Motion control and servo systems

(MET 437)
Lecture 1
Introduction to servo system

Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar

Objective of the lecture

 Definition of servo systems
Types of control loop
Control of servo system (follow-up or regulator)
 The working principle of servo systems
 The structure of the servo systems
 Basic parts of servo control systems
 Functions and features of the servo systems
 Types of servo systems
Actuator ► Electric types
 Servo system of robot

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 Introduction to servo system
 Servo system is one of the automatic control systems.
 A servo (servomechanism) is an electromagnetic device
that converts electricity into precise controlled motion
by use of negative feedback mechanisms.
 Servos can be used to generate linear or circular
motion, depending on their type.
 Servo system is used to control the rotation angle (or
displacement) as the control object of the controlled
system so that it can automatically, continuously and
accurately re-enter the input command.

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Introduction to servo system

 Servo system is usually a closed-loop control system with
negative feedback, and in some cases open-loop control
can be used to achieve its function.

Fig. Closed loop system

Fig. Open loop system

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 Introduction to servo system
 In practical applications, an automatic control system,
such as a numerically controlled machine tool,
generally adopts a mechanical position or an angle as a
control object.
 The servo system can also perform precise, fast, and
stable position control.
 The generalized servo system is a control system that
accurately tracks or reproduces a given process and
can also be called a follow-up system.

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Introduction to servo system

 The drive motor used in the servo system is required to
have the characteristics of fast response speed,
accurate positioning, and large moment of inertia.
Such a dedicated motor is called a servo motor.

 The dedicated drive unit for this type of motor is called

a servo drive unit, sometimes referred to as a servo,
and typically includes a torque (current), speed, and/or
position loop.

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 The working principle
 The working principle is simply that the speed and
position signals are fed back to the driver through the
rotary encoder and the rotary transformer on the basis
of the open-loop controlled AC/DC motor to perform
closed-loop negative feedback PID adjustment control.
 Coupled with the current loop inside the drive, these
three closed-loop adjustments improve the accuracy
and time response of the motor's output to setpoints.
 The servo system is a dynamic follow-up system, and
the steady state balance achieved is also a dynamic
balance.
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The structure of the servo

system
 The structure of the servo system:

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 Parts of servo control systems
 From the perspective of automatic control theory,
servo control systems generally include five parts:
1. Comparison part.
2. Controller,
3. Execution or Implementation part,
4. Controlled object,
5. Detection (sensing and testing) part,

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Parts of servo control systems

 1. Comparison part
 The comparison part is the part that compares the input
command signal with the feedback signal of the system to
obtain the deviation signal between the output and the input
and is usually implemented by a special circuit or computer.

 2. Controller
 The controller is usually a computer or PID (proportional,
integral, and derivative) control circuit. Its main task is to
transform the deviation signal output by the comparison
element to control the actuator to act as required.
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 Parts of servo control systems
 3. Implementation part
The executive components in the mechatronics system
generally refer to various motors or hydraulic and
pneumatic servo mechanisms.
The function of the execution part is to convert various
forms of input energy into mechanical energy according to
the requirements of the control signal to drive the controlled
object to work.

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Parts of servo control systems

 4. Controlled object
The controlled object is end effector such as a
mechanical arm or a mechanical working platform.

 5. Sensing or testing part

The detection part refers to a device that can measure
the output and convert it into the dimension required
by the comparison link, which generally includes a
sensor and a conversion circuit.
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 Function of the servo system
 The servo system is essentially different from the feed
system of the general machine tool.

The function of the servo system is to can accurately control

the motion speed and position of the executing part (i.e.,
motor) according to the instruction signal.
o The servo system is the link between the numerical control
device and the machine tool, and it is an important
component of the numerical control system.

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Features and functions of the

servo system
 The servo system has the following features:

1. It must have a high-precision sensor that can

accurately give the electrical signal of the output.
2. Both the power amplifier and the control system must
be reversible.
3. Enough speed range and strong enough low-speed load
performance.
4. Fast response-ability and strong anti-interference
ability.

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 Introduction to servo system
 Types of servo system
1. According to the control principle:
open-loop, closed-loop, and semi-closed loop.
2. According to the nature of the controlled quantity:
 servo system forms such as
o displacement, speed, force, and moment.
3. According to the drive mode:
electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic servo drive.
4. According to the electrical actuator:
1. stepper motor servo, DC motor servo, and AC motor servo
form.

