If you're looking to test a servo motor without Arduino or MCU, then this 555 timer circuit is the perfect solution! With this circuit, you can easily test the servo motor and determine if it's working correctly. So watch this video and learn how to use this 555 timer circuit to test a servo motor!
In this instructable, I am going to show you what a servo motor is, how to use it, and ideas for starting projects using it. I used arduino to control my servo, I added how to use a 555 in some of the later steps.
Step 1: What Is a Servo Motor
If you are like me, then you knew very little about servo motors, and how to use them, so we should start from the beginning. A Servo motor uses pulse width modulation (pwm) from a microcontroller or a 555 timing IC (or something different I haven't heard about) to know what position to move its horn to. They can move both clockwise or counterclockwise thanks to an H bridge which is hardwired into them. Most Servos, unlike conventional electric motors do not move in continuous rotations. the standard servo moves anywhere between 0 and 180 degrees, which make them useful for animatronics and robotics. The servo has three wires coming out of it which usually ends in a female jack. the wire colors are black, which gets connected to ground, red which gets connected to the positive power supply, and white or yellow which gets connected to the output of the microcontroller or 555 IC, and receives the pwm. Okay now that you know the basics, lets get started
Step 2: Testing the Servo
the first thing that you should do is make sure your servo motor is working. because the servos wires end in a female header, you cannot plug it into the arduino (unless you have a shield. insert solid core wires into the headers, so you can attach it to the pins of the arduino (or anything else). When you downloaded your programming environment for arduino, it should have two examples for the servo. The one we are going to use first is called sweep. Go to the "open" icon next to save near the top of the window on the environment. click on it, and a list of files should come up. go down to the one that says servo, and put your mouse over it. two files should come out of it. one called "sweep" and one called "knob". click on the one called sweep, compile the code and upload it to your board. if everything is connected correctly, the servo should begin to go back and forth from 0 to 180 degrees. If you cannot find the code, copy this:
Step 3: New Code
Now that you know your servo works, you can begin to incorporate sensors into the mix. the first thing you should do is use a potentiometer. Use anything between 10 and 100k. keep the servo attached as it was using the sweep example. attach the top pin on the pot to 3.3v on the arduino. Connect the bottom pin to ground on the board. Connect the center of wiper pin of the pot to A0 (the first analog pin) on arduino. go to "open" on the IDE again. Go to servo and open "Knob". compile the code and upload it to your board. When the program is running you will be able to control the position of the servo with a potentiometer. If you cannot find the code, copy this:
Step 4: Prepare the Sensor
The sensor that I used that would probably work very well was the QRD1114 reflective sensor which has a discrete infrared LED, and phototransistor. to get the sensor to work, you must connect it in a very specific way. you could use other reflective sensor, but this one just seemed convenient, and I am using it in another project so they are readily available for me.
to setup this sensor you will need:
one QRD-1114
one 10k resistor
one 68 or 100ohm resistor
Step 5: Using the Sensor With the Servo
Now that you have your sensor setup so that it will work for with arduino, you can replace the pot with it to make a servo that moves when something is in front of it and moves back when nothing is in front of it. use the same code that you did for the potentiometer. but this time instead of using the pot, connect pin one on the qrd to A0 on the arduino board. connect the two resistors to 3.3v, and connect pin 4 and 2 on the qrd to the ground on the board. run the program and when there is something about 1 cm from the sensor the motor will turn one way, and when the object moves away from the sensor the servo will move back. try adding a photo cell to make a light sensitive servo. using sensors with the servo, you can make robots, animatronics, and more. Have fun!
Step 6: Using a 555 and a Potentiometer
this is a simple circuit using a 555 to control the servo with a potentiometer. The circuit was originally meant as a tone generator, but with some simple modifications it became a servo tester. follow the schematic and it should work, but if you have any questions or problems, leave a comment and I will try to help you.'
to make this circuit you are going to need:
-one 555 timer
-one .1 µf ceramic disk capacitor
If you're looking to test a servo motor without Arduino or MCU, then this 555 timer circuit is the perfect solution! With this circuit, you can easily test the servo motor and determine if it's working correctly. So watch this video and learn how to use this 555 timer circuit to test a servo motor!
