How to Use Servo Motors in Robot Arms - CubeMars

25 Aug.,2025

 

How to Use Servo Motors in Robot Arms - CubeMars

Using servo motors in robot arms involves several steps and requires the appropriate hardware and software configuration to ensure that the motors can achieve the desired precision control. Here are the general steps for using servo motors in robot arms:

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    1、Select the Right Servo Motor: First, you need to choose servo motors that are suitable for your robot arm application. Consider factors such as the required torque, speed range, load capacity, as well as the size and shape of the motors. Ensure that the motors match the design and task requirements of the robot arm.

    2、Install the Servo Motor: Install the servo motor on the joints or actuators of the robot arm. This includes connecting the motor to the mechanical structure and ensuring that the motor can rotate or move freely within the arm.

    3、Connect Power and Controller: Provide the servo motor with the appropriate power supply, typically DC power. Additionally, connect the servo motor to a controller or driver. These controllers are usually capable of receiving commands and generating corresponding control signals to drive the motor.

    4、Add Feedback Systems: Most servo motors used in robot arms come equipped with feedback systems, such as encoders or resolvers. These systems measure the actual position and speed of the motor and transmit this information to the controller for closed-loop control. Ensure correct connection and calibration of the feedback devices.

    5、Write Control Programs: Write or configure control programs to define the robot arm's motion trajectory, speed, acceleration, and stop conditions. This typically requires programming or using robot control software.

    6、Debug and Calibrate: Before using the servo motors, perform debugging and calibration to ensure that the motor's motion aligns with expectations. This includes adjusting controller parameters, such as PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control parameters, to achieve the desired performance and stability.

    7、Test Motion: Run the robot arm and conduct tests to ensure that it can move along the predefined trajectory and at the specified speed. Check the responsiveness and accuracy of the servo motors and make necessary adjustments.

    8、Integrate Sensors: Depending on the requirements, integrate other sensors, such as force sensors or vision sensors, to enhance the robot arm's sensing and control capabilities.

    9、Safety Considerations: Ensure that appropriate safety measures are taken during the operation of the robot arm, including the use of safety guarding and the establishment of emergency stop procedures.

    10、Monitoring and Maintenance: Regularly monitor the performance of the servo motors and perform maintenance to ensure their continued operation. This includes inspecting the motors, cables, and connections, as well as periodically replacing components like motor drivers.

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In summary, using servo motors in robot arms requires careful planning and configuration to meet the needs of the robotic application. This involves expertise in mechanical design, electrical engineering, and control systems and often requires a multidisciplinary team. Ensure compliance with safety standards while using servo motors to ensure the reliability and safety of the robot arm.

Servo-drivers: How they are made and how they are used

Servomotors are motors that are used in servomechanisms. They are important because they allow the position, speed, torque, and other movements of equipment to be controlled very precisely. Servomotors are often used in drive mechanisms of equipment that require precise positional control, such as in the joints of robotic arms and the movements of processing tables used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. A motor alone cannot perform precise movements. It must be coupled with servo-drivers that precisely control the motor movements.

Servo-drivers: Controlling servomotors

Servomotors, servo-drivers, controllers, encoders, and other components make up a complete servosystem. Servo-drivers are components that precisely control the movements of a motor according to the settings and signals of the controller.

In order to move a piece of equipment with high speed and accuracy, power to the servomotor must be supplied precisely based on preset values. This is where the servo-driver comes in.

The servo-driver supplies the required power to the servomotor based on drive settings such as rotational speed, position, output, etc., received from the PLC (programmable logic controller) or other controllers. However, the actual position of the servomotor after the operation is indeterminable at this point. Therefore, the servomotor is equipped with an optical encoder (consisting of a light-emitting diode, a disc with slits, and a photodiode), a magnetic encoder (consisting of a magnetic disk and a Hall effect sensor), or a position detection system in order to determine the position of the motor. This data is fed back to the servo-driver, and if there is any discrepancy between the set value and the actual position, the controller sends another set of signals to the servomotor until the error is eliminated.

How servo-drivers work

A servo-driver consists of a power supply circuit and a control circuit. The power circuit delivers controlled power to the servomotors. It includes a power transistor or inverter that converts voltage and current. The control circuit contains circuits that transmit, receive, and process signals from the controller and encoder, and controls the power supplied to the servomotor.

In a servo-system, feedback signals detected by the encoder are returned to the servo-driver, completing a closed loop. This is therefore called a closed-loop control system. Servo-drivers require separate control loops for each dimension of movement, such as rotational speed, position, and output of the servomotor.

There are two types of closed-loop control systems: full-closed-loop control and semi-closed-loop control. In full-closed-loop control, the position of the driven object is read directly by a sensor, and the servomotor is controlled while comparing this with the set value. A semi-closed loop does not directly detect the position of the driven object, but rather detects and controls the position and speed of the servomotor with an encoder or the like. Many servosystems use semi-closed-loop control systems.

Miniature robots and the compact servo-drivers they require

Servosystems are used in a wide variety of industrial equipment. To operate the joints of large-arm robots, such as those used in automobile manufacturing, servosystems must have the power to lift heavy objects and also the capability of very precise position control. Manufacturing equipment and inspection equipment found in production factories use servosystems to position processing tables that move and rotate the product, and to control the movement of various parts. Servosystems are also used in processing equipment that performs high-precision press work by precisely controlling the movement of the moving parts of the press. In addition, servosystems are indispensable in equipment with drive units that require precise position control, such as in automobiles, trains, theme park equipment, and various home appliances. Servo-drivers have played an important role in such servosystems. Any device that requires a servomotor also has a servo-driver.

The use of drones and small industrial robots has increased in recent years. These systems require servomotors that are small but have high low-end torque. Very precise movements are also required. Currently, servomotors are being developed that are optimally designed for the joints of small robots by arranging parts such as drive motors and gears in a precise and optimal layout to fit in a limited space.

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