Servos

Power supply and servo control

There are several outputs in the servo connector, the third of which is responsible for providing the control signal. This is needed for the motor shaft to be set in the correct position. The signal frequency is 50 Hz, so each single signal lasts 20 ms. A pulse of 1 ms fill sets the servo shaft in motion, which is opposite to the movement of the pointer, quite the opposite with a pulse of 2 ms fill. The neutral position of the servo shaft is reached if a 1 ms fill signal is given. This is how we control the servo shaft using the Arduino board, which is on board our robot. It is a very easy to use minicomputer, with a small size, but also great capabilities.

For the operation of remote-controlled vehicles we need batteries, usually with a rated voltage of 4,8V. It happens, however, that we decide on a larger servo and then we should use batteries with a higher voltage, up to 12 V. If the robot is stationary, we can opt for a power supply with the output voltage required by the servo manufacturer. However, the servo motor will always draw more current, due to the higher mechanical load. An incorrectly matched servo motor will provide insufficient torque and thus contribute to the loss of large amounts of energy. In extreme cases, errors even occur in controller operation. The servo will work properly if we choose the right power supply for it and help ourselves with the Arduino minicomputer. This is how the most advanced projects are created.

360° rotation angle

The servos are usually designed to rotate the shaft by up to 90° in one direction or the other. However, it is not enough in many projects. In more advanced projects we will need a servo with full range of rotation angle. They work like typical electric motors with constant speed, in this case the maximum speed is usually 60 rpm. For higher value robots we use a normal DC electric motor. In servos with a 360° rotation angle there is a small potentiometer for calibrating the servo to the control signal. The pulse has a filling of 1.5 ms to stop the motor, and a longer or shorter pulse initiates the rotation of the servo shaft to one side or the other.

The servos in the Botland offer are available in different variants. They are indispensable in projects that use remote control. They also have different parameters of operation, so they are used in less and more advanced projects. They are used by robotics for hobby purposes, as well as experienced professional constructors and designers of machines for use by a larger community. Check our offer and choose the servo that best suits your project.