This small, inexpensive motor controller allows variable speed and direction control of two small, brushed DC motors using a simple serial interface, making it easy to add motors to your microcontroller- or computer-based project. The motor supply voltage range is 4.5 to 13.5 V; the continuous current per channel is up to 1 A (3 A peak). The logic supply can be as low as 2.7 V, allowing operation with modern microcontrollers running at 3.3 V.

The qik 2s9v1 is Pololu’s second-generation dual serial motor controller. The compact module allows any microcontroller or computer with a serial port (external RS-232 level converter required) or USB-to-serial adapter to easily drive two small, brushed DC motors with full direction and speed control. It provides ultrasonic, 8-bit PWM speed control via an advanced, two-way serial protocol that features automatic baud rate detection up to 38.4 kbps and optional CRC error checking. Two status LEDs give visual feedback about the serial connection and any encountered error conditions, making debugging easy, and a demo mode allows easy verification of proper operation.

The improvements over the previous generation and competing products include:

high-frequency (ultrasonic) PWM to eliminate switching-induced motor shaft hum or whine

a robust, high-speed communication protocol with user-configurable error condition response

visible LEDs and a demo mode to help troubleshoot problematic installations

reverse power protection on the motor supply (not on the logic supply)

For a more advanced, higher-power version of this controller, please consider the qik 2s12v10. For a simpler carrier of the qik’s motor driver, please consider the TB6612FNG dual motor driver carrier, and for a robot controller based on the qik’s driver, please consider the Baby Orangutan and Orangutan SV-328 robot controllers and 3pi robot, which connect the TB6612 to a user-programmable AVR microcontroller.

November 27, 2013 update: We have changed this product by replacing the large, silver electrolytic capacitor with a much smaller ceramic capacitor. This lowers the profile of the board but does not affect functionality at all. The main product picture shows this new version; the rest of the pictures on this product page still show the previous version with the tall electrolytic capacitor.

Simple bidirectional control of two DC brush motors.

4.5 V to 13.5 V motor supply range.

1 A maximum continuous current per motor (3 A peak).

2.7 V to 5.5 V logic supply range.

Logic-level, non-inverted, two-way serial control for easy connection to microcontrollers or robot controllers.

Optional automatic baud rate detection.

Two on-board indicator LEDs (status/heartbeat and serial error indicator) for debugging and feedback.

Serial error output to make it easier for the main controller to recover from a serial error condition.

Jumper-enabled demo mode allows initial testing without any programming.

Optional CRC error detection eliminates serial errors caused by noise or software faults.

Optional motor shutdown on serial error or timeout for additional safety.

Supports daisy-chaining the qik to other qiks and Pololu serial motor and servo controllers, allowing the control of up to hundreds of motors and servos with a single serial line.

Comprehensive user’s guide.

The qik ships with a 16×1 straight 0.100" male header strip, a 12×1 right angle 0.100" male header strip, and two red shorting blocks. This hardware offers several options when it comes to making connections to the qik.

For the most compact installation, wires can be directly soldered to the qik pins themselves. For less permanent connections, the 16×1 straight header strip can be broken into a 12×1 piece and two 2×1 pieces. The 2×1 pieces can optionally be soldered into the jumper pins, and the 12×1 header strip of your choice can be soldered into the qik control pins. This allows connections to the qik via custom-made cables that have female headers on them, or the qik can simply be plugged into a breadboard. Using the right angle header allows for a compact profile or for vertical mounting into a breadboard; using the straight header allows for breadboarding as shown in the picture above.

We have written a basic Arduino library for the qik dual serial motor controllers that makes it simple to interface these controllers with an Arduino. The library handles the details of serial communication with the qik, allowing two brushed DC motors to be controlled easily.

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The six-channel Micro Maestro raises the performance bar for serial servo controllers with features such as a native USB interface and internal scripting control. Whether you want high-performance servo control (0.25μs resolution with built-in speed and acceleration control) or a general I/O controller (e.g. to interface with a sensor or ESC via your USB port), this tiny, versatile device will deliver. The fully assembled version ships with header pins installed.

