If you've recently purchased an L293D Motor Shield for your Arduino project and found that it lacks serial connection pins, don't worry – you can easily add them yourself. In this blog post, I'll guide you through the process of modifying your L293D Motor Shield to include TX (transmit) and RX (receive) pins for serial communication. Before you proceed, make sure you have the necessary tools and equipment, and be prepared to follow the steps closely.
Materials You'll Need:
L293D Motor Shield
Soldering iron and solder
Male header pins
Arduino board (e.g., Arduino Uno)
Arduino IDE (for programming)
Step 1: Prepare Your Workstation
Before you start, set up your workstation with good lighting and ventilation. Ensure you have all your materials and tools within reach. Make sure to take safety precautions when working with a soldering iron.
Step 2: Identify the Location for Serial Pins
Examine your L293D Motor Shield and identify the location for the TX and RX pins.
Step 3: Create Holes for Serial Pins
Using a drill or a small rotary tool (e.g., Dremel), carefully create two small holes very near the TX and RX pins. The holes should be large enough to accommodate the male header pins you'll be using.
Step 4: Solder Male Header Pins
Insert two header pins into the hole and solder the new header pins with the TX and RX pins.
Step 7: Test the Serial Connection
Now that you've created a custom serial connection, it's time to test it. Write an Arduino sketch that utilizes the Serial library for communication. For example, you can use the Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE to send and receive data between your Arduino and a computer. You can also use the serial port for Bluetooth control of the motors via the motor shield and hence build bluetooth robot car with arduino.
Watch the following video how the serial pins were soldered onto the L293D motor shied.
Congratulations! You've successfully added a custom serial connection to your L293D Motor Shield for Arduino. This modification can be especially useful when you need to communicate with other devices or your computer while controlling motors or other components using the shield.
Please note that any modification carries some risk, so be sure to exercise caution and take your time. With this custom serial connection, you've expanded the capabilities of your Arduino project, making it even more versatile and powerful. Enjoy your enhanced control and communication possibilities!
