Do you dream of building a cool Arduino robot, like a hexapod walker, or an art piece with lots of moving parts? Maybe you want to drive numerous LEDs with precise PWM output. But the Arduino has limited PWM outputs, and they might conflict with other shields. Don't worry! Our handy PWM and Servo driver shield is the solution. It's an upgraded version of our popular PWM/Servo Breakout, fully compatible with all Arduino shields like Uno, Leo, Mega, and ADK. With just two I2C pins, you can control 16 free - running PWM outputs. You can even stack up to 62 shields to control up to 992 PWM outputs! Since I2C is a shared bus, you can connect other I2C devices and sensors to the SCL/SDA pins as long as there's no address conflict (this shield has address 0x40). Here are its amazing features: It has an I2C - controlled PWM driver with a built - in clock, which runs freely without tying up your microcontroller. It's 5V compliant, allowing you to control it from a 3.3V Arduino and drive up to 6V outputs safely. There are 6 address select pins for stacking up to 62 shields on a single I2C bus, and 12 out of 16 output pins are accessible when stacked. The PWM frequency is adjustable up to about 1.6 KHz, and each output has 12 - bit resolution, which means about 4us resolution for servos at 60Hz update rate. You can configure the output as push - pull or open - drain. The shield comes with some great extras: a terminal block for power input, reverse polarity protection on the terminal block, green and red power - good LEDs, 3 - pin connectors in groups of 4 for plugging in 16 servos at once, a stackable design (you'll need stacking headers and right - angle 3x4 headers), a spot for a big capacitor on the V+ line, 220 ohm series resistors on all output lines to protect them and make LED driving easy, solder jumpers for the 6 address select pins, and a 5x20 proto area for extra wiring. The product includes a fully tested and assembled shield, 4 pieces of 3x4 male straight header, a 2 - pin terminal block, and a stick of 0.1' header. A little light soldering is required for assembly and customization, which even beginners can finish in 15 minutes. Note that servos and Arduino are not included, but we have a wide range of servos in the shop. Also, the terminal blocks may be blue or black. Check out our Arduino tutorial and get our documented Arduino library with PWM and Servo examples!
Using this shield is easy. First, assemble it by soldering the included headers according to your needs. It takes about 15 minutes and even beginners can do it. Then, connect the shield to your Arduino using the provided 0.1' header. For power, you can use the terminal block or the 0.1' breakouts on the side. Make sure to check the polarity to avoid damaging the shield. When using servos, plug them into the 3 - pin connectors. Remember, the servo plugs are slightly wider than 0.1', so you can only stack 4 next to each other on 0.1' headers. You can stack up to 62 shields on a single I2C bus, but you'll need stacking headers and right - angle 3x4 headers to avoid servo connection issues. When connecting other I2C devices and sensors to the SCL/SDA pins, ensure their addresses don't conflict with the shield's address (0x40). Regarding maintenance, keep the shield clean and dry. If you're not using it for a long time, store it in a cool and dry place. Also, check the soldered connections periodically to make sure they're secure. Note that the terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black. And don't forget, servos and Arduino are not included, but you can buy them from our shop.
