L293D Motor Driver IC

L293D IC generally comes as a standard 16-pin DIP (dual-in-line package). This motor driver IC can simultaneously control two small motors in either direction; forward and reverse with just 4 microcontroller pins (if you do not use enable pins).
Each chip contains two full H-bridges (four half H-bridges). That means you can drive four solenoids, two DC motors bi-directionally, or one stepper motor.

Motor driver is basically a current amplifier which takes a low-current signal from the microcontroller and gives out a proportionally higher current signal which can control and drive a motor. In most cases, a transistor can act as a switch and perform this task which drives the motor in a single direction.
Turning a motor ON and OFF requires only one switch to control a single motor in a single direction.
L293D IC generally comes as a standard 16-pin DIP (dual-in-line package). This motor driver IC can simultaneously control two small motors in either direction; forward and reverse with just 4 microcontroller pins (if you do not use enable pins).
Each chip contains two full H-bridges (four half H-bridges). That means you can drive four solenoids, two DC motors bi-directionally, or one stepper motor.