L298N Application Guide

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L298N Application and Usage Guide

The STMicroelectronics L298N is a bipolar dual full-bridge motor driver for two brushed DC motors, one bipolar stepper motor, solenoids, or relays, with separate motor and 5 V logic supplies. It remains useful where a through-hole 46 V-class driver is convenient, but its large bipolar saturation drop makes heatsinking and supply-headroom analysis essential compared with modern MOSFET drivers.

1. Quick Specifications

Do not treat absolute maximum ratings as operating targets. They are stress limits; normal design must use the electrical-characteristics operating conditions and thermal limits.

Table

Category	Parameter	Rating / condition	Design meaning
Absolute maximum	Motor/output supply, VS	50 V	Stress limit only.
Absolute maximum	Logic supply, VSS	7 V	Stress limit; nominal operation is 5 V.
Absolute maximum	DC output current	2 A per channel	Must also satisfy package power dissipation and junction temperature.
Absolute maximum	Repetitive pulse current	2.5 A per channel, 80% on / 20% off, ton = 10 ms	Preserve the stated duty and pulse-time condition.
Absolute maximum	Non-repetitive pulse current	3 A per channel, t = 100 ms	Not a continuous or repetitive rating.
Absolute maximum	Top	−25 to +130 °C junction operating temperature	`Top` is defined as junction operating temperature, not ambient.
Absolute maximum	Tstg, Tj	−40 to +150 °C storage and junction temperature	Storage/junction stress range.
Electrical characteristics	Motor supply operating range	VS must be at least the applied input-high voltage VIH + 2.5 V, and no more than 46 V	The 4.8 V mathematical bound applies only when the actual input-high level is 2.3 V; a 3.3 V or 5 V applied high raises the corresponding VS lower bound.
Electrical characteristics	Logic supply operating range	VSS = 4.5 V min, 5 V typ, 7 V max	Use a regulated 5 V logic rail.
Electrical characteristics	Logic thresholds	Low ≤ 1.5 V; high ≥ 2.3 V, up to VSS	Compatible with many 3.3 V push-pull GPIO outputs, provided the GPIO high is guaranteed above 2.3 V and grounds are common.
Electrical characteristics	Total bridge saturation drop	1.8 V min to 3.2 V max at IL = 1 A; 4.9 V max at IL = 2 A	This voltage is lost in the driver and becomes heat.
Test conditions	Datasheet electrical-characteristics baseline	VS = 42 V, VSS = 5 V, Tj = 25 °C unless otherwise specified	Do not assume tabulated values hold identically at all temperatures.
Thermal	Junction-to-case resistance	Rth(j-case) = 3 °C/W max, Multiwatt15	A heatsink still needs its own case-to-sink and sink-to-ambient analysis.
Package	Order code / package / packing	L298N, Multiwatt15L V, tube	Bare through-hole IC, not an assembled hobby module.
Package	Pin pitch	1.27 mm typical; 1.02 mm min, 1.52 mm max	Dimension G in the package drawing.

2. Pinout & Connections

Table

Pin Number	Pin Name	Description	Best Practice
1	Sense A	Common emitter return for bridge A; load current is sensed here.	Connect through a low-inductance sense resistor to power ground if current measurement/limiting is needed; otherwise connect directly to ground with a short, wide path.
2	Out 1	Bridge A output 1.	Connect to one terminal of motor A; route with the flyback-diode loop.
3	Out 2	Bridge A output 2.	Connect to the other terminal of motor A; route with the flyback-diode loop.
4	VS	Power-stage/motor supply.	Place the manufacturer-required non-inductive 100 nF bypass directly to ground; add nearby bulk capacitance sized for motor transients.
5	Input 1	TTL-compatible direction/control input for Out 1.	Drive to a defined state; do not leave floating. Change direction while Enable A is low.
6	Enable A	Active-high enable for bridge A; low disables bridge A.	Hold low during power-up/down and faults. A pull-down is a prudent engineering addition, but 10 kΩ is not a datasheet mandate.
7	Input 2	TTL-compatible direction/control input for Out 2.	Pair with Input 1 for forward, reverse, brake, or coast control.
8	GND	Logic and power reference.	Join logic ground, VS bypass return, diode return, and sense-return star area with very low impedance.
9	VSS	Logic supply.	Feed regulated 5 V and place the manufacturer-required non-inductive 100 nF bypass directly to ground.
10	Input 3	TTL-compatible direction/control input for bridge B.	Drive to a defined state; change direction while Enable B is low.
11	Enable B	Active-high enable for bridge B; low disables bridge B.	Hold low during power-up/down; PWM may be applied here when timing constraints are met.
12	Input 4	TTL-compatible direction/control input for bridge B.	Pair with Input 3 for bridge-B direction/braking.
13	Out 3	Bridge B output 3.	Connect to one terminal of motor B; keep protection loop compact.
14	Out 4	Bridge B output 4.	Connect to the other terminal of motor B; keep protection loop compact.
15	Sense B	Common emitter return for bridge B; load current is sensed here.	Use a low-inductance sense resistor or direct ground, matching the bridge-A strategy.

