Introduction to Motors

Understanding the CEENBots muscles

Presented by:
Herb Detloff
(Prepared by Alisa N. Gilmore, P.E.)
CEPA Summer Robotics Institute Summer 2009
at Central Community College, Columbus, NE

Robot Defined

 Motors

in context of robotics, different types of

robots have different types of motors
Overview of motor types / characteristics

Motors convert electric energy to mechanical force /

motion
Motor parameters: AC or DC power source, torque, speed
Industrial robotics: AC servo motor
Mobile robotics & Hobby robots: dc motor, dc servo
motor, and stepper motors

Principle of operation of a DC motor

Inside a DC motor
Principle of operation of stepper motors
Performance advantages of stepper motor over DC motor
and DC servo motor
CEENBot stepper motor operation/control

Overview

Motors

convert electric energy to

mechanical motion.

Either

an AC or DC electrical energy
source serves as the input to the motor.

The

result is mechanical motion of the

output shaft, that is a rotation about or a
translation along the shaft, provided the
load carried by the shaft does not exceed
the maximum load the motor is designed
to carry.

Motor Basics

There

are numerous ways to design a motor,

thus there are many different types of
motors.
The type of motor chosen for an application
depends on the characteristics needed in
that application.
These include:

How fast you want the object to move,

The weight, size of the object to be moved,
The cost and size of the motor,
The accuracy of position or speed control needed.

Choosing a Motor

The

level of performance a motor can provide

is described by its parameters. These
include:
Rated Speed
Speed measured in shaft revolutions per minute
(RPM)

Torque

Rotational force produced around a given point, due

to a force applied at a radius from that point,
measured in lb-ft (or, oz-in).

HorsePower

= Speed x Torque / 5252.11...

A measure of work expended: 1 HP = 33,000 footpounds per minute.

Torque-Speed

performance of a motor

Motor Parameters

The

different types of motors possess

different operating characteristics.
Heavy Industrial applications: AC motors
Mobile robotics & hobby robots: dc motor, dc servo
motor, and stepper motors

Brief

of:

overview of the operation characteristics

AC motors
DC motors
DC servo motors
Stepper motors

Types of Motors

When

power is applied, AC motors turn in

one direction at a fixed speed.
Both reversable and non-reversable models
available
Usually high voltage (110V AC and up)
Inexpensive and commonly available
Optimized to run at a fixed, usually high RPM.
If the applied load is greater than the
capacity of the motor, the motor will stall and
possibly burn out.

AC Motor Characteristics

 When

power is applied, DC motors turn in one direction

at a fixed speed.
They are optimized to run at a fixed, usually high RPM.
Torque is highest at the rated speed and lowest at low
speeds.
Speed can be varied if a (pulse width modulation) PWM
controller is added.
Almost all can be reversed.
Inexpensive and commonly available.
Available in wide range of speeds and power.
Suitable for turning, spinning, etc.
Not suitable for positioning unless some kind of position
feedback is added.
If the applied load is greater than the capacity of the
motor, the motor will stall and possibly burn out.

DC Motor Characteristics

Servo motor requirements may include control of acceleration,

velocity, and position to very close tolerances and allow for fast
starts, stops and reversals, and very accurate control.
DC servo motors consist of a DC motor combined with feedback
for either position or speed.
A system with a motor, feedback, and a controller which
constantly adjusts the position or speed to in reaction to the
feedback is called a closed-loop system
Hobby Servos require a desired position signal to tell them where
to turn to.
Once told where to go, a Hobby Servo uses its built-in controller
and feedback system to hold its position.
When power is applied, in the absence of a signal, a hobby servo
goes to its central position
The signal to control a hobby servo is non-trivial to generate.
Hobby servos can also be modified to turn continuously, in which
case the control signal is speed instead of position

DC Servo Motors

 Requires

a separate controller circuitry or it will

not turn when power is applied.
Inexpensive and commonly available, especially
in salvaged computer equipment
Precise positioning is possible by keeping count
of steps requested, even without feedback.
Torque is highest at the full stop and decreases
as speed is increased.
If the applied load is greater than the capacity of
the motor, the motor may not step, thereby
making precise positioning no longer possible.

Stepper Motors

 Electric

Motors or Motors convert electrical energy

to mechanical motion

Motors

are powered by a source of electricity either

AC or DC.

DC

Electric Motors use Direct Current (DC) sources

of electricity:

Batteries
DC Power supply

Principle
Electrical

of How Motors Work:

current flowing in a loop of wire will produce

a magnetic field across the loop.
When this loop is surrounded by the field of another
magnet, the loop will turn, producing a force (called
torque) that results in mechanical motion.

