RC Car Simulation with L298N Motor Driver and Joystick Control using Arduino (CirkitDesign Simulation)

The RC Car Simulation using Arduino and L298N Motor Driver with Joystick Control is a popular robotics project for beginners and students. In this project, an Arduino Uno reads analog signals from a joystick module and controls two DC motors through the L298N Motor Driver Module.

I created and tested this project using CirkitDesign simulation, making it ideal for learning robotics without physical hardware.

Project Overview

This project demonstrates:

DC motor control using Arduino
H-Bridge motor driver working principle
Analog joystick interfacing
Direction and speed control
Robotics simulation in CirkitDesign

The joystick allows:

Forward movement
Backward movement
Left turn
Right turn
Stop

Components Required

Arduino Uno
L298N Motor Driver Module
2 × DC Motors
Joystick Module (XY axis)
External 7V–12V battery (for motors)
Jumper wires
CirkitDesign simulator

Circuit Connections

Joystick to Arduino

Joystick Pin	Arduino Pin
VCC	5V
GND	GND
VRx	A0
VRy	A1

L298N to Arduino

L298N Pin	Arduino Pin
IN1	8
IN2	9
IN3	10
IN4	11
ENA	5 (PWM)
ENB	6 (PWM)
GND	GND

Motors connect to:

OUT1 & OUT2 → Motor A
OUT3 & OUT4 → Motor B

Code:

/*
 * Arduino Sketch for controlling a two-wheel car using an L298N motor driver
 * and an analog joystick. The joystick controls the direction and movement
 * of the car. Pushing the joystick forward moves the car forward, pulling it
 * back moves it in reverse. Moving the joystick left or right turns the car
 * in the respective direction by stopping one wheel and moving the other.
 */

const int ENA = 5;  // PWM pin for left motor speed control
const int ENB = 6;  // PWM pin for right motor speed control
const int IN1 = 8;  // Direction control for left motor
const int IN2 = 9;  // Direction control for left motor
const int IN3 = 10; // Direction control for right motor
const int IN4 = 11; // Direction control for right motor

const int VERT = A0; // Joystick vertical axis
const int HORZ = A1; // Joystick horizontal axis

void setup() {
  pinMode(ENA, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(ENB, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN4, OUTPUT);

  // Initialize motors to stop
  stopMotors();
}

void loop() {
  int vertValue = analogRead(VERT);
  int horzValue = analogRead(HORZ);

  if (vertValue > 600) {
    // Move forward
    moveForward();
  } else if (vertValue < 400) {
    // Move backward
    moveBackward();
  } else if (horzValue > 600) {
    // Turn right
    turnRight();
  } else if (horzValue < 400) {
    // Turn left
    turnLeft();
  } else {
    // Stop
    stopMotors();
  }
}

void moveForward() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
  analogWrite(ENA, 255);
  analogWrite(ENB, 255);
}

void moveBackward() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN2, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN4, HIGH);
  analogWrite(ENA, 255);
  analogWrite(ENB, 255);
}

void turnRight() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
  analogWrite(ENA, 255);
  analogWrite(ENB, 0);
}

void turnLeft() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
  analogWrite(ENA, 0);
  analogWrite(ENB, 255);
}

void stopMotors() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
  analogWrite(ENA, 0);
  analogWrite(ENB, 0);
}

Working Principle

Arduino reads X and Y axis values from joystick (0–1023).
Based on joystick position:
- Y ↑ → Move Forward
- Y ↓ → Move Backward
- X ← → Turn Left
- X → → Turn Right
Arduino sends HIGH/LOW signals to L298N inputs.
PWM pins (ENA & ENB) control motor speed.
Motors rotate accordingly in simulation.

Simulation in CirkitDesign

Using CirkitDesign, you can:

Simulate joystick movement
Observe motor rotation
Debug motor direction logic
Modify PWM speed values
Test without real hardware

This makes it perfect for:

School robotics projects
STEM learning
Beginner Arduino practice
Robotics competition preparation

Applications

DIY RC Car
Robotics learning platform
Obstacle avoidance car (upgrade version)
Bluetooth-controlled car (future upgrade)
Line follower robot base

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