Sensors and Actuators 1.

113

(ii) Rated Current

The rated current is determined by motor temperature rise. It is the current value that can
low to the motor coils
continuously at motor standstill.
(v) Basic Step Angle
The step angle is the angular distance (in degrees) that the motor moves at the input of
one pulse from the driver.
() Gear Ratio
This is the ratio in rotation speed between the input speed fromthe motor and the speed
of the gear output shaft.
(vi) Permissible Torque
The permissible torque represents the toraue value limited by the mechanical strengn o
the gear when operated at a constant speed. The total torque including
acceleration/deceleration torque should not exceed this value.
(vi) Maximum Torque
This is the maximum torque that can be used instantaneously (for a short time). During
acceleration/deceleration, the motor can be operated up to this value.
(vii) Backlash
positioning in bi
The play of gear output shaft when the motor shaft is fixed. When
direction, the positioning accuracy is affected.
(i) Angular Transmission Error
angle of rotation of
Angular transmission error is the difference between the theoretical
angle of rotation.
the output shaft, as calculated from the input pulse count, and actual
) Permissible Speed Range
output shaft.
This is the rotation speed that the motor can be operated at with the gear
Stepper Motors
1.17.8. Advantages and Disadvantages of
Advantages
input pulse.
> The rotation angle of the motor is proportional to the
windings are energized),
> The motor has full torque at stand-still (if the
motors have an
> Precise positioning and repeatability of movement since good stepper
accuracy of 3-5% of a step and this error is non-Cumulative from one step to the next.
starting/stopping / reversing.
> Ithas excellent response to
> No sensors are needed for
position and speed sensing.
It is very reliable since there are no contact Drushes in the motor. Therefore, the 1ie
of the bearing.
of the motor is simply dependent on the life
The motors response to digitalto control.
input pulses provides open-loop control, making the
motor simpler and less costly
 1.114
Mechatronics and lot
Itcan be readily interfaced with icroprocessor.
> Speed does not depend on the torque applied on the axis.
It is possible to achieve very low speed synchronous rotation with a load that is
directly coupled to the shaft.
>A wide range of rotational speeds can be realized as the speed is proportional to%
frequency of the input pulses.
Disadvantages
Resonances can occur if not properly controlled.
> Not easy to operate at extremely high speeds.
1.17.9. Applications of Stepper Motors
Owing to their unique characteristics, stepper motors are widely used in applications
actuation. Typical
involving positioning, speed control, timing, and synchronized
applications include:
Floppy disc head drives
Printer carriage drives
Positioning of print heads and pens in X-Y plotters
> NC and CNC machine tool slide drives
> Automatic teller machines (ATM)
> Camera iris control mechanisms
> Recording heads in computer disc drives
> Paper feed motors in typewriters and printers.

1.18. SERVOMOTORS
There are some special types of application of electrical motor where rotation of the
motor is required for just a certain angle not continuously for long period of time. Forthese
applications some special types of motor are required with some special arrangement which
makes the motor to rotate a certain angle for a given electrical input (signal). For this
purpose, servomotor are used.
Servomotors are special electromechanical devices that operate in precise degrees 0f
rotation. This type of motor quickly responds to positive or negative signals from a serve
amplifier.
Important characteristics of servomotor are:
Fast re_ponse
High accuracy
Fast and accurate speed
Very high starting torque
Sensorsand Actuators 1.115

Unattended control
> Direction control
> Remote operation
Due to these features, they are being used in many applications like toy car for
controlling direction of motion, RC helicopters and planes, Robotics, CD/DVD player,
CNC
Machinesetc.
Aservomotor is a simple electricmotor combined with a position sensing device (e.g. a
Mioital decoder) and controlled for specific angular rotation with the help of servomechanism.
Cervomechanis1m is a typical closed-loop feedback control system. The positíon of a servo
motor is decided by electrical pulse and its circuitry is placed beside the motor. Servomotors
or distance. It is just
are used when an object is required to rotate at some specific angles
mechanism.
made up of simple DC, AC, or brushless DC motor which runs through servo
The fundamental characteristics to be sought in any servo-motors are:
> The motor output torque is proportional the voltage applied to it.
> The direction of the torque developed by the servomotor depends upon the
instantaneous polarity of the control voltage.

