DC Motor Smooth Start, Speed and Direction Using a Potentiometer, OLED Display & Buttons

In this tutorial we will learn how to use a L298N DC MOTOR CONTROL driver and a potentiometer to control a DC motor smooth start, speed and direction with two buttons and display the potentiometer value on the OLED Display.

Watch a demonstration video.

• Arduino UNO
• L298N DC MOTOR CONTROLER
• DC Motor
• OLED Display
• Battery pack
• Potentiometer
• Jumper wires
• Two push buttons
• 2x 1K ohm resistor
• Breadboard
• Visuino program: Download Visuino

• Connect button1 second pin to arduino digital pin 6
• Connect button1 second pin to resistor1
• Connect button2 first pin to breadboard positive pin (red line)
• Connect button2 second pin to arduino digital pin 7
• Connect button2 second pin to resistor2
• Connect resistor1 to breadboard negative pin (blue line)
• Connect resistor2 to breadboard negative pin (blue line)
• Connect digital pin(2) from Arduino to motor driver pin (IN2)
• Connect digital pin(3) from Arduino to motor driver pin (IN1)
• Connect DC one motor to one side of motor driver
• Connect Power supply (batteries) pin (gnd) to motor driver controler pin (gnd)
• Connect Power supply (batteries) pin (+) to motor driver controler pin (+)
• Connect GND from Arduino to motor driver controler pin (gnd)
• Connect potentiometer pin (DTB) to Arduino Analog pin (A0)
• Connect potentiometer pin (VCC) to Arduino pin (5V)
• Connect potentiometer pin (GND) to Arduino pin (GND)
• Connect OLED Display pin (GND) to Arduino pin (GND)
• Connect OLED Display pin (VCC) to Arduino pin (5V)
• Connect OLED Display pin (SCL) to Arduino pin (SCL)
• Connect OLED Display pin (SDA) to Arduino pin (SDA)

To start programming the Arduino, you will need to have the Arduino IDE installed from here: http://www.arduino.cc/.

Please be aware that there are some critical bugs in Arduino IDE 1.6.6. Make sure that you install 1.6.7 or higher, otherwise this Instructable will not work! If you have not done follow the steps in this Instructable to setup the Arduino IDE to program ESP 8266! The Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu also needs to be installed. Start Visuino as shown in the first picture Click on the "Tools" button on the Arduino component (Picture 1) in Visuino When the dialog appears, select "Arduino UNO" as shown on Picture 2

• Add "Dual DC Motor Driver Digital and PWM Pins Bridge (L9110S, L298N)" component
• Add "Speed and Direction To Speed" component
  In the "Properties window " set "Initial Reverse" to "True"
• Add "SR Flip-Flop" componentConnect Arduino Board digital pin[6] to "SRFlipFlop1" pin[Set]
• Add "SSD1306/SH1106 OLED Display (I2C)" component
  Double click on the "DisplayOLED1" and in the elements window drag "Text Field" to the left and in the properties window set size:3, Y:30
• Add "Ramp To Analog Value" component

• Connect Arduino Board digital pin[7] to "SRFlipFlop1" pin[Reset]
• Connect Arduino Board AnalogIn pin[0] to "RampToValue1" pin[In]
• Connect Arduino Board AnalogIn pin[0] to "DisplayOLED1">Text Field1 pin[In]
• Connect "RampToValue1" pin[Out] to SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1 pin[Speed]
• Connect "DisplayOLED1" pin Out[I2C] to Arduino board pin I2C
• Connect "SRFlipFlop1" pin[Out] to "SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1" pin[Reverse]
• Connect "SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1" pin[Out] to "DualMotorDriver1" > Motors[0] pin [In]
• Connect "DualMotorDriver1" > Motors[0] pin [Direction(B] to Arduino board digital pin[2]
• Connect "DualMotorDriver1" > Motors[0] pin [Speed(A)] to Arduino board digital pin[3]

In Visuino, Press F9 or click on the button shown on Picture 1 to generate the Arduino code, and open the Arduino IDE

In the Arduino IDE, click on the Upload button, to compile and upload the code (Picture 2)

If you power the Arduino Uno module and add batteries for motor controller, the DC motor is ready to spin.

By sliding potentiometer you can regulate the motor speed and change the direction by pushing the buttons. The potentiometer value will be displayed on the OLED Display and because of the "Ramps" component, the motor will change its speed more smoothly. Congratulations! You have completed your Project. Also attached is the Visuino project, that I created for this Instructable. You can download it here and open it in Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu