16-channel 12-bit PWM/Servo module with I2C interface on PCA9685

This module is a PCA9685 12-bit PWM expansion board that can connect up to 16 servos. The PWM frequency is adjustable in the range from 24 to 1526 Hz. Also, using an additional module, it becomes possible to connect up to 62 boards or 992 servos in series. With this board, it becomes possible to develop both simple and complex projects.

The module is designed based on the PCA9685 chip in the TSSOP28 package. The module board has 6 pins, where VCC is used to supply power to the board chip, GND is ground, and the V+ pin is supplied with voltage from the power supply. The SCL pin is the clock line and SDA is the data line. The OE pin is used to control the outputs. Using this contact, you can turn off the outputs, transferring them to one of the logical levels.

The expansion board is controlled by I2C. The I2C interface is connected via the SCL and SDA pins. In case you need to use more than 16 servos, there are additional GND, OE, SCL, SDA, VCC, V+ pins on the board to which you can connect an additional module. After connecting an additional module, it is necessary to assign a unique address to it, since the base addresses of the boards are 0x40. The board address is indicated at outputs A0, A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5. You can assign a unique address using the address jumpers located in the upper right corner of the board.

Servo drives are connected to 3 pins (V+, PWM and GND). The two V+ and GND outputs provide power (up to 6V) and the PWM output provides PWM signals.

The power supply of the board and the PWM outputs is separate and can be 3 - 5 V. The PWM power can be supplied both to the V+ pins and to the terminals using the external power supply terminals. A filtering capacitor is installed on the board, which eliminates interference when the module operates with heavy loads.

To work with the module in the Arduino IDE development environment, you need to download the library. A feature of this library is the control of servo positions using percentages.

Module Specifications:

Chip PCA9685
Module supply voltage, V 3.3 ... 5
Chip supply voltage, V 2.3 ... 5
Current consumption in operating mode, mA 10
Current consumption in standby mode, µA 15
Clocking frequency, MHz 25
External clock source, MHz 0 ... 50
Number of PWM channels 16
Operating temperature, °C -40 ... 85
Module dimensions, mm 62 x 25 x 15.