Page 166 - Making things move_ DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists

Chapter 6 Options for Creating and Controlling Motion 145

roject 6-2: DC Motor Control
P101—The Simplest Circuit
If you hook up a 9V battery to a 9V DC motor, it will spin. Reverse the battery
connections, and it will spin the other way. Let’s take two components—a battery and
a motor—and join them in a simple circuit.

Shopping List:

• DC toy motor
• Corresponding battery (9V used here)
• Battery snap or holder with wire leads (like RadioShack 270-324)

For example, you could use a small DC motor (SparkFun’s ROB-09608 already has the
wire leads on it) and just one AA battery, because the motor will run off 1.5V. The DC
toy motor in Figure 6-16 shows a 9V battery and snap connector, and a 6V motor that
will run on 3V to 9V. All Electronics (www.allelectronics.com/) is a great source of
battery holders for just about any size.

FIGURE 6-16 A simple circuit with a DC motor and battery