EngineeringMaker LabKits
Beginner18 minutes

Servo Motors

A hobby servo combines a motor, gearbox, position sensor, and controller. Give it power and a repeated control pulse, and it attempts to hold the corresponding shaft angle.

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The three servo connections

Most hobby servos have power, ground, and signal wires. Wire colors vary, so check the product information. The signal connects to a GPIO used for PWM; power should come from a source sized for the servo current.

Position comes from pulse width

A typical analog servo receives a control pulse about every 20 milliseconds. Shorter pulses command one end of travel and longer pulses command the other. Exact safe limits vary by servo.

Use a common ground

When the servo uses an external supply, connect supply ground to microcontroller ground. The signal needs that shared electrical reference.

Calibrate before attaching a mechanism

Test the servo unloaded. Narrow the pulse range if it buzzes or pushes against an endpoint. Attach the horn only after you know the center and safe travel limits.

A servo that resets your board or jitters under load is often reporting a power problem, not a software problem.

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