TB6612FNG Motor Driver

[1/19/25]

Intro

• See circuit-5a-motor-basics

TB6612FNG Motor Driver

Features:

• Power supply voltage: VM = 15V max, VCC = 2.7—5.5V
• Output current: Iout = 1.2A (average) / 3.2A (peak)
• Standby control to save power
• CW/CCW/short-brake/stop motor control modes
• Built-in thermal shutdown circuit and low-voltage detecting circuit
• All pins of the TB6612FNG broken out to 0.1” spaced pins
• Filtering capacitors on both supply lines
• Pre-soldered headers

Datasheet

TB6612FNG vs L293D

The TB6612FNG motor driver is significantly more efficient than the L293D motor driver, and as a result, it requires less power to run the same two motors.

Key Differences:

1. Efficiency:

• L293D:
  • Uses bipolar transistors for switching, which have a high voltage drop (about 1.5V to 2V per channel).
  • This means more power is wasted as heat, especially when running motors with higher current demands.
• TB6612FNG:
  • Uses MOSFETs for switching, which have a much lower voltage drop (around 0.2V to 0.5V).
  • Significantly more efficient, wasting less power as heat.

2. Current Capacity:

• L293D:
  • Can handle up to 600mA per channel (peak 1.2A for short bursts), but efficiency drops as current increases.
• TB6612FNG:
  • Can handle up to 1.2A continuous per channel (3A peak), making it better suited for motors with higher current demands.
  • The higher current capacity also means it can power larger motors more effectively.

3. Heat Generation:

• L293D:
  • Generates significant heat due to the high voltage drop across its bipolar transistors.
  • Requires heat sinks or other cooling measures for prolonged use with high-current motors.
• TB6612FNG:
  • Generates very little heat due to its low voltage drop and efficient MOSFET design, even when running at higher currents.

4. Voltage Compatibility:

• Both drivers support a similar motor voltage range:
  • L293D: 4.5V to 36V.
  • TB6612FNG: 4.5V to 13.5V (slightly lower maximum, but sufficient for most hobby motors).

5. Power Consumption:

• Due to its inefficiency, the L293D consumes more power (wasted as heat) compared to the TB6612FNG.
• The TB6612FNG is optimized for low power consumption and will draw less current for the same load.

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Power Usage for 2 Motors:

• With L293D, power loss can be significant:
  • At high currents, up to 4W of power could be wasted as heat (for both channels combined).
• With TB6612FNG, power loss is minimal:
  • Even at high currents, power wasted is likely less than 1W.

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[3/23/25]

TB6612FNG vs L298N

TB6612FNG H-Bridge with Arduino – Better Than L298N?

Today we will look at another H-Bridge motor controller. This one uses MOSFETs and is a great replacement for the L298N.

• See DC Motor