Cytron MDS160A Smart Drive DC Motor Driver 160Amp 8V-28V

Cytron MDS160A Smart Drive DC Motor Driver 160Amp 8V-28V

The Cytron MDS160A SmartDrive160 presents itself as a compact, purpose-built power module intended to sit at the heart of a heavy-duty brushed-DC motor installation. Housed with a low-profile cooling fan and clear front-panel indicators, its physical layout is designed so users can quickly integrate the board into a mechanical frame and visually verify basic status without opening the chassis.

On the bench the unit behaves like a straightforward control hub: terminal blocks accept power and motor wiring, push buttons allow quick manual tests, and a set of DIP switches determine how the board accepts command signals. The user experience centers on practical, tactile interactions rather than software-only setup – making initial wiring, basic testing and commissioning intuitive for makers and technicians.

Once installed, the MDS160A blends into the machine as a silent workhorse: its enclosure, connectors and status LEDs help keep installations tidy and diagnosable, while the design emphasizes predictable, repeatable behavior under changing conditions. The manual-focused documentation model supports a fast start for builders who prefer step-by-step setup and clear, hardware-first checks.

Features:

• Bi-directional control for a single brushed DC motor.
• Support input voltage from 8V to 28V.
• Maximum current up to 190A peak (1 minute), 175A (2 minutes) or 160A
  (continuously).
• 16 KHz switching frequency for quiet operation.
• LiPo battery low voltage warning.
• Thermal protection.
• Current limiting base on temperature.
  • Below 60°C : 194A
  • 60°C to 70°C : 175A
  • 70°C to 80°C : 163A
  • 80°C to 90°C : 144A
  • 90°C to 100°C : 125A
  • 100°C to 110°C : 100A
  • Above 110°C : 50A
• Multiple input modes: RC, Analog, PWM, Simplified Serial and Packetized Serial.
• On board push buttons for fast test and manual operation.

Board Layout:

1. Positive Supply Terminal: Connect to the power source (positive).
2. Negative Supply Terminal: Connect to the power source (negative).
3. Motor Terminal A: Connect to the moto. Swap with Motor Terminal B if the
   direction is incorrect.
4. Motor Terminal B: Connect to the moto. Swap with Motor Terminal A if the
   direction is incorrect.
5. LED A: Turns on when the Motor Terminal A is high and Motor Terminal B is low.
   Indicates the current flows from Motor Terminal A to B.
6. LED B: Turns on when the Motor Terminal A is low and Motor Terminal B is high.
   Indicates the current flows from Motor Terminal B to A.
7. LED OC: Overcurrent LED. Turn on when the overcurrent is detected and the
   current is limited by the motor driver.
8. LED ERR: Error LED. The number of blinks is corresponding to the error.
   

   Number of Blinks	Error Description	Details
   Off	No Error	No error has been detected.
   2	Input Error	Invalid or no input detected.
   3	LiPo Undervoltage	The LiPo battery voltage is too low.
   4	Over Voltage	Overvoltage detected — the power source cannot absorb motor-generated current.
   5	Over Temperature	The board temperature is too high.

9. LED STAT: Status LED. Turn on when the motor is running.
10. Test Button B: When this button is pressed, current flows from Motor Terminal B to
    A and motor will turn CCW (or CW depending on the connection).
11. Test Button A: When this button is pressed, current flows from Motor Terminal A to
    B and motor will turn CW (or CCW depending on the connection).
12. Input:
    

    Pin No.	Pin Name	Description
    1	IN2	Input channel 2.
    2	IN1	Input channel 1.
    3	+5V	+5V output. Do not connect to another 5V source.
    4	GND	Ground.

    Warning: The +5V output is designed to power the RC receiver, mini servo motor and
    other circuit up to 1A only.

13. Mode Selection DIP Switch: Used to select the input mode.
14. LED PWR: Power LED. Should be on when the board is powered.
15. On/Off Switch: An alternative way to turn off the motor power without disconnecting
    the power cable.

Specifications:

Dimension:

Power Supply:

SmartDrive160 supports input voltage ranges from 8V to 28V. The recommended power
sources are:

• 7 – 18 cells NiMH or NiCd battery.
• 3 – 6 cells LiPo or Li-Ion battery.
• 12V – 24V sealed lead acid battery.
• 8V – 28V power supply (Must be in parallel with a battery with same voltage).

NOTE:
1. If a power supply that cannot sink current is being used (bench top and AC to DC
switching power supply), the input voltage will rise when the driver is regenerating
(motor is slowing down). Thus, it is important to connect a battery with same voltage in
parallel with the power supply to absorb the current generated by the motor. Else, the
input voltage might rise to a level where SmartDrive160 will be destroyed permanently.

NOTE:
If the board is off when power is supplied to the board, you need to shorted together the
SWITCH terminal block (No. 15) by a solder bridge at the bottom layer of the PCB.

Input Mode:

1. RC INPUT MODE:

NOTE: The RC transmitter must be turn on before power up the SmartDrive160.

Table below shows the commonly used DIP switch settings for RC mode.

2. ANALOG/PWM INPUT MODE:

NOTE: The Analog/PWM signal to stop the motor (2.5V if Sign-Magnitude mode is off,
0V otherwise) must be available when the SmartDrive160 is turned on. Else, the driver will
show Input Error until the correct signal is available.

Table below shows the commonly used DIP switch settings for Analog/PWM mode.

3. SIMPLIFIED SERIAL MODE:

Simplified Serial mode is selected by setting SW1, SW2 and SW4 to 0 (Down) and SW3 to
1 (Up). SW5 is not used in this mode and SW6– SW8 are used to select the UART baud rate.

4. PACKETIZED SERIAL MODE:

NOTE:
1. When the driver is powered up and waiting for the header byte, the error LED will
blink and indicate that there is input error.
2. SmartDrive160 may take up to 500ms to start up after power is applied. Sending the
header byte for auto baud during this time period may cause undesirable results. Please
allow a one-second delay between applying power and sending the header byte.

Packetized Serial mode is selected by setting SW1, SW2 to 0 (Down) and SW3, SW4 to 1
(Up). SW5 – SW8 are used to select the address.

A packet consists of 4 bytes and the format is shown in the following table.

Applications:

• High-current brushed DC motor control.
• Differential-drive mobile robots.
• RC-controlled robotic platforms.
• Microcontroller-based motor control / prototyping.

Package Contents:

• 1x MDS160A SmartDrive160
• User’s Manual can be downloaded from http://www.cytron.com.my