L293D VS L298N Motor Driver Differences, Specifications and Pinouts

Last updated on March 26th, 2024 at 06:24 pm

Both L293D and L298N motor drivers are commonly used by students and hobbyists in various projects all over the world. But sometimes you have to select the one which is best suitable for your project application. And there is a lot of confusion going on between L293D VS L298N.

So in this post, we are going to discuss some of the major differences between L293D and L298N motor drivers.

Differences between L293D VS L298N

Sr. No.	Property	L298N	L2983d
1	Logical voltage	4.5V~7V	4.5~5.5V
2	Drive voltage	5V-46V	4.5V-36V
3	Logical current	0-36mA	1.2A
4	Max. Continuous Output Current	2A	600mA
5	Max power	25W	–
6	Dimensions	44 x 44 x 28 mm	70x54x18 mm
7	Weight	26 gm	35 gm
8	Efficiency	30–70%	50–90%
9	Fast direction switching	Heating	Less heating
10	Breadboard friendly (IC)	NO	YES

Drive voltage or the external voltage required to run the DC motor can be anywhere between 4.5V to 36V for L293D whereas between 5V to 46V for L298N.
IC operating voltage for L298N is between 4.7V to 7V and between 4.5V to 5.5V for L293D
The maximum output current through one channel of L293D is 600mA whereas L298N Motor Driver can give up to 2A from both channels.
L293d contains a quadruple half-H driver meaning all the four input-output lines are independent. While L298N is a dual full-H driver meaning only the full drives can be used.
Protective Diodes are used against back EMF. They are internally added in L293D but must be connected externally in L298N.
L293D is used for controlling motors rated at low current while L298N can be used for controlling high-current motors.
L293D motor driver IC is breadboard friendly but L298N motor driver IC can not be inserted on a breadboard.

L298N motor driver basics

L298N is a 15-pin IC used for controlling high-current drawing motors and thus costs a little bit more than L293D. Protective diodes for the protection against back EMFs are connected externally. It also consists of a heat sink as it has a high current/voltage rating (operating temperature is between 0^oC to 130^oC).

For driving motors in both directions, L298N uses a dual H bridge circuit. This module can operate between 5V to 46V and can supply current up to 1.2A for a single channel. And thus consumes high power (25 W).

Features of the L298N motor driver module

Operating supply voltage up to 46 V
Total DC current up to 4 A. 2A per channel
Low saturation voltage
Overtemperature protection
Logical input voltage up to 1.5 V
High noise immunity

L298N motor driver pinouts

Pinouts of L298N Motor driver Module — Pinouts of L298N Motor Driver Module

**Read this detailed article to know more about L298N: All about L298N

L293D motor driver basics

L293D is a commonly used 16-pin IC for controlling DC motors. They are popular because of their cheap cost, internally connected protective diodes for protection against back EMFs, no need for a heat sink, and good resistance to high temperatures (operation temp. 0^oC to 70^oC).

This IC operates between the voltage of 4.5V to 36V and supplies a current of up to 600 mA. It consists of four high current half h-bridge circuits for driving the motor in both directions.

Specifications of L293D motor driver IC

Wide Supply-Voltage Range: 4.5 V to 36 V
Separate Input-Logic Supply
Internal ESD Protection
High-Noise-Immunity Inputs
Output Current 600 mA Per Channel
Peak Output Current 1.2 A Per Channel
Output Clamp Diodes for Inductive Transient Suppression
Operation Temperature 0°C to 70°C.
Automatic thermal shutdown is available

L293D motor driver pinouts

**Read this detailed article to know more about L293D: All about L293D