ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board Module (5V – 12V) | Pro Tronix

Product Description

The ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board is an incredibly simple, low-cost, and highly efficient module designed to drive 4-phase, 5-wire stepper motors (such as the incredibly popular 28BYJ-48). Powered by the rugged ULN2003 high-current Darlington transistor array chip, this board acts as the perfect high-power bridge between low-power microcontrollers and inductive motor coils.

The module is designed with ultimate convenience in mind. It features a dedicated, keyed 5-pin JST-XH socket, allowing you to plug a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor straight in without any tedious soldering. Additionally, it features four onboard red LEDs (A, B, C, D) that light up in real time to indicate which motor phase is actively receiving power. This visual feedback makes debugging and understanding stepping sequences (such as half-stepping or full-stepping) exceptionally easy.

⚠️ Power Isolation Tip: Stepper motors can introduce significant electrical noise and voltage spikes onto your power rails. Always power the ULN2003 driver board from an external 5V power supply rather than directly from your Arduino’s 5V pin, especially when testing under heavy loads. Ensure you connect the ground (GND) of your external supply to your microcontroller’s ground.

Connection Interface

The board features a simple dual-connection layout for power, logic, and output:

• Control Inputs (Pins IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4): Connect these directly to four digital output pins on your microcontroller (e.g., Pins 8, 9, 10, and 11 on an Arduino Uno).

• Power Terminals (Pins + and -):

  • + (Positive): Connect to your positive power source (typically 5V to 12V DC).

  • – (Negative): Connect to the common system Ground (GND).

• Motor Port (White 5-Pin JST-XH Socket): Simply line up the alignment tab of your stepper motor’s connector and plug it in.

• Onboard Jumper (ON/OFF): Controls the power routing to the motor. Leave the plastic jumper cap on to keep the motor powered. Remove it to quickly cut power to the motor coils.