4/9/2014

How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code +

Schematic)
This post will provide a practical tutorial of how to interface servo
motor with PIC microcontroller. I derived some mathematical formulas to
calculate its precise rotation in degrees. I am using Hextronik (HXT900) 9
gram servo motor in this particular tutorial. The angle of servo motor is
controlled through PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) by varying a pulse width
from 0.5ms to 2.5ms (0o 180o). I am using 16Bit PIC microcontroller but
same code will work on all PIC except the PWM module functions.
You may download code and schematic from the download section at
the bottom of this post. I am using MPLAB X IDE, C30 Compiler and
Schematic is in PDF. This code is written in C Language and will work on
PIC24, DsPIC33 and DsPIC30 (16bit microcontroller) by slightly changing
the code.
In this post I supposed that you know following if not then please read
them before proceeding further in this post.
1.

How to interface LCD with PIC (Click here

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-interface-lcd-in-8-bitwith_23.html] ).

2.

How to generate PWM using PIC (Click here

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/07/pwm-generation-using-pic24dspic33.html] ).

3.

How to interface Push button with PIC (Click here

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-get-input-from-button-inpic24.html] ).

Experimental Setup and circuit:

As I am using DsPIC33F custom I/O board and a LCD. LCD is
connected with PortE through Level translators as LCD works on of 5.0VDC
while PIC is running on 3.3VDC. You may use this single NMOS basedLevel
translators [http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/bidirectional-level-translatorsusing-n.html] . PWM is generated through OC1 (Output compare 1). I am
using Hextronik (HEX900) shown in the following figure 1.

[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/e9Thmcf7Wz4/UhEnlTfvKPI/AAAAAAAAApE/tunUHIzU_tY/s1600/DSC04852.JPG]
Figure 1. Servo motor.

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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

It has three wires brown, red and orange. Brown is ground wire while
red is positive and orange is for PWM signal. As servo has no other supply
wire so voltage should be supplied externally. I am using 3.3VDC for this
particular example you may use 5.0VDC. It will work on both voltages. I tried
with no load. For use with five volts you may also need to pass signal through
a level translator (3.3VDC to 5.0VDC) as DsPIC33 is working on 3.3VDC. I
also connected two push buttons with RD14 and RD15. These are for
increasing and decreasing Duty cycle of PWM signal. Which actually controls
the angle of servo motor. The complete circuit is shown in following figure 2.

[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsf5HeO_fZY/UhEng9OVWhI/AAAAAAAAAo8/JrdjTCyZDc/s1600/circuit.PNG]
Figure 2. Complete Circuit.

In the following figure 3. I tried to show how motor is controlled

through the pulse width. This servo motor works on frequency from 40 to
200Hz. I am using it with 100Hz (10ms). And with the pulse of width 0.5ms it
has zero angle position. And with the difference of just 2ms width it has 180
degree angle means you when you have 2.5ms pulse width servo motor
rotates to 180 degrees. The angle of servo is fixed it will not change until and
unless you change the pulse (ON) width. When I was writing this code I
searched on web for formula to calculate the angle with respect to the PWM.
But no one has it. So I decide to write and derive formula for it. Which is
shown below.

[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XhPks-WMMU/UhEnfv6SkvI/AAAAAAAAAow/Y42MZfjFmLk/s1600/pulse.PNG]
Figure 3. Pulse ON time and corresponding Angle on Servo motor.

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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

As I am using 100Hz frequency so according to formulas given in my

previous post of how to generate PWM
[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/07/pwm-generation-using-pic24-dspic33.html]

. We have 15.6 bits resolution and hence we have 100% duty cycle on 215.6
= 49667. So for 5% duty cycle we have 49667x1/100 = 2483. On the other
hand we have 10ms total time period. And hence for 0.5ms ON pulse we
have (0.5ms/10ms)x100 = 5% this is the value of duty cycle. Now for 0o we
simply compare two values for 5% duty cycle we have PWM value 2483. All
these values will be calculated in such a way. Some of them are show in
following table.
Angle in
degrees

Corresponding
value for PWM

0o

Duty cycle
@100Hz
(10ms)
5%

2483

Corresponding
pulse width (ON
time)
0.5ms

45o

10%

4967

1.0ms

90o

15%

7450

1.5ms

135o

20%

9933

2.0ms

180o

25%

12417

2.5ms

Now you have to calculate the value of PWM that could change the
angle of servo by 1o. So here it is by subtracting the value of PWM at 0o and
180o (12417 2483 = 9934). Now this is the change in value of PWM for
change in angle of 0 to 180o. Now simply divide this value by 180 you get the
value 55.188 ignore values after decimal you have 55 value for 1o change in
angle. Take decimal values as a tolerance in angle. Now for example for
changing angle to 5o you have to add 55 times 5 in value of PWM at 0o that
is 2483 + 55x5 = 2758.
In the following figure 4. An animations shows how LCD is updated
when we increase and decrease the PWM between 5% to 25% and
ultimately change an angle of servo. In third line we have symbolic
representation of angle in degrees. While in fourth line we have
corresponding duty cycle in percentage. Which is increased or decreased by
using Up or down buttons.

