Raspberry Pi Servo Control with Python: Step-by-Step PWM Tutorial

Added:

Servo Control
Servo Signal
Test Commands
Calibration
Calculate Duty
Python Code
Smooth Motion
Loop Control

Servo Control

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Playing Section
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    Lesson 28 starts controlling a servo with Raspberry Pi.

  • 2

    Requires PWM signals; a review of lesson 27 is recommended.

  • 3

    Power servo carefully to prevent damage to the Pi.

Basic Python programming concepts, including loops, functions, and importing external libraries.
Familiarity with the Raspberry Pi hardware, specifically the GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pin layout and configuration.
Fundamentals of basic DC electronics, including voltage, ground, and how to safely power external components from a single-board computer.
The conceptual definition of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and how duty cycle relates to analog-like signal transmission.
Utilizing dedicated hardware PWM controllers (such as the PCA9685 via I2C) to control multiple servos without CPU overhead.
Mitigating servo jitter by implementing hardware-timed PWM libraries (such as pigpio) instead of standard software-timed GPIO libraries.
Building closed-loop feedback systems that use physical sensor data (e.g., ultrasonic sensors, potentiometers, or joysticks) to dynamically adjust servo angles.
Integrating servos into complex mechanical applications, such as multi-axis robotic arms, pan-tilt camera mounts, or autonomous vehicle steering systems.
165.8K views2.2Klikes48:53@paulmcwhorterOriginal Release: 2015-06-02

To control a servo motor with Raspberry Pi using Python, you must generate PWM signals at 50 Hz frequency, where the servo position is determined by the duty cycle: 5% duty cycle moves the servo to full left (1ms pulse width), 7.5% moves it to center (1.5ms), and 10% moves it to full right (2ms). Since each servo may have slightly different calibration requirements, you should first determine the exact duty cycle values for your specific servo by experimentation, then use linear interpolation to calculate the appropriate duty cycle for any desired angle between 0 and 180 degrees.