• this motor drivers in several of Pololu products, including the single and dual motor driver carrier boards, the SMC04 high-power motor controller w/feedback, the TReX motor controller, and the Orangutan X2 robot controller.
• Separate chips is offered for more direct integration into projects or products.

VNH3SP30 and VNH2SP30 Comparison

*Manufacturer specification. In our experience, shoot-through currents make PWM operation impractical above 16 V.
**Typical results using Pololu motor driver carrier with 100% duty cycle at room temperature.

Real-world power dissipation considerations

• maximum current ratings of 30 A continuous. However,
• will overheat at lower currents (see table above for an example set of values).
• The actual current you can deliver will depend on how well you can keep the motor driver cool. Good air flow and a heat sink will allow the chip to operate at currents closer to its maximum rating without overheating.
• Many motor controllers or speed controllers can have peak current ratings that are substantially higher than the continuous current rating;
• this is not the case with these motor drivers, which have a 30 A continuous rating and a over-current protection that can kick in as low as 30 A (45 A typical). Therefore, the stall current of your motor should not be more than 30 A. (Even if you expect to run at a much lower average current, the motor can still draw high currents when it is starting or if you use low duty cycle PWM to keep the average current down.)

Note: This motor driver IC comes in a MultiPowerSO-30 package that requires surface mounting; it is not a through-hole component. Our carrier boards give you convenient access to the VNH2SP30 and VNH3SP30 motor drivers without any surface-mount soldering.