I frequently need a simple DC motor speed controller for my projects. Typically, these controllers are driven by a 0-5V analog signal, which could com

Microcontroller V's 555 Timer - Motor Speed Controller Showdown

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2024-10-02 06:30:35

I frequently need a simple DC motor speed controller for my projects. Typically, these controllers are driven by a 0-5V analog signal, which could come from a microcontroller, PLC, or other control devices. There are many ways to build a speed controller, whether using a dedicated chip, a microcontroller, or analog circuitry.

These speed controllers differ from the simple manual speed controllers that use a manually operated potentiometer to control motor speed.

In the hardware hacking community, there's a common phrase when someone builds something simple with a microcontroller: 'You could have just used a 555!.' This project seeks to explore that question: Should you just use a 555?

In this Instructable, I will build both a simple 555-based DC motor speed controller and an equivalent microcontroller-based version. We'll then compare the strengths and weaknesses of each design at the end of the project.

For the micro controller I decided to go for a PIC microcontroller as opposed to an Arduino. I love the Arduino microcontroller system and I think it's the perfect platform for prototyping and experimenting. However using a PIC microcontroller, programmed in the C language, demonstrates more closely what's involved professional embedded system design. Using the PIC with the MPLAB IDE helps you understand all of the areas of embedded design that are hidden from you when using the Arduino system.