1.18.1. Construction and Working Principle of Servomotor

Aservo system mainly consists of the following three basic components:
> Controlled device
> Output sensor
> Feedback system
system where it
The servomotors used in industry today are automatic closed-loop servo
of the shaft. Figure 1.91
uses positive feedback system to control motion and final position
device is controlled
indicates a block diagram of a typical closed-loop servo system. Here, the
by a feedback signal generated by comparing output signal and
reference input signal i.e.
signal is produces
reference input signal is compared to reference output signal and the third
by feedback system. This third signal acts as input signal to control
device. This signal is
between reference input
present as long as feedback signal is generated or there is difference
signal and reference output signal. So, the main task of servomechanism is to maintain output
noises.
of a system at desired value at presence of
and a
Aservo unit consists of a small DC motor, a potentiometer, gear arrangement
makes the servo to
controlling circuit, The controlling circuit along with the potentiometer
but the
rotate according to the requirement. A small DC motor will rotate with high speed
Therefore oen.
lorque generated by its rotation will not be enoughto move even a light load, to
motor and increases the
mechanism is used in seryo unit. It reduces the specd of the
 1.116 Mechatronics and lot
Eror detector

Reference input Amplifier Servomotor Controlled

device

Feedback loop

Figure l.91 Closed-loop servo system

position of the potentiometer knoh i
Say, at initial position of servo motor shaft, the
such that there is no electrical signal generated at the output port of the potentiometer. When
terminal of the error detector amplifier. the
an electrical signal is given to another input potentiometer and another comes from
difference between these two signals (one comes from
and output will be provided in term
other source) will be processed in feedback mechanism
error signal. This error signal acts as the input for motor and motor starts rotating. Now
of rotates so the potentiometer and it
motor
motor shaft is connected with potentiometer and as
angular position changes, its output
will generate a signal. Hence, as the potentiometer's potentiometer reaches at a position
feedback signalchanges. After sometime the position of provided. At this condition, there
signal
that the output of potentiometer is same as external
motor input as there is no difference
will be no output signal from the amplifier to the potentiometer, and in this
between external applied signal and the signal generated at
situation motor stops rotating.
Example ofservomotor control system
example of servomotor which
For understanding servomotor control, let us consider an
wait for further instruction.
is given a signal to rotate by an angle of 45° and then stop and
help of
The shaft of the DC motor is coupled with another shaft called output shaft, with
down the high rpm
gear assembly as shown in Figure 1.92. This gear assembly is used to step
of the motor's shaft to low rpm at output shaft of the servo system.
The voltage adjusting knob of a potentiometer is so arranged with the output shaft by
rotates and
means of another gear assembly, that during rotation of the shaft, the knob also
creates an varying electrical potential according to the principle of potentiometer. This signal
ie. electrical potential is increased with angular movement of potentiometer knob along wtn
the system shaft from 0° to 45°, This electrical potential or voltage is taken to the error
detector feedback amplifier along with the input reference commends i.e. input SIga
voltage. In practical servo motor control system, instead of using simple potentiomeiel,
digital or analog posítion sensor encoder can be used.
As the angle of rotation of the shaft increases from 0° to 45°, the voltage ro
given
potentiometer increases. At 45° this voltage reaches to a value which is equal to the
input command voltage to the system. As at this position of the shaft, there is no difference
Sensors andActuators 1.417

voltage
between the signal voltage coming from the potentiometer and reference input
(command| signal) to the system, the output voltage of the amplifier becomes zero.
Gear assembly for reducing
shaft speed
Position cog
Output shaft

Potentiometer

DCmotor

Amplifier Reference
Electrical input DC
¡output signal
motor
Feed back path
Reference
input signal

