DC Motor and Controller Guide
This guide explains the basics of DC motors and DC motor controllers. Learn how DC motors work, how to control them, and more.
Products for USB Sensing and Control
The 3255 is a 12 volt gear motor, generating 0.31 Kg-cm of torque at 127 RPM. It is very efficient for its size, so less power is lost in the form of heat.
DC motors can be simply connected to a power supply according to their rated voltage in order to make them run, but if you want to have control over direction, velocity, and acceleration in real-time, you'll need to use a motor controller. In order to connect this motor to a controller, you'll need to solder wires to the contacts on the back of the motor and connect those wires to the motor terminal on the controller. Don't worry about wiring the motor backwards; doing so will only reverse the direction of rotation.
| Product | Controller Properties | Electrical Properties | Board Properties | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part Number | Price | Number of Motor Ports | Velocity Resolution | Acceleration Resolution | Continuous Motor Current Max | Controlled By |
 30V 50A DC Motor Phidget
|
$150.00 | 1 | 0.00078 Duty Cycle | — | 50 A | VINT |
 DC Motor Phidget
|
$75.00 | 1 | 0.001 Duty Cycle | 1 Duty Cycle/s | 25 A | VINT |
 2x DC Motor Phidget
|
$60.00 | 2 | 0.001 Duty Cycle | 0.1 Duty Cycle/s | (per motor) 4 A | VINT |
 4A DC Motor Phidget
|
$40.00 | 1 | 0.001 Duty Cycle | 0.1 Duty Cycle/s | 4 A | VINT |
 PhidgetMotorControl 1-Motor
|
$75.00 | 1 | 0.39 Duty Cycle | 24.5 Duty Cycle/s | 5 A | USB (Mini-USB) |
 PhidgetMotorControl HC
|
$115.00 | 2 | 0.79 Duty Cycle | 1.9 Duty Cycle/s | (per motor) 14 A | USB (Mini-USB) |
If you need to connect the main shaft of this motor to another device with a shaft, you can use a shaft coupler:
| Product | Physical Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part Number | Price | Inner Diameter | Material | Coupling Rated Torque | Coupling Rated Speed | Torsional Stiffness |
 Jaw Coupling Half 6mm Series 12
|
$2.80 | 6 mm | Aluminum | 35.7 kg·cm | 12000 RPM | — |
If you're using this motor to drive a rotary system that requires a lot of torque, you may be interested in pulleys and sprockets. By using a two pulleys or sprockets of different sizes, you can increase the gear ratio of the motor. Pulleys and sprockets can also be used to transmit the motor's rotation over a long distance. For more guidance on building a transmission system, visit our Rotary Motion Guide. Here is a list of our 6mm bore pulleys and sprockets:
| Product | Physical Properties | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part Number | Price | Inner Diameter | Number of Teeth |
 GT2 Pulley with 6mm Bore and 22 Teeth
|
$2.50 | 6 mm | 22 |
| Motor Properties | |
|---|---|
| Motor Type | DC Motor |
| Output Power (Mechanical) | 590 mW |
| Rated Speed | 127 RPM |
| Rated Torque | 310 g·cm |
| Stall Torque | 1.8 kg·cm |
| Electrical Properties | |
| Rated Voltage | 12 V DC |
| Rated Current | 90 mA |
| Stall Current | 260 mA |
| Physical Properties | |
| Shaft Diameter | 6 mm |
| Weight | 133 g |
| Recommended Wire Size (Motor) | 20 - 26 AWG |
| Gearbox Specifications | |
| Gearbox Type | Spur |
| Gear Ratio | 18 : 1 |
| Number of Gear Trains | 3 |
| Maximum Strength of Gears | 6 kg·cm |
| Shaft Maximum Axial Load | 35 N |
| Shaft Maximum Radial Load | 25 N |
| Customs Information | |
| Canadian HS Export Code | 8501.10.00 |
| American HTS Import Code | 8501.10.40.60 |
| Country of Origin | CN (China) |
