What are the Vs and Vss pins on an L293D chip for?

Question

I made a simple test circuit to help me understand the L293D H-bridge that comes with the Arduino starter kit.

Digital output pins of the Arduino are wired to the input pins on the H-bridge. Arduino code alternately sends 1/0 and 0/1 down those two output pins, basically (as I understand it) creating an extremely low frequency alternating current in the two output pins on the H bridge. Two LEDs are wired in parallel to the output pins, in opposite directions, so they flash, demonstrating the alternating nature of the current.

The project I'm working on from the starter kit right now is the Zoetrope (page 102), and in that project the L293D is used to control a motor. The Arduino's 5V is connected to Vss and a 9V battery is connected to Vs.

So I'm a little surprised that I got it to work without using the Vs and Vss pins at all. What are they for? I did try swapping the LEDs out for the motor and it doesn't work (not enough power, I guess). But if I hook the 5V on the Arduino up to the Vs pin, it does! Hooking the 5V up to only the Vss pin, however, is not enough to power the motor.

So I sort of get the idea that without Vs and Vss current, the current from the input pins is enough to light the LEDs, but what I don't understand is:

1. If the voltage on the input pins isn't enough to drive the motor, how come connecting the 5V to the Vs pin is? It's the same voltage as is on the input pins.

2. What is the Vss pin for?

Answer 1

As you can see in the linked L293D PDF

VS is Supply Voltage (here connect the power source for motor)

VSS is Logic Supply Voltage (here connect the power source for the L293D chip logic - usually the same source as for +5V for Arduino)

2. The VSS suplies energy for the L293D to work correctly (like the Enable pin, inputs and such)

Also as you can see on the BLOCK DIAGRAM there are some mysterious diodes connected in little unusual way - at least on first look. When everything is well powered and normal, there are closed and do not conduct any current.

But if the voltage on (say) OUT1 became negative, then the lower diode connected to ground would start lead current and pull the OUT1 to the ground.

Similary if the voltage on OUT1 became higher, then the VS power source, then the top diode would open and drag the OUT1 down to the VS voltage.

It is for secure the internal circuits to work in sane environment. And if there is a motor (if any other inductance as relay or so), then there will be such peaks.

Similar security diodes are probably also on all input pins. (It is usual in logical circuits to limit input voltage in such way.) As you did not connect the VS to any power, when you send +5V (logical one) to any input pin, it was "pulled down" to VS via some such diode. This effectively "pulled up" the VS near the voltage on the pin and with VS powered the internal logic of L293D begin work, so magic happened.

1. There may be even some similary secured connection between VS and VSS, so some power from your Arduino output pin leaked by long and non-planed way to your LEDs and made them shine. LEDs do not need much current.

When you connected the motor instead, the long way proved to be too long and to have too much rezistence along it, that (nearly) all the voltage was distributed along it and on the motor was nearly nothing - and nearly no current was able go thru. Which is luck, as Arduino output pins have limit of 20 mA of current (or so).

When you conected +5V on the VS pin, there is much shorter way from it to motor and also with a lot less resistance along it, so there was enought voltage and enought current for the motor, so it was able to run.

Try it and measure the resistence of your motor - you will see, it will be nearly nothing, compared to the R=220 you used with the LEDs.

While it may not be visible in such simple example like this, you really should power the VSS so the logic there would work reliable.