Error detection
complier

Figure 1.92 Servomotor control system

electrical voltage signal of the amplifier acts as input
As per Figure 1.92, the output
the motor will stop rotating
after the shaft rotates by
45°.
voltage of the DO motor. Hence until another command is given to
the system for
rest position
The motor will be at this
the desired direction.
further movement of the shaft in
Servomotors
1.18.2. Types of
of servomotors used:
There are mainly two types
> AC servomotors,
> DC servomotors.
then it is called DC servomotor, and if it is AC powered
used
If DC Dowered motor is AC servomotors are generally preferred
for low
servomotor.
motor then it is called AC servomotors are preferred because they operate more
use DC
power use, And for high-power servomotors.
than comparable to AC
efficiently
1,18.3. AC Servomotors
basically a two-phase nduction motor, capable of reverse
This type of motor is
dynamic requirements of a servo system, the servomotor must bave
operation, Tó achieve the rotors. The low inertia allows for fast starts
low inertia, and high-resistance
a smalldiameter. high-resistance rotor provides for almost linear
snend
stops, and reverse of direction. The
accurate control.
torque characteristics and
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Mechatronics and lot
An AC servomotor is designed withtwo phases set at right angles to cach other. A
ot reference winding is excited by afixed voltage source. The control winding is fixed
variable voltage source, usually the servo amplifier. Both sets of windings excited
are by a
designed with the same voltage per turns ratio (i.e. with equal voltage applicd tousually
winding. the same magnetic flux will be produced). This allows for maximum
control of
speed, with very little speed drift. In many cases, the design of the AC servomotor offers
reasonable efficiency, at the sacrifice of high starting torque and smooth speed response.
1.18.4. DCServomotors
Unlike large industrial motors, DC servomotors are not used for continuous enere.
conversion. The basic operating principle is same as other electromagnetic motors. Desien
construction and mode of operation are different. The rotors of this kind of motor are
designed with long rotor lengths and smaller diameters. They have large size than that of
conventional motors of same power ratings. There are various types of DC servomotors
which are as follows:
(a) Series motors: The series motor has a high starting torque and draws
large current.
Speed regulation of this kind of motor is poor. Reversal can be obtained by reversing the
polarity of field voltage with split series field winding (i.e. one winding for direction of
rotation). This method reduces motor efficiency to some extent.
(b) Splitseries motors: Split series motor are the DCseries motor with split-field rated with
some fractional kilowatt. This type of motor can operate as a separately excited field
controlled motor. The armature is supplied with a constant current source. Split series
motor has a typical torque-speed curve. This curve denotes high stall torque and a rapid
reduction in torque with increase in speed. This results in good damping.
(c) Shunt control motor: DC shunt type servomotor is not different from any other DC
shunt motor. It has two separate windings: field windings placed on stator and armature
winding placed on the rotor of the machine. Both windings are connected to a DC
supply source. In a conventional DC shunt motor, the two windings are connected in
parallel across the DC supply. In case of a servomotor, the windings are supplied with
separate DCsource.
(a) Permanent magnet shunt motor: Permanent magnet shunt motor is a fixed excitation
motor where the field is actually supplied by a permanent magnet.

1.18.5. Performance Specifications of Servomotor

DC servomotors share many performance specifications that are applicable to all types
of DC motors. To properly size a motor, these specifications must be matched according to
the load requirements of the application.
Shaft speed defines the speed at which the shaft rotates, expressed in rotations per
minute (RPM). Typically, the speed provided by the manufacturer is the no-l0a0
speed of the output shaft, or the speed at which the motor's output torque is zero.
SensorsandActuators 1.119

Terminal voltage refers to the design voltage ofthe DC motor. Essentiallythe voltage
determines the speed of a DC motor, and speed is controlled by raising or lowerin
the voltage supplied to the motor.
Torque is the rotational force generated by the motor shaft. The torque required for
the motor is determined by the speed-toraue characteristics of the various loau
experienced in the target application.
which is
Starting torque: The torque required when starting the motor,
typically higher than the continuous torque.
constant
Conttnuous torque: The output torque capability of the motor under
running conditions.

4.18.6. Applications of Servomotor

are given beloW
DCservomotors fnd its applications in various domains. Some of them
because they operate
For very high voltage power systems, DC motors are preferred
more efficiently than comparable AC servomotor.
> It has also found its application in inkjet printers and RC helicopters.
Todrive conveyors used in Industrial
manufacturing and assembling units to pass an
object from one assembly station to another.
It is also used in solar tracking system.
position-controlled
robots, toy cars and other
DC servomotors are widely used in
devices.
tools tracking system, process
Widely used in radars, computers, robots, machine
controllers etc.

of Servomotor
1.18.7. Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
to motor size and weight.
> High output power relative
resolution.
Encoder determines accuracy and
approach 90% at light loads.
> High efficiency. Its efficiency can
can rapidly accelerate loads.
> High torque to inertia ratio. It
continuous power for short periods.
> Has "reserve" power. 2-3 times
> Has "reserve" torque. 5-10
times rated torque for short periods.
draw proportional to load.
> Motor stays cool. Current
> Usable high-speed torque.
> Audibly quiet at high speeds.
free operation.
> Resonance and vibration
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Disadvantages: often required.

Motor develops peak power at higher speeds. Gearing
contaminated.
are easily
Foor motor cooling. Ventilated motors
Design is complex. Requires encoder.
> Requires "tuning" to stabilize feedback loop.
> Motor can be damaged by sustained overload.
Safety circuits are required.
Motor "runs away" when something breaks.
is then required.
Brush wears out limits life to 2,000 hrs. Service
Peak torque is limited to a 1% duty cycle.
servo-drives.
A Confusing choice of motors, encoders, and
A Power supply current 10 times average to use
peak torque.