DC Motor Speed Controller Circuit Diagram

This circuit takes advantage of the voltage drop across bridge rectifier diodes to produce a 5-position variable voltage supply to a DC fan or other small DC motor. It is not as efficient as a switch-mode circuit but it has the virtues of simplicity and no switching hash. The four full-wave bridges are connected so that each has two pairs of series diodes in parallel, giving a voltage drop of about 1.4V, depending on the load current.

Circuit diagram:

DC Motor Speed Controller Circuit Diagram

The rotary switch should have "make before break" contacts which should be rated to take currents up to about an amp or so. For higher currents, higher rated bridge rectifiers and a suitably rugged rotary switch (or solenoids) will be required. If you want smaller voltage steps, you could use the commoned AC inputs on the bridge rectifiers to give intermediate steps on the speed switch.

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Two Basic Motor Speed Controllers

Here are two simple 12V DC motor speed controllers that can be built for just a few dollars. They exploit the fact that the rotational speed of a DC motor is directly proportional to the mean value of its supply voltage. The first circuit shows how variable voltage speed control can be obtained via a potentiometer (VR1) and compound emitter follower (Q1 & Q2). With this arrangement, the motor’s DC voltage can be varied from 0V to about 12V. This type of circuit gives good speed control and self-regulation at medium to high speeds but very poor low-speed control and slow starts. The second circuit uses a switchmode technique to vary motor speed.

Circuit diagram:

Fig.1: a very simple motor speed controller based on a compound emitter follower (Q1 & Q2).

Here a quad NOR gate (IC1) acts as a 50Hz astable multivibrator that generates a rectangular output. The mark-space ratio of the rectangular waveform is fully variable from 20:1 to 1:20 via potentiometer VR1. The output from the multivibrator drives the base of Q1, which in turn drives Q2 and the motor. The motor’s mean supply voltage (integrated over a 50Hz period) is thus fully variable with VR1 but is applied in the form of high-energy "pulses" with peak values of about 12V.

Circuit diagram:

Fig.2: this slightly more complicated circuit gives better low speed control and higher torque.

This type of circuit gives excellent full-range speed control and gives high motor torque, even at very low speeds. Its degree of speed self-regulation is proportional to the mean value of the applied voltage. Note that for most applications, the power transistor (Q2) in both circuits will need to be mounted on an appropriate heatsink.

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12V Speed Controller/Dimmer Circuit Diagram

This handy circuit can be used as a speed controller for a 12V motor rated up to 5A (continuous) or as a dimmer for a 12V halogen or standard incandescent lamp rated up to 50W. It varies the power to the load (motor or lamp) using pulse width modulation (PWM) at a pulse frequency of around 220Hz.  SILICON CHIP has produced a number of DC speed controllers over the years, the most recent being our high-power 24V 40A design featured in the March & April 2008 issues. Another very popular design is our 12V/24V 20A design featured in the June 1997 issue and we have also featured a number of reversible 12V designs.

 

Project Image :

 12V Speed Controller/Dimmer Project Image

For many applications though, most of these designs are over-kill and a much simpler circuit will suffice. Which is why we are presenting this basic design which uses a 7555 timer IC, a Mosfet and not much else. Being a simple design, it does not monitor motor back-EMF to provide improved speed regulation and nor does it have any fancy overload protection apart from a fuse. However, it is a very efficient circuit and the kit cost is quite low.

Parts layout:

Connection diagram:

There are many applications for this circuit which will all be based on 12V motors, fans or lamps. You can use it in cars, boats, and recreational vehicles, in model boats and model railways and so on. Want to control a 12V fan in a car, caravan or computer? This circuit will do it for you. The circuit uses a 7555 timer (IC1) to generate variable width pulses at about 210Hz. This drives Mosfet Q3 (via transistors Q1 & Q2) to control the speed of a motor or to dim an incandescent lamp.

Circuit diagram :

12V Speed Controller/Dimmer Circuit Diagram

While the circuit can dim 12V halogen lamps, we should point out that dimming halogen lamps is very wasteful. In situations where you need dimmable 12V lamps, you will be much better off substituting 12V LED lamps which are now readily available in standard bayonet, miniature Edison screw (MES) and MR16 halogen bases. Not only are these LED replacement lamps much more efficient than halogen lamps, they do not get anywhere near as hot and will also last a great deal longer.

