What controllers do I need to control 3 separate motors on a 3 wheeled vehicle? My motors are RB-Nex-30.
-Thanks
Hi Steveo and welcome to the forums!
I’m pretty new myself, but thought I would lend a hand where I’m able as I’ve learned a fair bit from the smart people on here 
Your motors are 12v and your load current is fairly low, so you’re in a pretty good position as you’ve got lots of options. I struggled with this as well when I started building ROVer and ultimately settled on RoboClaw motor controllers (2 of them to control ROVer’s 4 motors). Power (voltage) was one of the main deciding factors since I run ROVer on 12v as well, but I really liked the fantastic userbase and support around the RoboClaws - you can find the answers to all your questions, which is super important, of course, as you’re custom building something.
I’ve got a bunch of videos that talk about RoboClaw communications as well, which you can check out via the links in my signature. In my case, I have an Arduino Uno talking to the RoboClaws, relaying that to an Arduino MEGA ADK (Master) board, which in-turn talks to an Android tablet - ROVer’s brain
Good luck and have fun!
As nickosinski indicated, it’s a normal DC motor, so you just need a DC motor controller which can provide 12V at 2A (or a bit higher). You can choose three individual DC motor controllers or two dual DC motor controllers of which you use three out of four channels. The question becomes if you plan to make use of the encoders - you will likely need a microcontroller, so the motor controller needs to communicate with this microcontroller.
DC Motor Controllers: robotshop.com/en/brushed-mot … llers.html
Microcontrollers: robotshop.com/en/microcontrollers.html
Thank you both for your input. That is very helpful info. I’m new to this, but am taking on an ambitious project. You guys have started me in the right direction. Thanks again!
Hey Steveo,
It’s a rare opportunity that I know enough (barely) to help out another, so very glad to do it. Good luck and post updates on your project!
Nick.
Is this a good setup?
robotshop.com/en/usb-robocla … oller.html
robotshop.com/en/nexus-robot … oller.html
robotshop.com/en/io-expansio … o-v12.html
You would not actually need the Roboclaw with that setup.
Hey Steveo,
Yeah, with that microcontroller you have a built-in motor controller, so you would have overlap with the roboclaws if you wanted to go that way. Confusing, eh!?
Microcontroller is a big decision too… you want to think about what capabilities you want for your project and how those things (sensors?) would need to connect to your microcontroller. I ended up with 2 Arduinos to ensure sufficient pins available. Have fun learning!
Nick.
Thanks for the info. I don’t think I need any sensors at this point. I just want it to go in the direction I move the joystick, and at the correct speed.