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Actuator components of the

servo system
 1. Types and characteristics of actuators
 (A) Electric actuator
Electrical actuators include direct current (DC) servo
motors, alternating current (AC) servo motors,
stepper motors, and electromagnets, etc., which are
the most commonly used actuators.

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 Actuator components of the
servo system
 (A) Electric actuator (cont.)
Servo drive motors generally refer to Stepping Motor,
DC Servo Motor, AC Servo Motor.
The control methods of commonly used servo-
controlled motors mainly include open-loop control,
semi-closed-loop control, and closed-loop control.
o The drive system of the closed-loop system has a
position (or speed) feedback links.
o The open-loop system has no position and speed
feedback links.

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Actuator components of the

servo system
 (B) Hydraulic actuator
Hydraulic actuators mainly include reciprocating
cylinders, rotary cylinders, hydraulic motors, etc., of
which cylinders are the most common. In the case of
the same output power, hydraulic components have
the characteristics of lightweight and good speed.

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 Actuator components of the
servo system
 (C) Pneumatic actuator
Pneumatic actuators are no different from hydraulic
actuators except for using compressed air as the
working medium. Although the pneumatic drive can
obtain greater driving force, stroke and speed, it
cannot be used in occasions that require high
positioning accuracy due to poor air viscosity and
compressibility.

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Control motor
 2. Commonly used control motors
 The control motor is the power component of the electrical
servo control system.
o It is an energy conversion device that converts electrical
energy into mechanical energy.
 Commonly used control motors in mechatronics products refer
to servo motors that can provide correct or more complex
actions.
 Control motors include rotary and linear drive motors. Through
the control of voltage, current, frequency (including command
pulse), etc., constant speed, variable speed drive, or repeated
start and stop the incremental drive and complex drive are
realized, and the drive accuracy varies with the drive object.
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 Robot servo system
 The robot's servo system
consists of three parts:
1. Servo motor: The servo
motor is the actuator, which
realizes movement.
1. Servo driver: The servo
driver is the power supply
of the servo motor.
2. Command mechanism:
The command mechanism
is for pulse or speed. It
works normally with the
servo drive.

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Robot servo system

 Importance of servo motors for robot system
1. Robots have higher requirements for servo motors than
the other two parts (servo driver & command
mechanism).
2. The servo motor is required to have a fast response.
3. The time for the motor from obtaining the command
signal to completing the working state required by the
command should be short.
 The shorter the response time to the command signal, the
higher the sensitivity of the electrical servo system and
the better the fast-response performance.

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 Robot servo system
 Generally, the size of the electromechanical time
constant of the servo motor is used to illustrate the fast
response performance of the servo motor.
 Secondly, the starting torque inertia ratio of the servo
motor should be large. In the case of driving a load, the
servo motor of the robot is required to have a large
starting torque and a small moment of inertia.
 Finally, the servo motor must have the continuity and
linearity of the control characteristics. With the change
of the control signal, the speed of the motor can
continuously change, and sometimes the speed needs
to be proportional or approximately proportional to the
control signal.
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Analog vs. digital servo drive

 Analog servo drives do not require any processing time
and are usually less costly than digital alternatives.
In multi-axis applications, analog servo drives are manually
configured and rely on a centralized controller.

 Digital servo drives have much greater configuration

and performance capabilities than analog devices.
Modern servo drives provide superior diagnostic benefits
due to their increased intelligence. Digital servo drives can
communicate using networks commands.

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 Review questions
 1.What is servo control system?
 Servo control is the regulation of speed (velocity) and
position of a motor based on a feedback signal.
The most basic servo loop is the speed control loop.
Most servo systems require position control loop in addition
to speed control loop, most commonly provided by adding a
position control loop in cascade or series with a speed loop.

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Review questions
 2.How does a servo system work?
 A servo motor works as part of a closed-loop system
providing torque and velocity as commanded from a
servo controller utilizing a feedback device to close the
loop.
 A servo motor is part of a servo mechanism consisting
of three key elements –
a motor,
a feedback device, and
control electronics.

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 Review questions
 3.What is a servo used for?
 Servo motors or “servos”, are electronic devices and
rotary or linear actuators that rotate and push parts of
a machine with precision. Servos are mainly used on
angular or linear position and for specific velocity, and
acceleration.

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