OpenMV Servo Shield - PCA9685 8-Channel PWM Controller

Connect the shield's I2C pins (SDA, SCL) and power lines to your OpenMV Cam's corresponding pins. Use the dedicated servo power input for motors. In the OpenMV IDE, import the provided 'servo' or 'pca9685' library scripts. Initialize the I2C bus and the PCA9685 object with the correct I2C address (default 0x40). You can then set the PWM frequency and duty cycle for each channel to control servos or LEDs directly from your Python script.

The shield itself does not have an integrated power regulator for the servo rail; it simply routes the input voltage to the servo headers. The maximum current is therefore limited by your external power supply and the trace capacity on the PCB. For driving multiple standard servos, use a robust 5V or 6V supply capable of delivering 2A or more. Always ensure your power source matches the 4.8V to 6.0V input range and can handle the combined stall current of all connected servos to prevent voltage drops.

Yes, the shield is controller-agnostic and communicates via standard I2C. You can use it with any microcontroller that supports I2C, such as ESP32, Arduino, Raspberry Pi Pico, or STM32. You will need to find or write a library for the PCA9685 chip compatible with your platform. The wiring remains the same: connect VCC (logic), GND, SDA, and SCL. Ensure your logic voltage (2.3V-5.5V) matches your MCU's I/O voltage level. The servo power input must still be supplied separately within its 4.8V-6.0V range.