Answers.Body: <p>On Powered Up hubs like SPIKE Prime, all ports are the same and can be used with motors or sensors. That means you can use 6 motors and no sensors if you need to on SPIKE Prime.</p>
  <p>On EV3, ports A-D are for motors only and ports 1-4 are for sensors only. So EV3 is limited to 4 motors (NXT is similar but limited to 3 motors).</p>
  <p>EV3 and SPIKE software and motor/sensor hardware are not compatible, so if you invest in SPIKE Prime, you will need to make a new program and adjust your build since the motors don't have the same form factor.</p>
  <p>Another alternative could be to daisy-chain two EV3s. This would allow up to 8 motors since each EV3 can have up to 4 motors.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-03-30T20:35:50.883Z
Answers.Text: Can't you have two EV3's paired in some way to enable more ports for motors?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-03-30T22:54:25.150Z
Answers.Text: Yes, daisy-chaining two EV3s could be a possibility (4 motor ports per EV3 * two EV3s = 8 motor ports).
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Lechner
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-03-31T05:21:05.977Z
Answers.Text: Perhaps this could be another option on top of the ones you've provided? Getting additional EV3 hub will be cheaper than investing in all new stuff compatible with SPIKE just for two additional motor ports.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-04-07T00:17:20.240Z
Answers.Text: Another alternative would be to make a [mechanical multiplexer](https://youtu.be/s1-WeHeogOI) to handle an unlimited amount of motors but this has it's own advantages and disadvantages depending on the project requirements.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-03-30T19:06:06.483Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-03-31T15:26:18.540Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-03-31T15:26:18.540Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Lechner
Body: <p>My son has made a crane with 6 EV3 motors connected to an EV3 hub. He's used ports A,B,C,D and 1,2.</p>
  <p>But two of them don't work. Are ports 1-4 just data ports for sensors, not motors?</p>
  <p>Is 4 the maximum number of motors?</p>
  <p>What happens if we invest in a Spike hub?</p>
  
Tags: <ev3><motor><remote-control><spike-prime>
Title: EV3 with 6 motors
UserDisplayName: xanld
ThreadText: # EV3 with 6 motors
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-03-30)
  
  My son has made a crane with 6 EV3 motors connected to an EV3 hub. He's used ports A,B,C,D and 1,2.
  
  But two of them don't work. Are ports 1-4 just data ports for sensors, not motors?
  
  Is 4 the maximum number of motors?
  
  What happens if we invest in a Spike hub?
  
  **Tags:** ev3, motor, remote-control, spike-prime
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-03-30. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  On Powered Up hubs like SPIKE Prime, all ports are the same and can be used with motors or sensors. That means you can use 6 motors and no sensors if you need to on SPIKE Prime.
  
  On EV3, ports A-D are for motors only and ports 1-4 are for sensors only. So EV3 is limited to 4 motors (NXT is similar but limited to 3 motors).
  
  EV3 and SPIKE software and motor/sensor hardware are not compatible, so if you invest in SPIKE Prime, you will need to make a new program and adjust your build since the motors don't have the same form factor.
  
  Another alternative could be to daisy-chain two EV3s. This would allow up to 8 motors since each EV3 can have up to 4 motors.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Can't you have two EV3's paired in some way to enable more ports for motors?  
  > **username_1**: Yes, daisy-chaining two EV3s could be a possibility (4 motor ports per EV3 * two EV3s = 8 motor ports).  
  > **username_2**: Perhaps this could be another option on top of the ones you've provided? Getting additional EV3 hub will be cheaper than investing in all new stuff compatible with SPIKE just for two additional motor ports.  
  > **username_3**: Another alternative would be to make a [mechanical multiplexer](https://youtu.be/s1-WeHeogOI) to handle an unlimited amount of motors but this has it's own advantages and disadvantages depending on the project requirements.  
  
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