DC Motor Control With Microbit and no Motor Controller

In this post, I am exploring how to control a motor without a motor controller. I am working to create the simplest possible circuit using basic electronic components. For this experiment I am following the project of British YouTuber Rusty Rocket at this URL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JYdL1dagII

I have documented my experience in this video on my YouTube channel Squigglemom, and am also documenting it in this blog post.

To do this project you need the following components. I got mine at JK Electronics in Westminster in the Los Angeles area (I prefer in-store shopping for my electronic components.) I got a few sets, as I often will share my projects with others and I like to be prepared.

Parts Needed for this project

HTIP120 transistor

Diode 1N4004

1K Resistor (Brown, Black, Red, Gold)

Breadboard

Crocodile clips

Jumper wires

Motor

Power Supplies (2) – One to power the Microbit, one to power the motor.

About the Motor – For this project, I specifically sought out a motor that would run on 3 V. Many DC motors require 5 V or more to make them go. I expect to work on variations to this project as I work forward. The Microbit max voltage is just over 3 volts.

About Motor Controllers – There are a number of solutions (boards) that solve the problem of powering motors with more power needs than can be used on the MicroBit. This is an alternative explanation.

Making Your Circuits

There are tools you can use, specifically Fritzing, that you can use to document your circuit. That is a future post. For now, I used Gimp to document the circuit (I know how to use Gimp) as I was having trouble seeing the connection points in Rusty’s video.