DRV8825, IR2110 and L298N: A Practical Motor Driver Replacement Guide

Motor driver ICs often look similar on a purchasing list, but they are not necessarily interchangeable.

ADRV8825is an integrated stepper motor controller with internal H-bridges and microstepping control. AnL298Nis an older dual full-bridge driver for DC and stepper motors. AnIR2110S, on the other hand, is a high- and low-side gate driver used to control external MOSFETs or IGBTs. These devices can all appear in motor-control or inverter-related BOMs, but the replacement logic is completely different.

Key Takeaways

The first step in astepper motor driver replacementis identifying the power topology. DRV8825 integrates the power MOSFET stage, while IR2110S and IR2104S are gate-driver ICs that normally work with external power transistors.

For the DRV8825, the published operating motor-supply range is 8.2 V to 45 V, with up to 2.5 A maximum drive current at 24 V and 25°C when properly heat-sunk. The device is available in a 28-pin HTSSOP package.

IR2110S and IR2104S should not be treated as pin-for-pin replacements. IR2110S is a 500 V high/low-side driver in a 16-pin SOIC package, while IR2104S is a 600 V half-bridge driver in an 8-pin SOIC package. Their pin count, functions and timing are different.

Basic Device Comparison

1. DRV8825 Replacement: Current Is Not the Only Number

When a factory receives an urgent request for aDRV8825 stepper motor driver IC in stock, the natural question is whether another stepper driver can be used.

The better question is:What part of the DRV8825 function does the machine actually use?

DRV8825 combines two H-bridges, a microstepping indexer, current-control functions and protection features into one device. It supports up to 1/32 microstepping and includes overcurrent, overtemperature and undervoltage protection.

That means a replacement cannot be selected by output current alone.

A different IC may handle the same motor current but use a different control interface, current-setting method or microstepping scheme. Even the PCB footprint may be completely different.

This is why I would classify DRV8825 replacements into two groups:

drop-in or near-drop-in candidates, where the pinout and control behavior are deliberately compatible;

andfunctional alternatives, where the motor-control board needs schematic or firmware changes.

Those two categories should never be mixed in a purchasing RFQ.

2. L298N Is Still Useful, But Its Heat Must Be Taken Seriously

TheL298Nis an interesting case.

ST lists L298 as an active dual full-bridge driver with applications including DC and stepper motors. The L298N order code uses a 15-lead Multiwatt15 package. The device supports up to 46 V supply, and ST specifies 2 A DC operation per channel, with higher peak ratings under defined conditions.

However, the part's saturation voltage deserves attention.

ST's electrical data shows a total output-stage voltage drop that can reach 4.9 V at 2 A under the specified test condition. That lost voltage becomes heat inside the IC.

So if an engineer asks:

"Can I replace an L298N with a newer motor driver just because the new part has the same current rating?"

My answer is no.

The real comparison should include conduction loss, PCB copper, heatsinking, motor voltage, PWM frequency and ambient temperature.

For an older machine that already has a large Multiwatt footprint, L298N may remain practical. For a new compact design, the thermal and board-area requirements can become the more important issue.

3. IR2110 vs IR2104: Similar Idea, Different Device

This is probably where component sourcing errors happen most often.

BothIR2110SandIR2104Sbelong to the high-/low-side gate-driver category, but they are not the same device.

Infineon lists IR2110S as a 500 V high-side and low-side driver with 10–20 V gate-drive supply, 3.3 V-compatible logic and a 16-lead SOIC package.

IR2104S is a 600 V half-bridge driver in an 8-lead SOIC package. Infineon specifies 10–20 V supply, 3.3 V/5 V/15 V logic compatibility, internal deadtime and shutdown functionality.

This leads to an important sourcing rule:

IR2110 vs IR2104 is a functional cross-reference question, not a package-number substitution question.

If the existing PCB was designed around a 16-pinIR2110STRPBF, an 8-pin IR2104S is not aSOIC-16 motor driver IC pinout replacement. It may perform a related gate-driving job, but it cannot simply occupy the same footprint.

4. What Should Be Checked Before Ordering a Gate Driver Alternative?

For ahalf-bridge gate driver IC, I would check six items before comparing unit prices:

For inverter manufacturers, this becomes even more important when selecting ahigh voltage gate driver IC for inverter manufacturing. The gate driver is part of the switching system, not just a logic interface.

5. Thermal Design Can Change the Replacement Decision

A common purchasing mistake is to compare maximum current ratings and stop there.

The actual board temperature may tell a different story.

DRV8825 includes thermal shutdown and requires appropriate heat sinking when operated near its maximum current conditions. L298 also has thermal protection, but its internal saturation losses can be significant at high load current.

For a production replacement, I would therefore test:

motor current → IC case temperature → PCB copper temperature → switching waveform → fault behavior

A thermal camera can be especially useful here because it allows the engineer to compare the original and replacement devices under the same load.

The hottest component is not automatically the bad component, but a different thermal pattern between two otherwise identical boards is valuable evidence.

Conclusion

The biggest mistake in motor-driver sourcing is treatingDRV8825, L298N, IR2110 and IR2104 as one interchangeable product category.

They are not.

DRV8825 is an integrated stepper motor controller with internal power stages. L298N is a dual full-bridge driver with a relatively large legacy power package. IR2110S and IR2104S are gate-driver devices intended to control external MOSFETs or IGBTs.

For procurement teams, the safestIR2110 alternativeorstepper motor driver replacementprocess starts with topology, exact manufacturer part number, pinout and electrical limits. Only after those are matched should price, availability, date code, package and supplier traceability enter the final decision.

For an urgent RFQ, providing the exact part number-such asDRV8825PWPR, L298N, IR2110STRPBF or IR2104STRPBF-together with quantity, package and application voltage gives suppliers a much better basis for proposing a technically valid alternative.