The pin names, bridge association, required 100 nF supply bypass capacitors, and sense-return functions are defined by ST's pin table. Enable is active high; low inhibits the bridge. ST does not specify a guaranteed state or internal pull resistor for a floating Enable pin, so every Enable and Input must be externally driven to a valid logic level.

3. Standard Application Circuit

Dual brushed-DC motor wiring

Manufacturer requirement: connect motor A between Out 1 and Out 2, and motor B between Out 3 and Out 4; connect VS to the motor supply, VSS to 5 V, and all controller grounds to pin 8 ground.
Manufacturer requirement: place a non-inductive 100 nF capacitor from VS to ground and another non-inductive 100 nF capacitor from VSS to ground, close to the IC ground connection. If the main supply bulk capacitor is remote, add a local bulk capacitor near the driver.
Manufacturer requirement: for inductive loads and chopped/PWM control, use external clamp diodes. Each motor/full bridge needs four diodes, so a dual-motor circuit uses eight. ST specifies fast-recovery parts with trr ≤ 200 ns and VF as low as practical at worst-case load current; Schottky diodes are preferred.
Diode orientation (engineering implementation of the bridge clamp): for every output, place one upper diode with anode at the output and cathode at VS, and one lower diode with anode at ground and cathode at the output. A numeric manufacturer diode IF/VR rule was not verified; size diodes with margin for actual worst-case motor current, supply tolerance, and regenerated voltage transients.
Sense connections: use low-inductance resistors from Sense A/Sense B to the power-ground return when current monitoring, chopping, or overcurrent shutdown is implemented. Ground each sense pin directly when sensing is not used; keep the connection short and near the negative VS return and IC ground.

Safe control sequence

Table

Enable	Input pair	Result
High	H/L	One direction
High	L/H	Opposite direction
High	H/H or L/L	Fast motor stop/brake
Low	Don't care	Bridge inhibited; motor free-runs/coasts

The functional states above follow ST's bidirectional motor-control truth table. Keep Enable low during power-up and power-down, set the desired direction inputs, then assert Enable; for reversal, deassert Enable first, allow motor current to decay as the application requires, change the inputs, and re-enable. PWM is commonly applied to Enable for simple speed control, or to the inputs for current chopping; validate switching losses, audible-noise goals, diode recovery, and motor-current ripple rather than assuming an arbitrary PWM frequency.

A 3.3 V MCU can generally drive the L298N directly because VIH(min) is 2.3 V, but verify the MCU's minimum VOH at the required source current and maintain a common ground. The bare L298N IC requires external diodes, bypass/bulk capacitors, optional sense resistors, connectors, and a heatsink as needed. Many hobby “L298N modules” add these parts and sometimes a 5 V regulator or jumpers; module ratings and jumper behavior are module-specific and must not be confused with the IC datasheet.

4. PCB Layout & Routing Guidelines

Keep each high-current loop compact: VS bypass/bulk capacitor → L298N output transistors → motor connector → clamp diodes/sense return → capacitor ground. Minimize shared impedance with logic ground.
Place the eight flyback diodes and the VS bypass capacitor close to the relevant output and supply pins so commutation current does not traverse long traces or connector loops.
Route Sense A and Sense B directly to their low-inductance resistors or ground return; if measuring current, Kelvin-route the sense voltage away from motor-output copper and switching nodes.
Use copper geometry and connector ratings based on actual continuous/stall current, temperature rise, copper weight, and allowed voltage drop; there is no single universally correct trace width.
Treat the Multiwatt tab/heatsink as part of the thermal design. Estimate dissipation from load current and measured/worst-case saturation drop, then choose heatsink and airflow so Tj remains within limits; Rth(j-case) alone is not the complete thermal path.

