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From: sandman
Date: 3/8/2003
Time: 8:47:13 PM
Remote Name: 206.248.224.8
Remote User:
Hi everyone, I have a little project I've been trying to develop and was wondering if I could get a little help.
I was to control the operation of a DC motor via my serial/parallel port on the computer. I just want to be able to write a simple program that turns a pin on/off on the serial port (5v/0v) and with this on/off, turn the motor on and off. From what I've read, I can acheive this via transistors. Theoretically, I believe I need to connect the 5 volts to the base of a BJT (nPn), put a resistor on the collector and the DC motor on the emitter, and connect the powersupply (3V battery) to the (+) collector and (-) motor. The problem I forsee is high currents going into the base. Is there an optimal setup I should look at here? I suppose I need to know the amount of current that can come out of the serial/parallel port and also the resistance of the motor.
any guidance would be greatly appreciated!