Raspberry Pi DC Motor Project Help

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davidleejones
 
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Raspberry Pi DC Motor Project Help

Post by davidleejones »

I am a beginner RaspberryPi user and have a simple project.

I have a DC motor that runs on 12 volts and draws 25 amps at stall.

I would like to use a raspberrypi to control the speed at which the dc motor rotates. The normal way would be with a manual dial of some sort, but I would like to be able to control remotely, either via bluetooth or RF remote, such as Keyfob 2-Button RF Remote Control - 315MHz.

What all would I need other than the raspberrypi to make this happen? I assume a key fob and receiver, but what would I use to control the voltage to the DC motor for a larger motor like this?

Any help is much appreciated.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi DC Motor Project Help

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Do you need to control direction too, or just the speed?

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davidleejones
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi DC Motor Project Help

Post by davidleejones »

Just speed. 1 direction is fine.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi DC Motor Project Help

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

You could use a MOSFET like this one: https://www.adafruit.com/product/355
and control the motor speed via the MOSFET with a PWM signal from your Pi. You will need to add a heat-sink to the MOSFET if you will be driving the motor anywhere near its maximum rating.

To protect the MOSFET, you will also need a diode. It should be rated to handle at least the same current as the motor. You can see an example circuit in this tuorial: http://adam-meyer.com/arduino/N-Channel_MOSFET

If you would prefer an off-the-shelf motor-driver solution, I'd have a look at www.pololu.com.

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