DC Electric Motors

Motors

are powered by electricity, but rely

on principles of magnetism to produce
mechanical motion.

Inside

a motor we find:

Permanent magnets,
Electro-magnets,
Or a combination of the two.

Motor Basics

Magnets
A magnet is an object that possesses a
magnetic field, characterized by a North and
South pole pair.
A permanent magnet (such as this bar
magnet) stays magnetized for a long time.

An electromagnet is a magnet that is created

when electricity flows through a coil of wire. It
requires a power source (such as a battery) to
set up a magnetic field.

A Simple Electromagnet
A

Q
A

Nail with a Coil of Wire

How do we set up a magnet?

The battery feeds current through the coil of
wire. Current in the coil of wire produces a
magnetic field (as long as the battery is
connected).

A Simple Electromagnet
A

Nail with a Coil of Wire

S

+
Q

- How do we reverse the poles of this

electromagnet?
A By reversing the polarity of the
battery!

The Electromagnet in a Stationary

Magnetic Field

If we surround the electromagnet with a stationary magnetic

field, the poles of the electromagnet will attempt to line up
with the poles of the stationary magnet.

OPPOSITE
POLES
ATTRACT!

The rotating motion is transmitted to the shaft, providing

useful mechanical work. This is how DC motors work!

DC Motor Operation Principles

Once the poles align, the nail (and shaft) stops rotating.
How do we make the rotation continue?

By switching the poles of the electromagnet. When they line up

again, switch the poles the other way, and so on.
This way, the shaft will rotate in one direction continuously!

Brushed DC Motor Components

How the Commutator Works

As

the rotor turns, the commutator terminals

also turn and continuously reverse polarity of
the current it gets from the stationary
brushes attached to the battery.

Controlling Motor Direction

To

change the direction of rotation:

Simply switch the polarity of the battery leads

going to the motor (that is, switch the + and
battery leads)
Direction of
Rotation
CW CCW
+
-

Inside a Toy Motor

(Similar to TekBot Motor)

The

DC motors on the TekBot offer limited

speed control and low torque.

The

CEENBot uses a stepper motor for each

wheel.

The

stepper motors on the CEENBot enables

accurate wheel positioning with high holding
torque and allows for open-loop speed
control (wheel position feedback is not
required).

Advantages of Stepper Motor

stepper motor consists of:

A permanent magnet rotating shaft (or rotor)

Electromagnets on the stator the stationary portion that
surrounds the motor

The

stepper motor moves as the permanent rotor

magnet attempts to line up with the poles of the
electromagnets on the stator.

The

electromagnets are digitally switched to change

their pole orientation, which when done in a sequence
produces continuous rotation of the rotor, or can be
controlled to give precise rotation to a desired angular
position.
http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/se-inoue/e_step1.htm

Stepper Motor Operation

 The

smallest step of angular rotation a stepper motor

can make is called its resolution.

Unlike

the example, which had 90 degrees per step

resolution, real motors employ a series of mini-poles
on the stator and rotor to increase resolution.

Surprisingly,

the same sequence of the 4 stepping

phases is used to control this scenario.
http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/se-inoue/e_step1.htm
CEENBot

stepper motors have a resolution of 1.8

degrees per step.
Q: How many steps are needed to make 1 complete wheel
revolution?

Because

the rotor is fixed by the magnetism

in the stationary condition as shown, the
stationary power (Stationary torque) is large.
It suits the use to make stop at some angle.

The CEENBot can better hold its position on a ramp.

Speed

control is achieved by digitally cycling

through the phases at a desired speed of
rotation.

microprocessor is used to reverse the

current after each step, which changes the
poles of the corresponding electromagnets.

The Difference Between Stepper Motors, Servos, and RC

Servos by Roger Arrick
http://www.arrickrobotics.com/motors.html
Making Things General Information on Motors
http://www.makingthings.com/teleo/products/documentati
on/app_notes/motors_general.htm
How Stepper Motors Work by Images Scientific
Instruments
http://www.imagesco.com/articles/picstepper/02.html
CEENBot Stepper Motor & PM DC Motor Testing Unit
Operations Manual by Ben Barenz, CEEN Student
Hansen Corp. Servo motors http://www.hansenmotor.com/servo-motors.htm
Animated operation of a Unipolar stepper motor:
http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/se-inoue/e_step1.htm

References