5. Common Pitfalls / Things to Watch Out For

Thermal loss and missing motor voltage: The bipolar bridge can drop as much as 3.2 V at 1 A and 4.9 V at 2 A across the conducting path, so the motor receives less voltage while the IC dissipates substantial heat. Check stall current, duty cycle, simultaneous bridge loading, heatsink interface, ambient temperature, and junction temperature; “2 A per channel” is not automatically sustainable without thermal proof.
Inductive protection and unsafe control states: The bare IC has no internal motor flyback network; omitted, slow, distant, or underrated external diodes can overstress the outputs, while floating enables or direction changes under load can create unintended motion and severe current transients. Install all eight diodes for two motors, define every input, hold enables low during power transitions, and disable before reversing.

6. Popular Alternatives & Equivalents

None of the following is pin- or footprint-compatible with the 15-pin Multiwatt L298N; each requires schematic, PCB, control, and thermal rework. No verified drop-in clone is recommended.

Table

Exact part	Why it is similar	Important migration tradeoffs	Flux library
Toshiba TB6612FNG	Dual MOSFET DC-motor driver supporting two motors, direction, short-brake, stop, and standby. Operating VM is 2.5–13.5 V and VCC is 2.7–5.5 V; operating output current is up to 1.0 A at VM ≥ 4.5 V, with higher pulse-only absolute maxima.	Much lower voltage range than L298N, lower conduction loss, surface-mount SSOP24, different standby/PWM interface, and no Multiwatt heatsink compatibility.	TB6612FNG SSOP24
Texas Instruments DRV8833PWR	Dual H-bridge for two DC motors or one stepper; recommended VM is 2.7–10.8 V. This exact PWR MPN uses the 16-pin PW non-exposed-pad TSSOP package and is rated 500 mA RMS per bridge at VM = 5 V, 25 °C; other PWP/RTY variants are rated 1.5 A RMS per bridge, subject to thermal limits.	Low-voltage replacement only; it has a different interface, pinout, PCB footprint, and substantially different package-dependent continuous-current capability.	DRV8833PWR

For designs that genuinely need motor supplies above approximately 14 V, select a modern high-voltage dual H-bridge only after verifying its continuous current at the intended PCB thermal conditions; low-voltage MOSFET drivers are not substitutes for the L298N's 46 V operating range.

7. Sourcing & Purchasing Guide

Table

Attribute	Details
Primary Distributors	ST eStore, DigiKey 497-1395-5-ND, TME L298N, Newark 10WX1394, and LCSC C19922. Check regional authorization and current lifecycle status at order time.
Packaging Options	Manufacturer order code L298N, Multiwatt15L V, supplied in tube; the ST datasheet does not identify a tape-and-reel L298N option. TME lists 25 pieces per tube and 500 per carton; treat those quantities as distributor packing data, not a universal ST reel quantity.
Standard MOQ	ST eStore, DigiKey, TME, Newark, and LCSC listings may offer single-piece ordering, but MOQ and package multiple are channel/region dependent and can change. Bulk factory MOQ is not verified as a universal value.
Sourcing Advice	Buy the exact STMicroelectronics L298N order code from an authorized or traceable channel; avoid listings that ambiguously mix the bare IC with an “L298N module.” Confirm Multiwatt15L V mechanical form, tube packing, date code, compliance, and whether the part is genuine ST before PCB assembly. Do not infer live stock from this guide.

Sources

STMicroelectronics L298 datasheet, version 5, 06-Oct-2023 — primary source for ratings, pinout, application circuit, layout-relevant guidance, package, and ordering information.
STMicroelectronics L298 product page
STMicroelectronics L298N eStore listing
Toshiba TB6612FNG datasheet, Oct-2014
Texas Instruments DRV8833 datasheet, Rev. E, July 2015
DigiKey L298N listing
TME L298N listing
Newark L298N listing
LCSC L298N listing

Explicit limitations

The guide does not claim a guaranteed floating-input default because ST specifies none.
A numeric manufacturer diode IF/VR rule was not verified; diode voltage and current sizing is therefore stated as an engineering selection requirement rather than quoted as a verified ST numeric mandate.
Distributor MOQ, packing multiples, pricing, and stock are dynamic; no live-stock claim is made.

1. Quick Specifications
2. Pinout & Connections
3. Standard Application Circuit
Dual brushed-DC motor wiring
Safe control sequence
4. PCB Layout & Routing Guidelines
5. Common Pitfalls / Things to Watch Out For
6. Popular Alternatives & Equivalents
7. Sourcing & Purchasing Guide
Sources
Explicit limitations