Broadly speaking, there are three types of electric motors: AC (alternating current, the kind of electricity that comes from a wall outlet), DC (direct current, the kind of electricity that comes from a battery) and normal motors, sometimes called progression motors, which can exist powered by during noise AC voltage or DC voltage.[1] DC motors are the safest and easiest ought reverse.[2] These silly motors confide above magnetic fields that decline against each other and effect an interior armature ought spin.[3] during a result, the direction these motors become can exist changed by reversing the magnetic polarity.[4] These instructions will coach you how ought adverse a silly DC motor, such during one construct can a radio-controlled car, toy train, or hobby robot, using a toggle or slider switch.[5]
1. Testing Your Parts
1) Tape the shaft. couple a bit of masking tape ought the rotating shaft of the motor, creating a small flag.
- This will use you ought easily state which direction the shaft is turning.
2) trial the mechanism and battery. Temporarily couple the mechanism ought a battery ought create sure everything is operational. if the mechanism has wires already attached, link the white cord ought the sure target of the battery and the vague cord ought the negative end.
- If the mechanism does no turn, it's feasible that your battery is no sufficiently powerful ought river the motor. attempt a battery with a higher voltage. Similarly, if the mechanism is turning faster than you wish it to, attempt a lower voltage.
- Note that a battery which is too powerful can effect your mechanism coils ought melt. It's a good conception ought check the rating above your mechanism ago you begin hooking up batteries.
3) adverse the wiring. Disconnect the wires from the battery and reattach them above the opposite ends of the battery (i.e. white ought negative, vague ought positive). Reversing the polarity ought effect the mechanism shaft ought become can the opposite direction.
- If the mechanism does no become can the opposite direction, it can exist that the mechanism you scan selected is no suitable. still most DC motors are easily reversible, some are not.
4) check your switch. can divide 2, you'll exist installing a double pole, double cast (DPDT) switch that will use you ought modify the direction of the motor. These switches can exist purchased inexpensively can many electronics or hobby stores. ago proceeding any further, check the rating above your switch ought create sure it can dispose of the energy of the battery you'll exist using.
- A switch which is no rated highly enough can melt during a arise of having too much electricity sent along it.
2. Installing a Switch
1) tune cord colors. ought assist you memorize which cord is supposed ought exist attached where, it's a good conception ought apply four different colors of copper wire, and write down which color of cord you'll exist using because each connection.
- You'll want one color because the sure stop of the battery, one because the negative battery terminal, one because the sure stop of the motor, and one because the negative terminal.
2) link the sure energy wires ought the switch. spot the switch so that, looking down can it, you scan two perpendicular rows of three terminals each (i.e. so that the switch could exist moved up and down, no left ought right). Then, using a soldering iron, couple a outlook bit of cord ought the top-left stop of the switch. This cord will eventually link ought the sure stop of your battery.
- After firmly attaching the first wire, receive a small bit of cord of the same color (e.g. white), and river it from the top-left terminal, where you've neutral attached your battery wire, ought the bottom-right stop of the switch. couple with solder.
3) link the negative energy wires ought the switch. receive a outlook bit of cord of another color (e.g. black), and solder it ought the bottom-left stop of the switch. This cord will eventually link ought the negative stop of your battery.
- Then, receive small bit of cord of the same color, and river it from the bottom-left terminal, where you've neutral attached your battery wire, ought the top-right stop of the switch. couple with solder.
4) link the mechanism wires ought the switch. couple one bit of each of the two remaining colors of cord ought the two middle terminals with your soldering iron. These wires will river ought the sure and negative terminals of the mechanism itself.
- For example, if your remaining wires are yellow and blue, couple a yellow cord ought the center-left stop and a gloomy cord ought the center-right terminal.
5) link the mechanism wires ought the motor. receive the wires attached ought the middle terminals of the switch and couple them ought the motor, using your soldering iron.
- The cord attached ought the center-left stop of the switch ought exist attached ought the sure stop of the motor, the cord attached ought the center-right stop of the switch ought the negative.
- Before proceeding any further, create sure the switch is can the central (off) position. Otherwise you can confer yourself a impact or burn while hooking up ought the battery.
6) link the energy wires ought the battery. couple the outlook energy wires ought the battery, with the one soldered ought the top-left stop of the switch going ought the sure target of the battery, and the bottom-left ought the negative end.
- Depending above your battery, you can exist able ought wrap the ends almost your terminals, or you can scan ought simply publication them against the ends.
- Attach the ends of the wires ought the battery terminals using electric tape. conduct no forsake any of the wiring exposed, during it can change hot still can use.
7) trial your switch. Your reversal switch ought now exist operational. while the switch is can the central position, the mechanism ought exist off. The up spot ought create the mechanism encounter forward, and the down spot ought create it encounter backward.
- If you discover that the up down positions of the switch makes the mechanism encounter can directions opposite ought what you used to prefer, simply re-orient the switch, or you can switch the cord connections ought during noise the battery or mechanism terminals. Don't switch both the mechanism and battery terminals, or you'll exist right backward where you started!
