A servo actuator provides remote, automatic switching or actuating motion based on feedback signals from the system. It includes a servo controller that constantly compares the desired results with real-time system conditions and activates the actuator to achieve the desired result. Servo actuators are used in a wide variety of automated or remotely controlled systems.
A servo actuator is a device used to provide a wide range of remote, automatic switching or actuating motion based on feedback signals from the system on which it is being used. In contrast, conventional actuators produce a defined and finite working motion in response to a single trigger input. The fine level of control possible with a servo actuator is made possible by the inclusion of a servo controller that can constantly compare the desired results with real-time system conditions and calculate the difference, if any, between the two. If differences are detected, the actuator is activated by the controller to achieve the desired result. Servoactuators are used in a wide variety of automated or remotely controlled systems ranging in size from small optical autofocus systems to large automated targeting systems on naval guns.
The basic theory of actuation revolves around the concept of remotely providing the impulse, or motion, needed to perform a task. This can be a simple back-and-forth motion to flip a switch or an extremely complex multi-stage rotary motion used to focus a set of lenses. The extent and power of the actuating motion can also be as little as a fraction of an inch and a couple of ounces of pressure to several feet and thousands of pounds of torque. In the case of conventional actuators, the movement provided is quite simple and of predetermined finite direction and extent triggered by a single external source. Applications that require variable actuation motion in response to demanding system demands require greater control and require a servo actuator system.
Unlike the single trigger input of simple actuators, the servo actuator provides its output motion in response to what are known as feedback inputs. These are signals sent by the implemented system, which define the exact state and position of the mechanism in real time. These signals are sent to a servo controller which compares the real-time data against a set of ideal situation parameters. These can be remote inputs from other sensors and systems or part of a pre-programmed block of data.
For example, if a naval gun sighting system receives a set of desired situation parameters consisting of a 185° roll orientation and a 52° barrel depression angle from a sighting system, it will verify those parameters against those real-time position signals received from sensors on the turret. If the two differ, an error state is registered by the controller, which then directs the traverse and elevation actuators to rotate the turret and move the gun barrel up or down. When the desired conditions are met, the error state clears and the turret locks in the ready position for a fire signal. This is a rather simplistic explanation of a highly complex system, but it is a good indicator of how well a servo actuator works based on a comparison between the desired conditions and the existing ones. The servo actuator is used extensively in many applications ranging from heavy installations, such as naval turret control, to very fine and light weight examples in lens auto focus systems.
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