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How to Make Your Own DC Motor Controller Joystick

DC motors are used in robotics, remote-controlled cars and other devices to rotate parts, such as a robot's arms or a vehicle's wheels. DC motors are especially useful because they can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise when they're connected to an appropriate motor controller. Control a DC motor by soldering a joystick made from a double-pole double-throw (DPDT) toggle switch to the motor and its power supply.

Things You'll Need

DPDT center-off toggle switch
Solder
Multicore wire
Soldering iron
DC motor
Battery clip

Instructions

- 1
  Move the DPDT center-off toggle switch's toggle to the center-off position.
- 2
  Turn the switch upside down, and then turn it until the pins are aligned in two vertical columns.
- 3
  Solder one end of a piece of multicore wire to the switch's top-right pin with a soldering iron.
- 4
  Solder the remaining end of the wire to the switch's bottom-left pin.
- 5
  Solder one end of a piece of wire to the switch's top-left pin.
- 6
  Solder the remaining end of the wire to the switch's bottom-right pin.
- 7
  Solder a piece of wire to the following pins on the switch: top-left, center-left, bottom-left and center-right. Use one piece of wire per pin.
- 8
  Solder the unsoldered end of the wire connected to the switch's center-left pin to the DC motor's positive terminal.
- 9
  Solder the unsoldered end of the wire connected to the switch's center-right pin to the DC motor's negative terminal.
- 10
  Solder the unsoldered end of the wire connected to the switch's top-left pin to the battery clip's positive terminal.
- 11
  Solder the unsoldered end of the wire connected to the switch's bottom-left pin to the battery clip's negative terminal.

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