The Higher The Frequency Of The Servo, The Faster The Response. What Is The Impact Of Frequency On The Performance Of The Servo?

Hey friends! Have you ever encountered this situation - when you were choosing aservofor a project, you saw the word "frequency" written on the parameter table, and you thought to yourself: "Is the higher the better for this thing? When the frequency is high, does theservorespond faster?" Don't worry, today we will sit down and talk about this topic, and explain it to you clearly, so that you will not waste money and choose the wrong thing.

What does theservofrequency mean?

The servo frequency we often refer to actually refers to itscontrol signal refresh frequency, and the unit is Hertz (Hz). You can think of it as the speed at which you "make a phone call" to the servo. For example, if the frequency is 50Hz, it is equivalent to saying "Hey, you should turn to this angle now!" to the servo 50 times a second; if it is 250Hz, it means saying 250 times a second. The higher the frequency, the more intensive the instructions are issued, and the faster the position information received by the servo is updated.

Does high frequency really make the response faster?

The answer is:high frequency can indeed make the response of the servo more "hand-following", but it is not completely equivalent to the "quick turning into position" you understand. This starts with the working principle of the steering gear. There is a small closed-loop control system in the steering gear, which will constantly compare the "target angle" and the "current angle". A high-frequency signal means it knows more frequently whether the target has changed. For example, when driving autonomous driving, low-frequency instructions are like you only looking at the road for an hour, while high-frequency instructions are like you are fine-tuning the steering wheel every second. Therefore, high frequency can make the servo's movements smoother and more sensitive, which means the "response speed" becomes faster.

What are the consequences of blindly pursuing high frequencies?

It's like installing an F1 racing engine on a little Alto running on the road. It looks bluffing, but is actually prone to problems. If the hardware of the servo itself (such as motor, reduction gear, control chip) cannot keep up and is forced to be driven by high frequency, the consequences are very direct: 1️⃣Severe heating: the servo is constantly corrected at high frequency, the internal drive chip and motor will be overloaded, and will be hot enough to fry an egg, and the service life will be greatly reduced. 2️⃣Jitterand noise: High-frequency signals are easy to introduce interference, or the steering gear itself cannot calculate. The result is that the steering arm shakes back and forth, making a harsh squeaking sound, and the accuracy decreases. 3️⃣Positiondeviation: Excessively high frequency may cause the control algorithm inside the servo to be disordered, causing the vehicle to stop at the wrong position and causing problems.

How to choose the frequency that suits your project

This depends on the specific purpose of your project, don't blindly follow the trend. ️ If you are making ordinary toys or simple robotic arms, the standard 50Hz to 100Hz is completely sufficient, cheap and stable. ️ If you are making an aircraft model (such as a flying wing or helicopter) and need a very fast response of the servo to resist airflow, you can consider a digital servo with a frequency of 200Hz or above. ️ If you are making robot joints or racing models, you must find out the maximum frequency supported by the servo and set it within the range given by the manufacturer. This is usually marked in the manual. Remember,the most suitable is the best .

Tips for judging whether the servo frequency is sufficient

I got a new servo, how do I test whether it fits? You can make the servo swing back and forth quickly in the control program. ️ Observe whether there is an obvious pause or a "click" sound when it changes direction quickly. If the movement is silky smooth and there is no unnecessary noise, it means that the current frequency and the servo are working well together. ️ In addition, it is also a good idea to feel the temperature. Let it work at high frequency for more than ten minutes. If the outer shell is only warm, it's not a big problem; if it's so hot that you dare not touch it, then the frequency setting must be high and needs to be lowered.

If you want to improve the response without changing the frequency, what else can you do?

If the servo frequency has been set, but you want the system to respond faster, we have other tricks. First, you can start with power supply.Voltage is the source of power of the servo. Within the allowable voltage range of the servo, if you increase the voltage a little bit (for example, from 5V to 6V), its response speed will be visible to the naked eye. Second, check your mechanics. Is the load driven by the servo too heavy? Is there any empty position in the connecting rod? The smooth mechanical structure also makes the steering gear run more happily. These details are often more obvious than simply adjusting the frequency.

After talking so much, I actually want to tell you that the servo frequency must be viewed dialectically. It is related to the reaction speed, but it is not the only determining factor. I hope this content can help you avoid detours when selecting and debugging in the future. Having said that, what is the most troublesome steering gear problem you have encountered in your project? Are you shaking all the time, or just lack of energy? Welcome to complain and share in the comment area, let’s think about it together! If you find the article useful, don’t forget to like and forward it so that more friends can see it.