DC motor 130 with propeller
small 3–6 V motor
The most common toy motor: apply voltage and it spins. Reverse polarity = reverse direction. With a propeller it becomes a small fan.
Open the course →How it works
Current through the coil in a magnetic field creates a force that turns the rotor. The speed depends on the voltage, and with PWM you change the average voltage: the motor is "slow" and does not feel the fast switching, only the average. It takes 100–500 mA, far more than one GPIO may give (12 mA), so it always goes through a transistor or a driver (L298N).
Pins and wiring
| Pin | What it is | Where it connects / why |
|---|---|---|
| + | Terminal 1 | → 5 V (VIN) — controlled through a transistor/driver. |
| − | Terminal 2 | → transistor collector. |
Specifications
Voltage3 – 6 V
Current (no load)~70–150 mA
Current (stalled)up to ~800 mA
Speed~10,000–17,000 RPM
Tips and typical mistakes
- Always put a diode (1N4007) reversed across the motor: it protects the transistor from the voltage spike when switching off.
- Motor + ESP32 on the same USB can reset the board. If that happens, power the motor from a battery (with a shared GND).