Which Is Better, Steering Gear Or Motor? If You Choose The Wrong Thing, You Will Spend Money In Vain. This Article Explains The Difference.

When we are engaged in product manufacturing or DIY activities, we often encounter a decision: to make things move, should we use aservoor an ordinary motor? Many people get into trouble when facing this first step. Once they make the wrong choice, it will not only affect the final effect, but may even cost unnecessary money. Don’t worry, today we will discuss this matter in depth to ensure that you have a clear basis for judgment next time you make a selection.

There are many differences in functional characteristics betweenservos and ordinary motors. It is these differences that make them have advantages and disadvantages in different application scenarios. In the following content, we will analyze the characteristics ofservos and ordinary motors in detail to help you better understand how to make the right choice based on actual needs. This allows you to be more confident and no longer confused when faced with similar selection issues.

What is the difference between a steering gear and a motor?

To put it simply, an ordinary motor is like an object with great power but lack of intelligence. When you turn it on, it will start whirring quickly. However, it does not know how much it has turned, and you also have no way to precisely control its turning angle. It is suitable for situations that only require continuous rotation or require great strength, such as common electric fans and wheels.

The steering gear is extremely smart. It cleverly integrates the motor, reduction gear and a control circuit board. You can give it an accurate command: "Turn to the 90-degree position!" At this time, it will turn over obediently and hold it steadily. It is like an excellent executor of "hit wherever you point", and performs very well in scenes that require precise control of angles.

Which robot arm should I choose?

If you want to make a robotic arm that can grab things, then there is no doubt that you have to choose a servo. Because each joint of the robotic arm needs to stop at a specific angle to complete the grabbing action. With an ordinary motor, it's difficult to get it to stop at a precise point. The thing may hit its head before it's caught.

The advantage of the servo in this scenario is that you don’t have to worry about complicated control algorithms at all. Just give it a PWM signal and it will perform closed-loop control on its own. This can greatly simplify your programming and debugging work, allowing you to focus more on the design of the mechanical structure and upper-level logic.

Which one is best for making a smart car?

The smart car is different. It needs to run and its speed must be adjustable. In this case, an ordinary DC motor coupled with wheels is a more suitable choice. Because what you need is continuous rotation to generate power, not a precise angle for the wheels to stop.

Of course, in order to make the car go straight or turn, the motor usually needs to be used with a driver (such as L298N) and an encoder to control the speed and direction. Therefore, if you pursue speed and power, and want your car to be able to climb hills and run fast, then ordinary motors are your cup of tea.

What are the advantages of steering gear?

The core advantages of the steering gear are precision and simplicity. You don't need to build a complicated PID feedback system yourself, it does everything for you internally. It is irreplaceable for scenes that need to maintain a specific position, such as controlling the pan/tilt of a camera or the rudder of a ship.

However, its advantages also bring corresponding limitations in some aspects. Its rotation angle is usually only 180 degrees or 270 degrees (of course, there are some situations where it can rotate continuously, but once it rotates continuously, it will lose its position control characteristics). Moreover, compared with an ordinary motor of the same size, its speed and torque will be weaker. Therefore, judging from these characteristics, it is more suitable for "fine work" and less suitable for "strength work".

Where are the advantages of motors reflected?

The biggest advantages of ordinary motors, especially DC motors, are high speed, high torque and low cost. Paired with a reduction gearbox, you can get a lot of torque, which is perfect for driving wheels and propellers.

It's also very flexible. You can change the output speed and torque by replacing the reduction gearbox, and you can also easily achieve forward and reverse rotation through the H-bridge circuit. But the price is complex control. To accurately control speed or position, additional encoders and control circuits must be added.

How to make quick decisions based on needs

Here are two simple and direct judgment criteria for you. First, let’s look at the nature of the action: If what you need to achieve is to “turn to a specific angle and remain stopped”, such as when applied to rudder surfaces and mechanical joints, then choose a servo; if what you need to achieve is to “continue to rotate to generate power”, such as when used to drive wheels or fans, then choose a motor.

Second, look at your control system. If you are using a microcontroller and do not want to write overly complex algorithms, then the servo can allow you to get twice the result with half the effort during your work. And if you are already using a development board with complex motion control functions, or are more cost-sensitive, then a combination of ordinary motors and drivers may be more suitable.

Go search the official websites of companies that are engaged in the robot or smart car business, and carefully check what is used in their product lists, so that you can verify your ideas.

After reading this article, do you have a clearer idea of whether to use a servo or a motor for your project? When you are making something, what is the most troublesome choice for you? Welcome to chat in the comment area, and don’t forget to give it a like and share it with your friends who also love to think about it!