PCA9685 -16 Channel 12-Bit PWM Servo Motor Driver I2C Module

If you want to make a robot which has lots of moving parts or if you want to control too many LEDs with PWM outputs,  then the limited PWM outputs of your microcontroller would be a big problem for you. To overcome this problem, the only thing you should do is to get a 16-Channel 12-Bit PWM/Servo Driver.

You can control 16 free-running PWM outputs with 16-Channel 12-Bit PWM/Servo Driver using only 2 pins. You can even chain up 62 breakouts to control up to 992 PWM outputs.

It’s an I2C-controlled PWM driver with a built-in clock. That means you do not need to continuously send it to signal to tie up your microcontroller, it is completely free running!

It is 5V compliant, which means you can control it from a 3.3V microcontroller and still safely drive up to 6V outputs. This is good when you want to control white or blue LEDs with 3.4+ forward voltages. 6 address select pins so you can wire up to 62 of these on a single I2C bus, a total of 992 outputs.

16 Channel PCA9685 12-Bit PWM/Servo Controller, you can control 16 free-running PWM outputs with just two pins. Want to make a robot or hexapod walker ? Maybe you’re making a piece of art with tons of moving parts, or you need to drive a ton of LEDs with precise PWM output. Your microcontroller has a limited number of PWM outputs, and you find yourself running out! Need to run more than 16 PWM outputs? No problem. Chain together up to 62 of these beauties for up to an outstanding 992 PWM outputs.

Technical Specifications:

• This board/chip uses I2C 7-bit address between 0x60-0x80, selectable with jumpers
• Dimensions : 62.5 x 25.4 x 3 mm.
• Weight : 9 gm.
• Terminal block for power input (or you can use the 0.1″ breakouts on the side)
• Reverse polarity protection on the terminal block input
• Green power-good LED
• 3 pin connectors in groups of 4 so you can plug in 16 servos at once (Servo plugs are slightly wider than 0.1″ so you can only stack 4 next to each other on 0.1″ header
• “Chain-able” design
• A spot to place a big capacitor on the V+ line (in case you need it)
• 220 ohm series resistors on all the output lines to protect them, and to make driving LEDs trivial
• Solder jumpers for the 6 address select pins
• i2c-controlled PWM driver with a built in clock. Unlike the TLC5940 family, you do not need to continuously send it signal tying up your microcontroller, its completely free running!
• It is 5V compliant, which means you can control it from a 3.3V microcontroller and still safely drive up to 6V outputs (this is good for when you want to control white or blue LEDs with 3.4+ forward voltages)
• 6 address select pins so you can wire up to 62 of these on a single i2c bus, a total of 992 outputs – that’s a lot of servos or LEDs
• Adjustable frequency PWM up to about 1.6 KHz
• 12-bit resolution for each output – for servos, that means about 4us resolution at 60Hz update rate
• Configurable push-pull or open-drain output
• Output enable pin to quickly disable all the outputs

Package Includes:

• 1 Piece- PCA9685 -16 Channel 12-Bit PWM Servo Motor Driver I2C Module