What’s this? A record player for ants?? Not at all! This is a CD/DVD Spindle Motor, that thing that’s inside a CD or DVD player, that turns the disc around really fast. These motors have some great benefits that make them easier to use than ‘130’ style DC hobby motors.
For one, they’re mostly flat on the end, so you can tape or glue it to a flat surface easily.
They are well balanced, don’t vibrate a lot which makes them nice and quiet compared to most other motors (they’re not totally silent)
They spin fast, about 3500 RPM at full power – can PWM the motor driver to reduce speed
20 mA free running current, 400mA stalled.
The motor is rated at 5.9V max. You can use 3V to 6V DC, the speed and torque may vary
They’ve already got a plastic hub on em, so it’s super easy to attach whatever you like
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!