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Speed Limit Alert

This circuit has been designed to alert the vehicle driver that he/she has reached the maximum fixed speed limit (i.e. in a motorway). It eliminates the necessity of looking at the tachometer and to be distracted from driving. There is a strict relation between engines RPM and vehicle speed, so this device controls RPM, starting to beep and flashing a LED once per second, when maximum fixed speed is reached. Its outstanding feature lies in the fact that no connection is required from circuit to engine.

Circuit operation:

IC1 forms a differential amplifier for the electromagnetic pulses generated by the engine sparking-plugs, picked-up by sensor coil L1. IC2A further amplifies the pulses and IC2B to IC2F inverters provide clean pulse squaring. The monostable multivibrator IC3A is used as a frequency discriminator, its pin 6 going firmly high when speed limit (settled by R11) is reached. IC3B, the transistors and associate components provide timings for the signaling part, formed by LED D5 and piezo sounder BZ1. D3 introduces a small amount of hysteresis.

Speed-limit Alert Circuit Diagram:

Parts:
R1,R2,R19_______1K 1/4W Resistors
R3-R6,R13,R17_100K 1/4W Resistors
R7,R15__________1M 1/4W Resistors
R8_____________50K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet
R9____________470R 1/4W Resistor
R10___________470K 1/4W Resistor
R11___________100K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet (see notes)
R12___________220K 1/4W Resistor (see notes)
R14,R16________68K 1/4W Resistors
R18____________22K 1/4W Resistor
R20___________150R 1/4W Resistor (see notes)
C1,C7_________100µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
C2,C3_________330nF 63V Polyester Capacitors
C4-C6___________4µ7 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
D1,D5______Red LEDs 3 or 5mm.
D2,D3________1N4148 75V 150mA Diodes
D4________BZX79C7V5 7.5V 500mW Zener Diode
IC1__________CA3140 or TL061 Op-amp IC
IC2____________4069 Hex Inverter IC
IC3____________4098 or 4528 Dual Monostable Multivibrator IC
Q1,Q2_________BC238 25V 100mA NPN Transistors
L1_____________10mH miniature Inductor (see notes)
BZ1___________Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)
SW1____________SPST Slider Switch
B1_______________9V PP3 Battery (see notes) Clip for PP3 Battery

Notes:

• D1 is necessary at set-up to monitor the sparking-plugs emission, thus allowing to find easily the best placement for the device on the dashboard or close to it. After the setting is done, D1 & R9 can be omitted or switched-off, with battery savings.
• During the preceding operation R8 must be adjusted for better results. The best setting of this trimmer is usually obtained when its value lies between 10 and 20K.
• You must do this first setting when the engine is on but the vehicle is stationary.
• The final simplest setting can be made with the help of a second person. Drive the vehicle and reach the speed needed. The helper must adjust the trimmer R11 until the device operates the beeper and D5. Reducing vehicles speed the beep must stop.
• L1 can be a 10mH small inductor usually sold in the form of a tiny rectangular plastic box. If you need an higher sensitivity you can build a special coil, winding 130 to 150 turns of 0.2 mm. enameled wire on a 5 cm. diameter former (e.g. a can). Extract the coil from the former and tape it with insulating tape making thus a stand-alone coil.
• Current drawing is about 10mA. If you intend to use the car 12V battery, you can connect the device to the lighter socket. In this case R20 must be 330R.
• Depending on the engines cylinders number, R11 can be unable to set the device properly. In some cases you must use R11=200K and R12=100K or less.
• If you need to set-up the device on the bench, a sine or square wave variable generator is required.
• To calculate the frequency relation to RPM in a four strokes engine you can use the following formula: Hz= (Number of cylinders * RPM) / 120.
• For a two strokes engine the formula is: Hz= (Number of cylinders * RPM) / 60.
• Thus, for a car with a four strokes engine and four cylinders the resulting frequency @ 3000 RPM is 100Hz.
• Temporarily disconnect C2 from IC1 pin 6. Connect the generator output across C2 and Ground. Set the generator frequency to e.g. 100Hz and trim R11 until you will hear the beeps and LED D5 will start flashing. Reducing the frequency to 99 or 98 Hz, beeping and flashing must stop.
• Please note that this circuit is not suited to Diesel engines.

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