For a full list of products shown in this video, see the blog post.

The Micro Maestro is the smallest of Pololu’s second-generation USB servo controllers. The Maestros are available in four sizes and can be purchased fully assembled or as partial kits:

Maestro family of USB servo controllers: Mini 24, Mini 18, Mini 12, and Micro 6.

Micro Maestro — fully assembled

Micro Maestro — partial kit

Mini Maestro 12 — fully assembled

Mini Maestro 12 — partial kit

Mini Maestro 18 — fully assembled

Mini Maestro 18 — partial kit

Mini Maestro 24 — fully assembled

Mini Maestro 24 — partial kit

The Mini Maestros offer higher channel counts and some additional features (see the Maestro comparison table below for details).

Micro Maestro 6-channel USB servo controller bottom view with quarter for size reference.

The Micro Maestro is a highly versatile servo controller and general-purpose I/O board in a highly compact (0.85"×1.20") package. It supports three control methods: USB for direct connection to a computer, TTL serial for use with embedded systems, and internal scripting for self-contained, host controller-free applications. The channels can be configured as servo outputs for use with radio control (RC) servos or electronic speed controls (ESCs), as digital outputs, or as analog inputs. The extremely precise, high-resolution servo pulses have a jitter of less than 200 ns, making these servo controllers well suited for high-performance applications such as robotics and animatronics, and built-in speed and acceleration control for each channel make it easy to achieve smooth, seamless movements without requiring the control source to constantly compute and stream intermediate position updates to the Micro Maestro. Units can be daisy-chained with additional Pololu servo and motor controllers on a single serial line.

A free configuration and control program is available for Windows and Linux, making it simple to configure and test the device over USB, create sequences of servo movements for animatronics or walking robots, and write, step through, and run scripts stored in the servo controller. The Micro Maestro’s 1 KB of internal script memory allows storage of servo positions that can be automatically played back without any computer or external microcontroller connected.

Because the Micro Maestro’s channels can also be used as general-purpose digital outputs and analog inputs, they provide an easy way to read sensors and control peripherals directly from a PC over USB, and these channels can be used with the scripting system to enable creation of self-contained animatronic displays that respond to external stimuli and trigger additional events beyond just moving servos.

Bottom view with dimensions (in inches) of Pololu Micro and Mini Maestro servo controllers.

The Micro Maestro is available fully assembled with 0.1″ male header pins installed as shown in the product picture or as a partial kit, which ship with these header pins included but unsoldered, allowing the use of different gender connectors or wires to be soldered directly to the pads for lighter, more compact installations. The Mini Maestro 12, 18, and 24 are also available fully assembled or as partial kits. A USB A to mini-B cable (not included) is required to connect this device to a computer. The Micro and Mini Maestros have 0.086″ diameter mounting holes that work with #2 and M2 screws.

Micro Maestro 6-channel USB servo controller assembled.

Micro Maestro 6-channel USB servo controller partial kit.

Three control methods: USB, TTL (5V) serial, and internal scripting

0.25μs output pulse width resolution (corresponds to approximately 0.025° for a typical servo, which is beyond what the servo could resolve)

Pulse rate configurable from 33 to 100 Hz (2)

Wide pulse range of 64 to 3280 μs (2)

Individual speed and acceleration control for each channel

Channels can be optionally configured to go to a specified position or turn off on startup or error

Channels can also be used as general-purpose digital outputs or analog inputs

A simple scripting language lets you program the controller to perform complex actions even after its USB and serial connections are removed

Comprehensive user’s guide

Free configuration and control application for Windows makes it easy to:

Configure and test your controller

Create, run, and save sequences of servo movements for animatronics and walking robots

Write, step through, and run scripts stored in the servo controller

Configure and test your controller

Create, run, and save sequences of servo movements for animatronics and walking robots

Write, step through, and run scripts stored in the servo controller

Two ways to write software to control the Maestro from a PC:

Virtual COM port makes it easy to send serial commands from any development environment that supports serial communication

