~5.5V	5V	5V	5V
Motor drive voltage	12V (peak value)	4.8 ～ 35V	40V max	6.5~12v(VIN Power Supply),4.8~35V (External Power Source)
Maximum drive current	1.2A continuous current (per channel) 2A (continuous pulse) 3.2A (single pulse)	up to 2A/channel	up to 2A per motor coil	2A
Motor drive using pins	D4 D5 D6 D7	D10,11,12,13	/	Pin 4,5,6,7 are used to drive two DC motor
Dimension	68.5mm×53.3mm	56x57mm		55x55mm
Weight (g)	36	35	35	60
Frequently used With	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series	FIT0278/FIT0503	FIT0565/FIT0520/ FIT0450/FIT0492/ N20 Series
Key Features	Integrated XBee Slot, XBee, WiFi Bee, Bluetooth Bee,  IIC.	Mirrored version of DRI0009. Drive pins: 10, 11, 12, 13 Not compatible with IO expansion board V7.1. The control port is four, which reduces the overhead of the Arduino digital ports, and easy to program.	Suitable for driving bipolar stepper motors. SPI serial bus control or STEP/DIR signal control. Controllers such as Mega with full port expansion. 256 times microstep subdivision.	Use mirror motor to drive DRI0017 to aviod the conflicts . Support PWM speed control. Support PLL advance speed control