Adafruit
Adafruit A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Breakout Board
· MPN: ADA6109
The Adafruit A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Breakout simplifies stepper motor control down to just two pins — a direction pin and a step pin. Each pulse on the s...
Get notified when back in stock
The Adafruit A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Breakout simplifies stepper motor control down to just two pins — a direction pin and a step pin. Each pulse on the step pin advances the motor by one step or microstep, making it straightforward to achieve precise, controlled motion without complex timer or PWM setups.
Built around the Allegro A4988 driver IC, this breakout supports motor voltages from 8V to 35V DC and logic levels from 3V to 5V, making it compatible with Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi and other popular microcontrollers. The board features terminal blocks for easy motor and power wiring, and a 2 oz copper PCB for improved current handling and heat dissipation.
Key Features
- Two-Pin Control – DIR sets rotation direction, STEP advances one step/microstep per pulse
- Microstepping – Default 1/16 microstep mode, adjustable to full step, 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 via MS1/MS2/MS3 pins
- Adjustable Current Limit – Up to 2A via on-board potentiometer (heatsink recommended for high-current use)
- Wide Motor Voltage Range – 8–35V DC input for stepper motors
- 3–5V Logic Compatible – Works with Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi and more
- LED Indicators – Red and green LEDs show direction, yellow LED indicates step pulses
- Overcurrent Protection – Built into the A4988 driver IC
- Terminal Blocks – Screw terminals for motor and power connections
- Control Lines – Sleep, Reset and Enable pins for power management
- 22 µF 50V Capacitor – On-board capacitor for motor power stability
- Four Mounting Holes – For secure mechanical attachment
Ideal For
- CNC machines and 3D printers
- Robotics with precise positioning
- Camera sliders and pan/tilt systems
- Any application requiring controlled stepper motor movement
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Breakout Board
- 1× Header strip
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
- DC
- DC means direct current, where electricity flows in one constant direction, as supplied by batteries, USB ports and many plug-pack power supplies. When a product specifies DC, it runs from a DC supply rather than mains AC, so you need to provide the correct voltage and polarity.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of low-cost microcontroller chips and modules from Espressif with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. They support programmable firmware and over-the-air updates, and are commonly programmed with toolchains such as the Arduino core and ESP-IDF.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- motor driver
- An electronic circuit that lets a low-power controller switch and control a motor that needs more current than the controller pins can safely provide. Checking motor driver support matters because pumps and motors usually cannot be connected directly to a microcontroller output.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.
- potentiometer
- A variable resistor usually turned with a knob or shaft to create an adjustable electrical signal. It is often used for inputs such as volume, brightness or position, so it helps beginners learn how a microcontroller reads changing values.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
Find this product in
Brands
Robotics & Motion
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
