Install Adafruit Motor Shield V2 library
To use the shield on an Arduino, you'll need to install the Adafruit Motorshield v2 library. This library is not compatible with the older AF_Motor library used for v1 shields. However, if you have code for the older shield, adapting the code to use the new shield isn't difficult. We had to change the interface a little to support shield stacking, & we think its worth it!
To begin controlling motors, you will need to install the Adafruit_Motor_Shield_V2_Library library (code on our github repository). It is available from the Arduino library manager so we recommend using that.
From the IDE open up the library manager...
And type in adafruit motor to locate the library. Click Install
If you plan to use AccelStepper for acceleration control or for simultaneous control of multiple stepper motors, you will also need to download and install the AccelStepper library:
Running the Example Code
DC Motor
The library comes with a few examples to get you started up fast. We suggest getting started with the DC motor example. You can use any DC motor that can be powered by 6V-12VDC
First, restart the IDE to make sure the new library is loaded.
Plug the Wing into the Feather and connect a DC motor to Motor 1 - it does not matter which wire goes into which terminal block as motors are bi-directional. Connect to the top two terminal ports. See the photo below for the red and blue wire example. Be sure to screw down the terminal blocks to make a good connection!
You must also supply 5-12VDC to power the motor. You can power the Wing via a connected DC Barrel Jack as seen above. A battery pack is good for portable use. Note that this will not power the Feather, that's normal - you want to keep separate power supplies and the Feather is best powered by a separate lipoly battery
Once you have verified the motor is connected properly and you have the power LED lit up brightly, we can upload our code.
In the IDE, load File->Examples->Adafruit_MotorShield->DCMotorTest
You should see and hear the DC motor turn on and move back and forth, attaching a slip of paper or tape as a 'flag' can help you visualize the movement if you have trouble seeing the movement
Stepper Motor Test
You can also test a stepper motor connection with the Wing. The wing can run unipolar (5-wire and 6-wire) and bipolar (4-wire) steppers. It cannot run steppers with any other # of wires! The code is the same for unipolar or bipolar motors, the wiring is just slightly different.
Plug the Wing into the Feather and connect a stepper motor to motor port 2 - unlike DC motors, the wire order does matter. Connect to the top two terminal ports (coil #1) and the bottom two terminal ports (coil #2).
- If you have a bipolar motor, use all 4 pins
- If you are using a unipolar motor with 5 wires, connect the common wire to GND on the power terminal block
- If you are using a motor with 6 wires, it can be wired for either unipolar or bipolar operation. For best performance leave the center-tap wires unconnected for bipolar operation. For unipolar, you can connect the two center-tap wires together to GND on the power terminal block
You must also supply 5-12VDC to power the motor. You can power the Wing via a connected DC Barrel Jack as seen above. A battery pack is good for portable use. Note that this will not power the Feather, that's normal - you want to keep separate power supplies and the Feather is best powered by a separate lipoly battery
Once you have verified the motor is connected properly and you have the power LED lit up brightly, we can upload our code.
In the IDE, load File->Examples->Adafruit_MotorShield->StepperTest
You should see and hear the stepper motor turn on and move back and forth, attaching a slip of paper or tape as a 'flag' can help you visualize the movement if you have trouble seeing the movement. There are four ways to move a stepper, with varying speed, torque and smoothness tradeoffs. This example code will demonstrate all four.
