The Arduino Motor Shield is based on the L298, a bridge driver for controlling inductive loads such as relays, magnets, DC motors, and stepper motors. It allows for the control of two DC motors, with the speed and direction of rotation being independently adjustable for both motors. It is also possible to measure the power consumption of each individual motor. The shield is compatible with TinkerKit, which means that projects can be quickly and easily created by connecting a TinkerKit module.

The shield features two independent channels, A and B. Each channel requires 4 connections on the Arduino board to select the direction of rotation, change the speed, brake quickly, or perform current measurements. In total, the shield uses 8 pins. The channels allow for the independent control of two DC motors or one bipolar stepper motor. The shield can deliver 2 A per channel or a maximum of 4 A.

The shield uses the standard 1.0 pin layout, which is equipped with 4 additional pins: 2 pins are located near the AREF pin and are used for TWI communication. The other two pins are located near the reset pin. The IOREF pin allows shields to utilize the voltage of the Arduino board. The second pin is not connected and has been added for future innovations.