Standard servos

There are many types of servos at the same time. The most popular are micro-servos, mini-servos and standard servos. The latter are presented in this subcategory, but you can find all types of devices in our store without any problems!

Types of servos – standard servos compared to others

There are three main types of servos - mini-servos, micro-servos, and standard servos. In "standard" servos or better-quality "mini" servos you can find radial rolling bearings. In turn, miniature servos (mini-servos) operate on the same principle as their large counterparts working in industrial robots. Simple control and small dimensions are great advantages, which in turn enable installation in robots and remote-controlled vehicles.

The main criterion for the above division is the weight of the device. Micro servos weigh up to 10 g, mini servos up to 250 g, and standard servos weigh more, usually around 50 g, but sometimes more. The external structure of individual types of servos is similar and allows them to be used in many devices. 

Standard servos, however, are much more powerful than their smaller 'competitors'. Therefore, they are commonly used for large aerobatic models, for driving rudders and other on-board mechanisms. When it comes to the main subject of our store, i.e. programmable electronics, you need to know that standard servos are most often used in robotics to drive manipulators and for driving platforms.

How to connect a standard servo and how to use it? 

Most of the servos are equipped with a three-wire cable terminated with a female plug with three pins, 2.54mm pitch. This is the standard for control signal, supply voltage and ground. Remote-controlled vehicles often use batteries with a rated voltage matching the own needs of the vehicle's electrical components. After charging, the output voltage of the unloaded battery is slightly higher than the rated voltage, but it will drop as the battery discharges. A significant drop in voltage will lead to a decrease in battery efficiency. This, in turn, may raise additional problems. So if you don't want to use battery power in your project, a stabilized DC power supply is also a good option. However, remember to choose the right supply voltage so as not to damage the servo.

Regardless of the method of supply, it is worth knowing that the power consumption of the servo increases with the increase in its mechanical load. A small servo consumes approx. 10mA of current, while larger servos from the group of standard servos can consume a current exceeding 1A when controlling with increased load. Our offer includes standard servos with parameters such as torque up to 62.0kg * cm and supply voltage from 4.8V to 12.0V.

Servomechanisms’ rotation ranges 

As for the internal structure of the servo, its core is the motor. The servo motor has a shaft that is mechanically coupled to the axis of the potentiometer. The potentiometer, in turn, electrically maps the position of the motor shaft. The voltage itself at the potentiometer pins is read by the control system. As a result, a control signal is given with a filling representing the angle of rotation of the motor shaft. The standard range of rotation for most servos is 180 ° - 90 ° clockwise and counterclockwise. 

On the other hand, you can also find (also in the Boltand store) servos that have a rotation angle from 120 ° to even 360 °. The signal delivered to the servo is a characteristic sequence of control pulses. These pulses appear at intervals of 20 ms duration and their time width ranges from 1 to 2 ms. Giving a signal with a pulse width of 1.5 ms sets the servo motor shaft in the neutral position. A variable width pulse generator (PWM) built into a hardware form (eg Arduino) is one of the best ways to control servos. Of course, there are also other ways that you can find out comfortably on our website. We are ready to place orders!