Pololu USB Software Development Kit allows use of more advanced native USB commands and includes example code in C#, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual C++

Virtual COM port makes it easy to send serial commands from any development environment that supports serial communication

Pololu USB Software Development Kit allows use of more advanced native USB commands and includes example code in C#, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual C++

TTL serial features:

Supports 300 – 200000 bps in fixed-baud mode, 300 – 115200 bps in autodetect-baud mode (2)

Simultaneously supports the Pololu protocol, which gives access to advanced functionality, and the simpler Scott Edwards MiniSSC II protocol (there is no need to configure the device for a particular protocol mode)

Can be daisy-chained with other Pololu servo and motor controllers using a single serial transmit line

Can function as a general-purpose USB-to-TTL serial adapter for projects controlled from a PC

Supports 300 – 200000 bps in fixed-baud mode, 300 – 115200 bps in autodetect-baud mode (2)

Simultaneously supports the Pololu protocol, which gives access to advanced functionality, and the simpler Scott Edwards MiniSSC II protocol (there is no need to configure the device for a particular protocol mode)

Can be daisy-chained with other Pololu servo and motor controllers using a single serial transmit line

Can function as a general-purpose USB-to-TTL serial adapter for projects controlled from a PC

Our Maestro Arduino library makes it easier to get started controlling a Maestro from an Arduino or compatible boards like our A-Stars

Board can be powered off of USB or a 5 – 16 V battery, and it makes the regulated 5V available to the user

Compact size of 0.85" × 1.20" (2.16 × 3.05 cm) and light weight of 0.17 oz (4.8 g) with headers

Upgradable firmware

1 This is the weight of the board without header pins or terminal blocks.

2 The available pulse rate and range depend on each other and factors such as baud rate and number of channels used. See the Maestro User’s Guide for details.

3 The user script system is more powerful on the Mini Maestro than on the Micro Maestro. See See the Maestro User’s Guide for details.

The Micro and Mini Maestros are available with through-hole connectors preinstalled or as partial kits, with the through-hole connectors included but not soldered in. The preassembled versions are appropriate for those who want to be able to use the product without having to solder anything or who are happy with the default connector configuration, while the partial kit versions enable the installation of custom connectors, such as right-angle headers that allow servos to be plugged in from the side rather than the top, or colored header pins that make it easier to tell which way to plug in the servo cables. The following picture shows an example of a partial-kit version of the 24-channel Mini Maestro assembled with colored male header pins:

24-channel Mini Maestro (partial kit version) assembled with colored male header pins.

Micro Maestro as the brains of a tiny hexapod robot.

Serial servo controller for multi-servo projects (e.g. robot arms, animatronics) based on BASIC Stamp or Arduino platforms.

PC-based servo control over USB port

PC-based control of motors by interfacing with an ESC over USB

PC interface for sensors and other electronics:

Read a gyro or accelerometer from a PC for novel user interfaces

Read a gyro or accelerometer from a PC for novel user interfaces

General I/O expansion for microcontroller projects

Programmable, self-contained Halloween or Christmas display controller that responds to sensors. The picture to the right and the video below show a self-contained hexapod robot that uses three micro servos and two digital distance sensors for autonomous walking.

Self-contained servo tester

An example setup using a Micro Maestro to control a ShiftBar and Satellite LED Module is shown in the picture below and one of the videos above. Maestro source code to control a ShiftBar or ShiftBrite is available in the Example scripts section of the Maestro User’s guide.

Connecting the Micro Maestro to a chain of ShiftBars. A single 12V supply powers all of the devices.

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The Tic T500 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller makes basic control of a stepper motor easy, with quick configuration over USB using our free software. The controller supports six control interfaces: USB, TTL serial, I²C, analog voltage (potentiometer), quadrature encoder, and hobby radio control (RC). This version incorporates an MPS MP6500 driver and ships with soldered header pins and terminal blocks. It can operate from 4.5 V to 35 V and can deliver up to approximately 1.5 A per phase without a heat sink or forced air flow (or 2.5 A max with sufficient additional cooling).

