Change the Direction of a DC Motor

This circuit is about how to change the direction of a DC motor using a BC547 transistor. Since the BC547 transistor is a small-signal NPN transistor, it cannot directly drive most motors. So we usually combine it with a relay or use it to control another high-current driver. In this circuit we are going to use 2 push buttons with BC547 to control the direction of a DC motor.

Components Required to Change the Direction of a DC Motor

Components required to change the direction of a DC motor are

BC547 Transistors
Push buttons
Resistor 1k
DC motor

Are DC Motors Reversible?

To make this circuit, we just want to know if the DC motor is reversible. The answer is yes, all types of DC motors are capable of running in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The direction of DC motors can be changed easily by using a simple circuit with the help of a relay transistor or bridges.

Different methods can be used to control your DC motor

Manual Control

In the manual, manually reversing the armature leads will reverse the polarity of your motor’s circuit. I mean to say you can simply change the negative wire to the positive wire and the positive wire to the negative wire; in this way your motor direction will reverse.

Using a Switch

Installing a toggle or slider switch into the circuit allows the user to control the polarity of the motor. The flip of a switch will change the direction of the motor’s output shaft.

Using an H-Bridge Circuit

A DPDT (double pole, double throw) switch is four switches in one that create an H-bridge circuit. It allows you to control your motor in reverse or forward ways depending on which switches are open or closed at any given moment. In most toy circuits, these types of switches are used to control the direction of DC motors.