Position-Controlled Actuators

This lab covers the principal commercial solutions for simple position-controlled actuation. The first section of the lab introduces the stepper motor, including mechanical design and control requirements. Various control signal patterns are considered, including full-step, half-step, and wave stepping. The second section covers the mechanical design and operation of the commercial servomotor. The PWM command signal for position control is contrasted to the open-loop PWM control of the DC motor. In the final section, the stepper and servo motors are compared and contrasted with regards to design requirements such as holding torque, position accuracy, and control precision.