In this instructable, I am going to show you what a servo motor is, how to use it, and ideas for starting projects using it. I used arduino to control my servo, I added how to use a 555 in some of the later steps.
Step 1: What Is a Servo Motor
If you are like me, then you knew very little about servo motors, and how to use them, so we should start from the beginning. A Servo motor uses pulse width modulation (pwm) from a microcontroller or a 555 timing IC (or something different I haven't heard about) to know what position to move its horn to. They can move both clockwise or counterclockwise thanks to an H bridge which is hardwired into them. Most Servos, unlike conventional electric motors do not move in continuous rotations. the standard servo moves anywhere between 0 and 180 degrees, which make them useful for animatronics and robotics. The servo has three wires coming out of it which usually ends in a female jack. the wire colors are black, which gets connected to ground, red which gets connected to the positive power supply, and white or yellow which gets connected to the output of the microcontroller or 555 IC, and receives the pwm. Okay now that you know the basics, lets get started
Step 2: Testing the Servo
the first thing that you should do is make sure your servo motor is working. because the servos wires end in a female header, you cannot plug it into the arduino (unless you have a shield. insert solid core wires into the headers, so you can attach it to the pins of the arduino (or anything else). When you downloaded your programming environment for arduino, it should have two examples for the servo. The one we are going to use first is called sweep. Go to the "open" icon next to save near the top of the window on the environment. click on it, and a list of files should come up. go down to the one that says servo, and put your mouse over it. two files should come out of it. one called "sweep" and one called "knob". click on the one called sweep, compile the code and upload it to your board. if everything is connected correctly, the servo should begin to go back and forth from 0 to 180 degrees. If you cannot find the code, copy this:
Step 3: New Code
Now that you know your servo works, you can begin to incorporate sensors into the mix. the first thing you should do is use a potentiometer. Use anything between 10 and 100k. keep the servo attached as it was using the sweep example. attach the top pin on the pot to 3.3v on the arduino. Connect the bottom pin to ground on the board. Connect the center of wiper pin of the pot to A0 (the first analog pin) on arduino. go to "open" on the IDE again. Go to servo and open "Knob". compile the code and upload it to your board. When the program is running you will be able to control the position of the servo with a potentiometer. If you cannot find the code, copy this:
Step 4: Prepare the Sensor
The sensor that I used that would probably work very well was the QRD1114 reflective sensor which has a discrete infrared LED, and phototransistor. to get the sensor to work, you must connect it in a very specific way. you could use other reflective sensor, but this one just seemed convenient, and I am using it in another project so they are readily available for me.
to setup this sensor you will need:
one QRD-1114
one 10k resistor
one 68 or 100ohm resistor
Step 5: Using the Sensor With the Servo
Now that you have your sensor setup so that it will work for with arduino, you can replace the pot with it to make a servo that moves when something is in front of it and moves back when nothing is in front of it. use the same code that you did for the potentiometer. but this time instead of using the pot, connect pin one on the qrd to A0 on the arduino board. connect the two resistors to 3.3v, and connect pin 4 and 2 on the qrd to the ground on the board. run the program and when there is something about 1 cm from the sensor the motor will turn one way, and when the object moves away from the sensor the servo will move back. try adding a photo cell to make a light sensitive servo. using sensors with the servo, you can make robots, animatronics, and more. Have fun!
Step 6: Using a 555 and a Potentiometer
this is a simple circuit using a 555 to control the servo with a potentiometer. The circuit was originally meant as a tone generator, but with some simple modifications it became a servo tester. follow the schematic and it should work, but if you have any questions or problems, leave a comment and I will try to help you.'
to make this circuit you are going to need:
-one 555 timer
-one .1 µf ceramic disk capacitor
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