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“Are Your Motors Wireless?”

As all of our products in the product catalogue are available in 1+ quantities, we attract many hobbyists and prototypers. That means big ideas!

One of the common questions we see asks if our motors are ‘wireless’ or can be operated remotely. Answering yes oversimplifies the problem, the truth is that the remote operation is not a feature of the motor.

So whilst our motors can be used in a wireless device, there are several other extra components that are required for successful operation. Take a look at the example (basic) system diagram below:

Within the receiving unit, we can see that the motor requires a certain amount of intelligent components to drive it, some of which are optional depending upon the design.

Using this system diagram approach shows that the motor is not directly controlled by the wireless signal itself. Instead, the Receiver passes information to the Processor which interprets the data and drives the Motor. As processors do not provide enough current to drive the motor directly, they will need a motor driver or transistor to provide the motor with enough power.

It is possible to remove the processor and the motor driver. For example, some light-based receivers such as light gates can act as a simple switch. When placed between the motor and the battery they can turn the motor on and off.

Most designs, however, want to avoid ‘line of sight’. That is to say, the Controller doesn’t have to ‘see’ the Receiving Unit but can work around corners / through walls etc. This means you need to select a wireless transmission standard. Many RF prototype kits are available (Note that Rx stands for receiver and Tx stands for the transmitter, you need one of each), you may also want to consider Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc.

Regardless of your wireless standard/design, you can rest assured that it does not impact on your choice of motor. This means you can easily use our entire product range as normal.

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