Linear Actuator for Artist

[Bdoop21]

Dear Electro Tech,

I am very new to electronics so please bear with me.
I am TRYING to use an Arduino prototyping platform to operate a linear actuator.
(http://arduino.cc)

I bought 1 Unipolar Linear Actuator
Digikey.com item # 403-1030-ND **broken link removed**

and 1 unipolar stepper motor
Digikey item # 403-1001-ND
**broken link removed**

Both motors have 6 wires.
THEN I found this tutorial on the Arduino website **broken link removed**

So I bought a ULN2003A driver (because thats what the arduino tutorial used), thinking that I would be able to run my motor with it. BUT the motor in the tutorial has 5 wires instead of 6 and uses a potentiometer, which I do not want to use.

I could not get either motor to work when I hooked up the ULN2003A.
The funny thing was, I hooked my motor directly to my arduino board and it worked....but the arduino ATMEGA168-20PU chip got warm so I think that cant be right either...it didnt get HOT though.

So anyway, my question for you is....How can I run my motor safely and what Driver should I use with either of the 2 motors that I have already purchased?

Do I even NEED the driver?
Is it ok if the Arduino gets warm but not hot?

Thank you so much for your time!
-MBE

 

[Bdoop21]

Dear Electro Tech,
I would really appreciate some advise. Please dont pass me up=(
Thank you!!!
-MBE

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

Use the driver.
The modified picture is from their pdf.

 

[Bdoop21]

Thank you so much! That did it!!
My problem was that I had the Green and the Red wires hooked up to ground, not Power. Thats so confusing. THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!
I would have never realized that myself.

So...shamefully asking....what is the driver actually doing? I understand that it is a bunch of transistors but I do not REALLY understand. Do you mind explaining?

If I had not found the arduino tutorial I would be just at a complete loss.
How does one figure out which driver to purchase for a particular project? There are thousands of ICs....its overwhelming
Thank you so much, you have actually saved my life
-M