| Product | Motor Properties | Physical Properties | Gearbox Specifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part Number | Price | Rated Speed | Rated Torque | Shaft Diameter | Weight | Gear Ratio | Gearbox Type |
 12V/0.2Kg-cm/1080RPM 3.7:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$18.00 | 1080 RPM | 240 g·cm | 6 mm | 144 g | 3 12⁄17 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/0.2Kg-cm/230RPM 10:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$10.00 | 230 RPM | 200 g·cm | 6 mm | 128 g | 10 : 1 | Spur |
 12V/0.9Kg-cm/285RPM 14:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$18.00 | 285 RPM | 900 g·cm | 6 mm | 170 g | 13 212⁄289 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/0.3Kg-cm/127RPM 18:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$10.00 | 127 RPM | 310 g·cm | 6 mm | 133 g | 18 : 1 | Spur |
 12V/0.8Kg-cm/46RPM 50:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$11.00 | 46 RPM | 820 g·cm | 6 mm | 137 g | 50 : 1 | Spur |
 12V/1.6Kg-cm/23RPM 100:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$11.00 | 23 RPM | 1.6 kg·cm | 6 mm | 136 g | 100 : 1 | Spur |
 12V/0.5Kg-cm/670RPM 3.7:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$38.00 | 670 RPM | 540 g·cm | 8 mm | 416 g | 3 12⁄17 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/1.9Kg-cm/175RPM 14:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$42.00 | 175 RPM | 1.9 kg·cm | 8 mm | 464 g | 13 212⁄289 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/6.6Kg-cm/49RPM 51:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$43.00 | 49 RPM | 6.6 kg·cm | 8 mm | 526 g | 50 801⁄895 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/6.6Kg-cm/49RPM 51:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$33.00 | 49 RPM | 6.6 kg·cm | 8 mm | 526 g | 50 801⁄895 : 1 | Planetary |
 12V/17.3Kg-cm/18RPM 139:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$43.00 | 18 RPM | 17.3 kg·cm | 8 mm | 526 g | * 139 184⁄1221 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/2.5Kg-cm/3280RPM DC Motor
|
$40.00 | 3280 RPM | 3.3 kg·cm | 8 mm | 1.4 kg | — | — |
 24V/7Kg-cm/3000RPM DC Motor
|
$50.00 | 2800 RPM | 7.1 kg·cm | 10 mm | 2.7 kg | — | — |
 24V/9.6Kg-cm/3200RPM DC Motor
|
$60.00 | 2900 RPM | 9.7 kg·cm | 10 mm | 3.3 kg | — | — |
 24V/5.1Kg-cm/588RPM 4.25:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$69.00 | 588 RPM | 4.4 kg·cm | 12 mm | 1.3 kg | 4 1⁄4 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/12.2Kg-cm/772RPM/4.25:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$80.00 | 772 RPM | 12.2 kg·cm | 12 mm | 1.9 kg | 4 1⁄4 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/14.2Kg-cm/192RPM 13:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$66.00 | 192 RPM | 13.3 kg·cm | 12 mm | 1.5 kg | 12 24⁄25 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/45Kg-cm/182RPM/18:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$82.00 | 182 RPM | 47 kg·cm | 12 mm | 2.1 kg | 18 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/50.9Kg-cm/53RPM 47:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$72.00 | 53 RPM | 43.8 kg·cm | 12 mm | 1.7 kg | 46 82⁄125 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/153Kg-cm/50RPM/65:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$84.00 | 50 RPM | 153 kg·cm | 12 mm | 2.2 kg | 65 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/82.6Kg-cm/33RPM 76:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$72.00 | 33 RPM | 71.4 kg·cm | 12 mm | 1.7 kg | 76 49⁄64 : 1 | Planetary |
 24V/173.3Kg-cm/15RPM 168:1 DC Gear Motor
|
$76.00 | 15 RPM | 136.6 kg·cm | 12 mm | 2 kg | 167 601⁄625 : 1 | Planetary |