Motoron M2U550 Dual Serial Motor Controller

The Motoron M2U550 Dual I²C Motor Controller offers a compact solution for controlling two DC motors using a UART interface . Multiple Motoron controllers can be connected to the same serial bus, making it easy to expand a system with additional motors. The M2U550 supports motor supply voltages from 1.8 V to 22 V and can deliver continuous output currents up to 1.6 A per motor. This version ships with header pins included but not soldered in .

Overview

The Motoron M2T550 and M2U550 controllers make it easy to control two bidirectional, brushed DC motors using an I²C or TTL serial (UART) interface, respectively. These compact (0.6″ × 0.8″) boards support motor supply voltages from 1.8 V to 22 V and can deliver continuous output currents up to 1.6 A per motor. Multiple Motoron controllers can be configured to work on a single I²C or serial bus, allowing independent control of many motors. Unlike most of our motor drivers , the Motoron does not require any PWM outputs or timers on your microcontroller. Instead, only a single I²C or UART interface is needed regardless of how many Motorons you connect.

These Motoron controllers are available in several versions with different combinations of communication interfaces and connector options:

• M2 T 550 (I²C):
  • soldered headers
  • headers included but not soldered in
• M2 U 550 (TTL serial):
  • soldered headers
  • headers included but not soldered in

For smaller single-channel alternatives, consider the Motoron M1T550 and M1U550 .

Details for item #5081

Typical wiring diagram for connecting a microcontroller to a Motoron M2U256/M2U550 Dual Serial Motor Controller.

The M2U550 has a non-inverted TTL serial (UART) interface, and this version ships with a 1×16 breakaway male header included but not soldered in .

Motoron M2T550/M2U550 Dual Motor Controller with included headers.

Motoron M2U550 Dual Serial Motor Controller, bottom view.

Features and specifications

• Two motor control channels allow for independent control of up to two bidirectional brushed DC motors for Motoron
• Wide motor supply voltage range: 1.8 V to 22 V (absolute maximum)
• Maximum output current per motor: 1.6 A continuous, 5 A peak for <1 second
• Reverse-voltage protection on motor power supply (down to −20 V)
• Logic voltage range: 3.0 V to 4.9 V (5V nominal not recommended)
• Control interface:
  • M2T550: I²C (up to 400 kHz)
  • M2U550: non-inverted TTL serial (up to 250 kbps)
• Optional cyclic redundancy checking (CRC)
• Configurable motion parameters:
  • Max acceleration/deceleration forward/reverse
  • Starting speed forward/reverse
  • Direction change delay forward/reverse
• PWM frequency: eight options available from 1 kHz to 80 kHz
• Command timeout feature stops motors if the Motoron stops receiving commands
• Configurable automatic error response
• Motor power supply (VIN) voltage measurement
• Two status LEDs
• Motor direction indicator LEDs
• Error output for easier detection of error conditions
• Motoron Arduino library simplifies using the Motoron with an Arduino or compatible controller
• Motoron Python library simplifies using the Motoron with Python or MicroPython
• Comprehensive user's guide
• Compact 0.6″ × 0.8″ size

A Raspberry Pi Pico on a breadboard using a Motoron M2T550/M2U550 Dual Motor Controller to control two motors.

The Motoron family

The tables below list the members of the Motoron family and show the key differences among them. Each type is available in several versions to provide different options for the through-hole connectors: they can be purchased as an assembled product with connectors soldered in, as a kit with connectors included but not soldered in, or (for Arduino and Raspberry Pi expansions ) as a standalone board without connectors.

Motoron motor controllers micro versions
	M1T550 M1U550	M2T550 M2U550	M1T256 M1U256	M2T256 M2U256
Control interface:	I²C or UART serial
Motor channels:	1 (single)	2 (dual)	1 (single)	2 (dual)
Minimum motor supply voltage:	1.8V		4.5V
Absolute max motor supply voltage:	22V		48V
Recommended max nominal battery voltage:	16V		36V
Max continuous current per channel:	1.8 A	1.6 A	2.2 A	1.8 A
Logic voltage range:	3.0V to 4.9V (1)		3.0V to 5.5V
Available versions with I²C:	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included
Available versions with UART serial:	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included	soldered headers headers included
Price:	$12.49 – $14.49	$15.95 – $17.95	$16.95 – $18.95	$23.95 – $25.95
1 The M1x550 and M2x550 are note recommended for use with 5V nominal logic.

Motoron motor controllers Arduino and Raspberry Pi form factor versions
	M3S550 M3H550	M3S256 M3H256	M2S24v14 M2H24v14	M2S24v16 M2H24v16	M2S18v18 M2H18v18	M2S18v20 M2H18v20
Control interface:	I²C
Motor channels:	3 (triple)		2 (dual)
Minimum motor supply voltage:	1.8V	4.5V	6.5V
Absolute max motor supply voltage:	22V	48V	40V		30V
Recommended max nominal battery voltage:	16V	36V	28V		18V
Max continuous current per channel:	1.7 A	2 A	14 A	16 A	18 A	20 A
Logic voltage range:	M3S550 3.1V to 5.5V	3.0V to 5.5V	3.0V to 5.5V
	M3H550 3.0V to 4.9V (1)
Available versions for Arduino:	M3S550 assembled kit board only	M3S256 assembled kit board only	M2S24v14 assembled kit board only	M2S24v16 assembled kit board only	M2S18v18 assembled kit board only	M2S18v20 assembled kit board only
Available versions for Raspberry Pi:	M3H550 assembled kit board only	M3H256 assembled kit board only	M2H24v14 assembled kit board only	M2H24v16 assembled kit board only	M2H18v18 assembled kit board only	M2H18v20 assembled kit board only
Price:	$20.95 – $30.95	$34.95 – $44.95	$59.95 – $69.95	$115.95 – $124.95	$59.95 – $69.95	$95.95 – $104.95
1 The M3H550 is note recommended for use with 5V nominal logic.