A servo system is one in which the system’s error (in position, speed, or torque) is corrected through the use of a feedback device that compares the system’s actual performance with its commanded performance. What makes a motor a servo motor, then, has less to do with its construction and operation, and more to do […]
servo motor
FAQ: How are the controls for servo motors tuned?
Servo motors are used in closed loop systems and operate based on error feedback—the comparison of a target value to the value actually reached by the motor/load. Because mechanical systems have inertia and compliance, the target value is rarely achieved on the first position command—hence, the need for feedback and correction commands. Servo tuning is […]
FAQ: What is settling time in a motor-driven servo system?
One of the unique characteristics of servo systems is that they operate in closed-loop mode. This means they use feedback—from a resolver or encoder on the motor, and sometimes from an encoder on the load—to compare the commanded value (typically position, speed, or torque) with the value that was actually reached. Based on this feedback, […]
How are servo motors physically different from motors that run open loop?
A servo motor is, by definition, one that runs closed-loop, with feedback to control the motor’s position, speed, or torque. Of motors that run open-loop, with no feedback device, stepper motors are the most common type. Despite their different control mechanisms, stepper and servo motors have a few characteristics in common. First, they both have […]
