• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Microcontroller Tips

Microcontroller engineering resources, new microcontroller products and electronics engineering news

  • Products
    • 8-bit
    • 16-bit
    • 32-bit
    • 64-bit
  • Applications
    • 5G
    • Automotive
    • Connectivity
    • Consumer Electronics
    • EV Engineering
    • Industrial
    • IoT
    • Medical
    • Security
    • Telecommunications
    • Wearables
    • Wireless
  • Learn
    • eBooks / Tech Tips
    • EE Training Days
    • FAQs
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars/Digital Events
  • Resources
    • Design Guide Library
    • DesignFast
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • White Papers
  • Videos
    • EE Videos & Interviews
    • Teardown Videos
  • EE Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online.com
  • Engineering Training Days
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

What you need to know about MCUs for servo control

November 18, 2019 By Majeed Ahmad Leave a Comment

A servo motor, used for position feedback of angular rotation, applies pulse width modulation (PWM) signals for precise control over motion. Industrial design engineers can change the rotation angle and direction of the motor by varying the width of the PWM signal, and here, the role of MCU, which generates the PWM signal, inevitably becomes crucial.

A microcontroller generates a PWM signal using a timer, and subsequent configurations can be modified to rotate the arm of a servo, a specific class of motor often used to create closed-loop control systems in industrial robots, CNC machinery, and automated manufacturing.

A servo motor employs position feedback to control its motion and final position, and that demands a relatively sophisticated microcontroller. On the other hand, general-purpose processors can be problematic because of their use of cache memory; run time varies greatly in the cache memory, and that can impact the servo motor control.

MCUs for servo control
Figure 1: Industrial robots demand faster speed and optimum servo performance to improve production efficiency (Image: Renesas Electronics).

 

So, what distinguishes servo control MCUs from other MCUs? What are the specific traits that servo control MCUs feature as compared to off-the-shelf MCUs? For a start, these MCUs are optimized for industrial robotics and motor control with built-in IP to facilitate advanced control for servo motors.

Anatomy of servo control MCUs

The dedicated hardware accelerators inside MCUs facilitate high-speed position calculations required for implementing servo control in industrial robots and other factory automation applications. The current control loop calculations performed in time frames as small as 1.5 µs also allow developers to create low-cost servo systems.

Figure 2: The block diagram of a servo control MCU showing timers and accelerator in the second column from left (Image: Renesas Electronics).

It’s worth mentioning that servo control calculations can also be performed in software, but that creates an excessive compute overhead for the main MCU or MPU. At the same time, however, the fully hardware-based calculations can be a hindrance in implementing unique control operations.

That calls for MCUs that come with built-in IPs that bolster the calculation speed and precision of interrupt handling for specific motor control applications. The motor control MCUs with dedicated hardware accelerator IP can perform the complex, high-speed computations required for servo control in robots and other industrial automation equipment.

While this article has attempted to explain how servo control MCUs can improve manufacturing efficiencies in industrial environments, it’s worth mentioning what’s new and latest in this realm. First, servo control MCUs are incorporating hardware cryptography to ensure security and reliability in industrial designs.

Then a new breed of AI algorithms is enabling developers to employ mechanisms such as motor control failure detection with a single MCU. In short, servo control MCUs are going through a rapid make-over to address the new industrial design requirements in the rapidly emerging Internet of Things (IoT) era.

You may also like:

  • mcu considerations robotics
    MCU specification considerations for robotics

  • Sentient robots and artificial intelligence
  • Aeneas nanosatellite
    8-bits and counting: 8-bit MCUs are still going strong
  • RX72T Group
    MCUs include hardware accelerator for high-speed servocontrol
  • R2-D2 teardown
    Teardown: Inside Sphero’s R2-D2 toy

Filed Under: Applications, FAQ, Featured, Industrial, IoT, microcontroller, Robotics/Drones Tagged With: FAQ, renesaselectronicscorporation

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Contributions

Five challenges for developing next-generation ADAS and autonomous vehicles

Securing IoT devices against quantum computing risks

RISC-V implementation strategies for certification of safety-critical systems

What’s new with Matter: how Matter 1.4 is reshaping interoperability and energy management

Edge AI: Revolutionizing real-time data processing and automation

More Featured Contributions

EE TECH TOOLBOX

“ee
Tech Toolbox: 5G Technology
This Tech Toolbox covers the basics of 5G technology plus a story about how engineers designed and built a prototype DSL router mostly from old cellphone parts. Download this first 5G/wired/wireless communications Tech Toolbox to learn more!

EE Learning Center

EE Learning Center

EE ENGINEERING TRAINING DAYS

engineering
“bills
“microcontroller
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.

DesignFast

Design Fast Logo
Component Selection Made Simple.

Try it Today
design fast globle

Footer

Microcontroller Tips

EE World Online Network

  • 5G Technology World
  • EE World Online
  • Engineers Garage
  • Analog IC Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDA Board Forums
  • Electro Tech Online Forums
  • EV Engineering
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips

Microcontroller Tips

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • About us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy