L293D motor drive shield expansion board is a commonly used DC motor drive module, using 293D chip small current DC motor driver chip. The pins are made Arduin compatible, which also facilitates the quick Arduin-based development for enthusiasts.
Arduino is a great starting point for electronics, and with a motor shield it can also be a nice tidy platform for robotics and mechatronics. L293D motor drive module is a design for a full-featured motor shield that will be able to power many simple to medium-complexity projects.
Up to 4 bi-directional DC motors with individual 8-bit speed selection (so, about 0.5% resolution). Up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar) with single coil, double coil, interleaved or micro-stepping.
4-Channel H-bridge: L293D chipset provides 0.6A per bridge (1.2A peak) with thermal shutdown protection, can run motors on 4.5V to12V.
2 connections for 5V "hobby" servos connected to the Arduino's high-resolution dedicated timer - no jitter! Tested compatible with Mega, Diecimila and Duemilanove