[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-84SnYDZBI1M/UhEnf789aTI/AAAAAAAAAo0/02gw3hTiu6s/s1600/anigif.gif]
Figure 4. LCD updates.

Code:
In the following figure 4. This is the main function. In which first I
Initialize the PWM one module for frequency 100Hz. Remember this
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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

controller is currently running at 10MHz with cycle frequency of 5MHz. So we

have 15.6bits resolution for our PWM. Then I initialize the LCD working in
8bit mode. Then we have some strings to display. After that I enable the
Internal Pullups resistors for push buttons. And also configure its PINs as an
input. Then again some strings are displayed on LCD. Now in this loop I
continuously watch the push buttons if one of them is pressed for example in
case of up button when pressed. I quickly increase the PWM DutyCycle
variable by 55 which I got from the formula I describe earlier in this post.
Which is then passed to Set PWM. The If statement before increasing or
decreasing duty cycle variable act as a guard so that duty cycle could not
increase more than 25% or could not decreased below 5%. Remember that
increasing or decreasing duty cycle more than 25% or below 5% is useless.
Servo have its own mechanical locking system that lock the gears
disallowing further movements it also has its own internal encoder for its
position. Many people remove this lock and make some adjustment to small
circuit board inside it. In order to rotate it for 360o. But that makes it an
ordinary DC geared motor. Now to show the angle on LCD I called a function
named ShowSymbolicDegreesOnLCD() this accepts two variables as
parameters to pass one is Duty cycle while other is division variable, these
variables helps this function in calculating and displaying angle on LCD in
degrees. Now to show duty cycle as percentage as well as in a symbolic
representation on LCD I called function named
ShowSymbolicPercentageOnLCD() which actually requires two variables to
pass on. One is duty cycle and other is the value of duty cycle at 100%.
These variables helps this function in calculating percentage and display
them as a symbols on LCD quite amazing.

http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.in/2013/08/how-to-interface-servo-motor-with-pic.html

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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/RQNKb_o2AeU/UhEneYJaFQI/AAAAAAAAAok/DfED5RuH0S8/s1600/main1.PNG]
Figure 5. Main function Servo motor.

For having a clear picture of experimental setup please watch this

video.

http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.in/2013/08/how-to-interface-servo-motor-with-pic.html

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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

Downloads:
You can download Code (MPLAB X and C30 compiler) and Schematic. Click
here [https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j5otpr999iebj2/Servo%20motor.zip]

Reading Suggestions:

GPS interfacing with PIC microcontroller

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/gps-module-interfacing-with-pic24.html] .

How to interface 4x4 Keypad with PIC

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-interface-4x4-keypad-with-pic24.html] .

Two wirelessly communicating Circuits using Xbee

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/two-wirelessly-communicating-circuits.html]

How to get interrupt on change of logic on Pins (Input Change Notification)

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-get-interrupt-on-change-of-logic.html] .

Over Voltage Protection [http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/over-voltage-

protection-circuit.html]

Step by step home made PCB tutorial

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/step-by-step-home-made-pcb-tutorial-how.html]

How to measure Negative and Positive temperature using LM35

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-measure-negative-and-positiveTemperature.html]

AC Voltmeter RMS + Peak voltage

[http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/2013/08/digital-ac-voltmeter-schematic-code.html]

For all topics Click here [http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.com/?

view=magazine] :

Thats all for this post hope you will learn please
comment if you have any questions for upcoming posts
please subscribe or follow.

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Posted 19th August 2013 by IBRAHIM NAZIR

Labels: 16bit Microcontroller, DsPIC30, DsPIC33, Mplab X IDE, PIC24, servo
http://ibrahimlabs.blogspot.in/2013/08/how-to-interface-servo-motor-with-pic.html

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How to interface Servo motor with PIC (Code + Schematic)

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IBRAHIM NAZIR via Google+ 7 months ago - Shared publicly

Servo motor control using PIC
+1
2
1

1 Reply

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Hardik Bhalodia 7 months ago
ok..but how much time i have to wait friend...!! Atleast tell me it is
16x16??
IBRAHIM NAZIR 7 months ago
i'll do it in a month because these days i m working on another
project so may be less than a month

Zubair Ahmed 7 months ago - Shared publicly

Dear Ibrahim:
Very great and inspiring work you are doing. Keep it up and
happy blogging. I have also write 4 blogs in start then resumed due to
timing issues. I am also student of COMSATS Islamabad campus of
Masters in EE. Our inspirational person is also same Sir Mr.Saeed.
+1 you1please
Reply
Can
give me your email address for direct contact. Thank you
2
1

IBRAHIM NAZIR 7 months ago

Thanks a lot Zubair
This is my email address
Ibm.natural@googlemail.com

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