The HW-130 is a clone/derivative of the classic L298N dual H-bridge driver. However, unlike the big blue heatsink modules, the HW-130 is designed as a shield that stacks directly onto an Arduino Uno or Leonardo.
Key Specs (From the Board):
To unlock the full potential of the HW 130, you must remove the ENA/ENB jumpers (JP2 and JP3). Without these jumpers, you manually control those pins via PWM.
The HW-130 Motor Control Shield is an affordable, easy-to-use solution for beginners and hobbyists needing to drive small DC motors, steppers, or solenoids with Arduino. While it lacks the power of newer driver shields, its simplicity, direct library support, and stackable design make it an excellent choice for learning motor control fundamentals.
For any serious project with motors exceeding 700 mA, consider upgrading to a MOSFET-based shield, but for light robotics and classroom work, the HW-130 remains a reliable workhorse.
Document version 1.0 – Last updated: April 2026
This datasheet is based on reverse engineering of the HW-130 hardware and public L293D documentation. hw 130 motor control shield for arduino datasheet
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution | |----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Motors not spinning | Insufficient voltage/current | Use external 7.2–9V supply | | IC gets very hot | Current >600 mA per channel sustained | Reduce load, add heatsink, or use relays | | Erratic motor movement | Glitching due to inductive kickback | Add 100nF caps across motor terminals | | Stepper motor skips steps | Too high speed or low current | Reduce speed, increase voltage | | Shield interferes with SPI | Pins 11–13 are used partially (13 free) | Avoid SPI devices unless remapped |
Note: The L293D has a dropout voltage of ~1.5V. For a 6V motor, supply at least 7.5V.
The HW 130 includes a current sensing circuit: a 0.5Ω resistor and a voltage divider. The output at CS A (Arduino A0) is approximately 0.5V per Ampere.
Formula: Motor Current (A) = (analogRead(A0) * (5.0 / 1023.0)) / 0.5
Practical Use: Detect stalls, measure load, or implement torque limiting. The HW-130 is a clone/derivative of the classic
int currentPin = A0; float voltage, current;void setup() Serial.begin(9600);
void loop() // Read current from Motor A voltage = analogRead(currentPin) * (5.0 / 1023.0); current = voltage / 0.5; // Because sensor is 0.5V/A Serial.print("Motor Current: "); Serial.print(current); Serial.println(" A"); delay(500);
While the HW 130 does not have an official manufacturer datasheet, it complies with the STMicroelectronics L298N Datasheet. For engineering purposes, refer to:
Absolute Maximum Ratings for HW 130:
Pin Capacitance:
The HW-130 is a popular, low-cost motor driver shield designed for Arduino Uno, Arduino Leonardo, and similar compatible boards. It is based on the L293D quadruple half-H driver IC, making it ideal for driving small DC motors, bipolar stepper motors, and even solenoids. This shield is a clone or derivative of the well-known Adafruit Motor Shield V1 design, and it offers an entry-level solution for robotics and mechatronics projects.
Unlike its more powerful successor (e.g., L298N-based shields), the HW-130 focuses on low-voltage, low-current applications where simplicity and direct Arduino pin mapping are paramount.
![HW-130 Shield Pictorial Representation]
The HW-130 is a clone of the L293D motor driver shield (similar to the Adafruit design). It allows independent control of up to 4 DC motors or 2 stepper motors + 2 servos. The datasheet is usually a 1–2 page PDF or a wiki-style schematic. Document version 1