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Why use a transistor to drive a motor?

M

Martin Cote

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi, I was looking at the following circuit:

http://static.flickr.com/56/145174497_d31b603880.jpg

and I was wondering why the transistor is used in the first place. From
what I can see, it is used to amplify the current in order to drive the
motor.

Since the motor seems to require 470mA to run, why not simply use a
current limiting resistor instead? With a 5V battery and a 10 ohm
resistor, the current should be around 500mA which should be able to
drive the motor, no?

What am I missing?

Thanks all,
Martin
 
E

Eeyore

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin said:
Hi, I was looking at the following circuit:

http://static.flickr.com/56/145174497_d31b603880.jpg

and I was wondering why the transistor is used in the first place. From
what I can see, it is used to amplify the current in order to drive the
motor.

Since the motor seems to require 470mA to run, why not simply use a
current limiting resistor instead? With a 5V battery and a 10 ohm
resistor, the current should be around 500mA which should be able to
drive the motor, no?

No. All the voltage ( and hence the power) would be across the resistor wouldn't
it ?

What am I missing?

The transistor isn't limiting the current. It's acting as a switch. It can be
driven from logic level outputs.
 
S

Stephen J. Rush

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi, I was looking at the following circuit:

http://static.flickr.com/56/145174497_d31b603880.jpg

and I was wondering why the transistor is used in the first place. From
what I can see, it is used to amplify the current in order to drive the
motor.

Since the motor seems to require 470mA to run, why not simply use a
current limiting resistor instead? With a 5V battery and a 10 ohm
resistor, the current should be around 500mA which should be able to
drive the motor, no?

What am I missing?

10 ohms will draw 500ma from 5V, but what voltage does the motor need?
Motors usually do better with a low-resistance constant-voltage source.
The current will be high at start, then drop as the motor comes up to
speed and develops back EMF. There are exceptions; some motors are
designed to apply constant torque to a load whether it's turning or not,
but those are usually AC induction motors.
 
D

DJ Delorie

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin Cote said:
Since the motor seems to require 470mA to run,

Which is enough to fry most logic circuits. The transistor lets a
small current (2.15 mA) control a larger current (470 mA) in cases
where the control current is simply not powerful enough.

Most TTL/CMOS outputs are only rated for a few milliamps.

The "hfe" spec is the amplification factor - in this case, 300 means
that a 470mA load needs (470/300 = ) at least 1.57 mA of input
current. At 2.15 mA input, the load can draw up to 645 mA.
Approximately. Good to leave some margin too.
 
J

JeffM

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin said:
http://static.flickr.com/56/145174497_d31b603880.jpg
[...]I was wondering why the transistor is used in the first place.
From what I can see,
it is used to amplify the current in order to drive the motor.

The concept of a "relay" is well established in this field.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay
As a semiconductor has no moving parts,
it is often better than an electromechanical relay
at using a low-level signal
to get something with greater power requirements to run.

You are also ASSuMEing that *you* always get to decide
on the nature of the originating source used to turn something on .
We often have to tie into someone else's existing design.
 
M

Martin Cote

Jan 1, 1970
0
Eeyore said:
No. All the voltage ( and hence the power) would be across the resistor wouldn't
it ?


The transistor isn't limiting the current. It's acting as a switch. It can be
driven from logic level outputs.

Ok. As I understand it, the transistor provides a way to give more
current without adding resistance in the circuit, therefore, keeping the
potential 'intact'.

Is this correct?

Martin
 
M

Michael Black

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin said:
Ok. As I understand it, the transistor provides a way to give more
current without adding resistance in the circuit, therefore, keeping the
potential 'intact'.
No.

If whatever you have that turns on and off can only output 5mA, then it
can never supply enough current for that motor that needs 10mA. A resistor
will not do it, since a resistor can only limit current.

The transistor switches the current. It's an amplifier, taking the low
current on/off signal from (presumably) the IC, and providing enough
current to the motor.

Any limiting resistor in series with the motor at that point is to limit
current to the motor. But that's because the transistor can pull a lot
of current through the motor, unlike the output of the IC.

Michael
 
E

Eeyore

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin said:
Ok. As I understand it, the transistor provides a way to give more
current without adding resistance in the circuit, therefore, keeping the
potential 'intact'.

Is this correct?

No.

The transistor when used as a switch here is either off ( no base current) or on (
base current applied ). It works like an on-off switch controlled by the input to the
base resistor. So a logic 1 from typical digital lelectronics ( e.g. a microprocessor)
will cause the motor to run and a logic 0 will turn it off.

Graham
 
M

Martin Cote

Jan 1, 1970
0
Michael said:
If whatever you have that turns on and off can only output 5mA, then it
can never supply enough current for that motor that needs 10mA. A resistor
will not do it, since a resistor can only limit current.

The transistor switches the current. It's an amplifier, taking the low
current on/off signal from (presumably) the IC, and providing enough
current to the motor.

Any limiting resistor in series with the motor at that point is to limit
current to the motor. But that's because the transistor can pull a lot
of current through the motor, unlike the output of the IC.

Got it.
Thanks all for your answers!
Martin
 
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