PCA9685 16-ch 12-bit PWM Driver
by NXP / Adafruit-style
SKU: PSA-CMP-PCA9685
No reviews yetTypical India street price
₹120–₹280
Drive 16 servos from two wires — hexapods and robot arms.
Interface: I2C
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Concept
An I2C PWM expander so the MCU isn’t stuck generating 16 pulse trains.
A little theory
12-bit duty, ~50 Hz for servos. Address 0x40 + A0–A5. External V+ for servo power. In the classroom, treat PCA9685 16-ch 12-bit PWM Driver as a intermediate part using I2C. Typical India street price is about ₹120–₹280. Always verify voltage and pin labels on your exact module — silk screens vary across clones. Start with a datasheet or trusted learn guide, power the part correctly, share GND with the MCU, and test with a simple blink/read sketch before building the full project. Measure voltages with a multimeter when something fails, and keep actuator current off the MCU regulator.
How it works in a project
Adafruit_PWMServoDriver setPWM(ch, 0, pulse). Separate 5–6 V servo supply + common GND.
Classroom & project use
- Robot arm
- Hexapod
- LED dimming
Buying in India
Precautions
- Never power 16 servos from UNO 5 V
- Cap on V+
Specifications
| Channels | 16 |
| Resolution | 12-bit |
| Category | Drivers & Relays |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Voltage | 3.3–5V logic; servo rail to 6 V |
| Interface | I2C |
Pinout
VCC | GND | SCL | SDA (confirm address with I2C scanner)
