2

I am working thru the Exploring Arduino text mostly with success up until chapter 4. I have most of the parts required but for Figure 4-3 I used the following:

100nF Capacitor, (In place of 1uF Capacitor)

1N4007 Diode Rectifier, (In place of 1N4004 Diode)

S8050 NPN Transistor, (In place of PN2222 NPN)

DC Motor rated for 3V with a Reference Current of 0.35 to .4 Amps (Text lists "DC Motor")

Im aware that the Capacitor was undersized, Diode was a 4 series (so I assumed it was compatible), and the Transistor also the same but of a different manufacturer. Im also aware that the motor is underrated compared to the 9v input, but I didnt think this would cause a problem for a small time period.

My problem is that after about 10 seconds of running (both with the motor free spinning as intended, and sometimes just staying put but making a high pitched noise) the bread board started smoking. So, I disconnected everything and gave up for the day.

What was it that caused the breadboard to start smoking? Do you think I damaged my Arduino?

Link to companion site with diagrams: http://www.exploringarduino.com/content/ch4/

Improve this question
2
  • the parts sound fine, you probably hooked something up wrong. i've never seen smoke from something that continued to work perfectly after. if you gave a 3v motor 9v, then anything in it's path is probably damaged; the lower-voltage motor drew several extra watts over design.
    – dandavis
    Commented Mar 9, 2017 at 0:12
  • Thanks for the reply, im pretty confident that I wired it correctly, i guess i can give it another try. Should i replace the motor with a higher rated one?
    – West2Seven
    Commented Mar 10, 2017 at 2:30

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

If you used the 9 V battery as described in the diagram, but with a 3 V rated motor, then the motor starts smoking and you might damage it. Use e.g. 2 AA batteries with 1.5 V instead of the 9 V battery, then it should work without smoke and your motor will survive much longer.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.