How to Wire a Two-Wire Reversible DC Electric Motor
A direct current (DC) motor is an electrical motor that can be run off of standard battery voltages. Though DC motors can vary in size and power, they are typically small and used in applications such as driving a remote control car or powering the vibrate feature of your cell phone. DC motors can also be a great way to learn more about electrical circuits, currents and power. A reversible DC motor uses a switch to change the polarity of the current being sent from the battery to the motor, causing the motor to change direction. The wiring requires some basic knowledge of soldering and creating a circuit.
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Things You'll Need
- Insulated copper wire
- Three-way, double-pole switch
- Battery
- DC motor
- Wire cutters
- Soldering iron
- Rosin-core solder
Instructions
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1
Identify the terminals on your three-way, double-pole switch. There will be two rows of three terminals each. Looking at the switch with the terminals facing towards you, we will refer to the top row of terminals as "1," "2" and "3" and the bottom row as "4," "5" and "6."
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2
Strip about 1/4 inch of insulation off the end of a wire and solder it to terminal "1." Repeat this process with a second piece of wire, soldering it to terminal "4."
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3
Strip the ends of a short piece of wire and use it to connect terminal "1" to terminal "6." Solder the ends in place.
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4
Strip the ends of a short piece of wire and use it to connect terminal "4" to terminal "3." Solder the wire's ends in place.
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5
Solder a wire to terminal "2" and connect it to the positive terminal on the DC motor. Likewise, solder a wire to terminal "5" and connect it to the negative terminal on the motor.
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6
Connect the wire coming from terminal "1" on the switch to the positive battery terminal. Connect the wire attached to terminal "4" to the negative battery terminal.
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7
Use the three-way switch to select motor operation. The middle position is the "off" position. The two outside switch positions select between "forward" and "reverse" motor operation.
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Tips & Warnings
Use red and black wire to help identify the positive and negative leads, making troubleshooting and alterations easy in the future.
Be sure the switch is capable of handling the amperage required to run the motor. If the motor draws a higher current than the switch can handle, it will be damaged.
Always use caution when working with an electrical circuit, as there is a risk of electrical shock.
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Comments
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this should work.