The Tic family of stepper motor controllers makes it easy to add basic control of a bipolar stepper motor to a variety of projects. These versatile, general-purpose modules support six different control interfaces: USB for direct connection to a computer, TTL serial and I²C for use with a microcontroller, RC hobby servo pulses for use in an RC system, analog voltages for use with a potentiometer or analog joystick, and quadrature encoder for use with a rotary encoder dial. They also offer many settings that can be configured using our free configuration utility (for Windows, Linux, and macOS). This software simplifies initial setup of the device and allows for in-system testing and monitoring of the controller via USB (a micro-B USB cable is required to connect the Tic to a computer).

The table below lists the members of the Tic family and shows the key differences among them.

1 See product pages and user’s guide for operating voltage limitations.

Tic T500 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller, bottom view with dimensions.

Tic T834 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller, bottom view with dimensions.

Tic T825 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller, bottom view with dimensions.

Tic T249 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller, bottom view with dimensions.

Features and specifications

Open-loop speed or position control of one bipolar stepper motor

A variety of control interfaces:

USB for direct connection to a computer

TTL serial operating at 5 V for use with a microcontroller

I²C for use with a microcontroller

RC hobby servo pulses for use in an RC system

Analog voltage for use with a potentiometer or analog joystick

Quadrature encoder input for use with a rotary encoder dial, allowing full rotation without limits (not for position feedback)

STEP/DIR inputs for compatibility with existing stepper motor control firmware

USB for direct connection to a computer

TTL serial operating at 5 V for use with a microcontroller

I²C for use with a microcontroller

RC hobby servo pulses for use in an RC system

Analog voltage for use with a potentiometer or analog joystick

Quadrature encoder input for use with a rotary encoder dial, allowing full rotation without limits (not for position feedback)

STEP/DIR inputs for compatibility with existing stepper motor control firmware

Acceleration and deceleration limiting

Maximum stepper speed: 50,000 steps per second

Very slow speeds down to 1 step every 200 seconds (or 1 step every 1428 seconds with reduced resolution).

Up to six different microstep resolutions:

The Tic T825, Tic T834, and T249 support full step, half step, 1/4 step, 1/8 step, 1/16 step, and 1/32 step

The Tic T500 supports full step, half step, 1/4 step, 1/8 step

The Tic T825, Tic T834, and T249 support full step, half step, 1/4 step, 1/8 step, 1/16 step, and 1/32 step

The Tic T500 supports full step, half step, 1/4 step, 1/8 step

Digitally adjustable current limit

Optional safety controls to avoid unexpectedly powering the motor

Input calibration (learning) and adjustable scaling degree for analog and RC signals

5 V regulator (no external logic voltage supply needed)

Optional limit switch inputs with homing capabilities

Optional kill switch inputs

STEP/DIR outputs for controlling external stepper motor drivers

Connects to a computer through USB via a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included)

Free configuration software available for Windows, Linux, and macOS

Comprehensive user’s guide

New revision (tic03b): As of 3 January 2019, we are shipping a new revision of the Tic T500 that works better with low-resistance, low-inductance stepper motors at high input voltages and high current limits, which could lead to lost steps with the original tic03a version. Please contact us if you have the older version and would like a free replacement.

The Tic T500 is based on the MP6500 IC from Monolithic Power Systems. This driver IC features automatic decay mode selection, using internal current sensing to automatically adjust the decay mode as necessary to provide the smoothest current waveform. The Tic T500 can operate from 4.5 V to 35 V and can deliver up to approximately 1.5 A continuous per phase without a heat sink or forced air flow (the peak current per phase is 2.5 A). This version is sold with connectors soldered so no soldering is necessary to use it.

Powering the Tic T500 with a supply voltage between 4.5 V and 5.5 V might cause its logic voltage to be lower than normal, which could affect operation. See the user’s guide for more information.

Tic T500 USB Multi-Interface Stepper Motor Controller (Connectors Soldered).

A version is also available with header pins and terminal blocks included but not soldered.

People often buy this product together with: