Motion control and servo systems

(MET 437)
Lecture 2
Modeling and control of servo
system Part I

Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar

Objective of the lecture

 After finishing the lecture, the student will be able to
Recognize the following
Control pattern of servo system
Movement pattern of servo system
Position control of servo systems
Control structure of Servo Systems
Characteristic of Servo System in Applications
Control structure of the servo systems
Issues in Mechatronic DC Servo Systems
 Modelling a Simple DC Servo Motor System

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 Control pattern of servo
systems
 The control pattern, as the start point of servo system
construction, is according to the following.
1. The velocity offset for step-shape torque disturbance is
generally below n=1 rpm below.
2. The velocity control ratio is one to several thousands
(minimum 1rpm and maximum 3000–5000 rpm).
3. The capability of power amplifier is effectively
adopted (regulation time is shortened from the rated
current acceleration/deceleration adopted for limited
value).

Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar 3 Session 02

Movement pattern
(Interpolation technics)
 The Tool Center Point (TCP) defines the exact
working point of the robot; it is the point used to
determine the robot's positional coordinates.
 PTP: The TCP is moving the fastest way to the target
position.
 LIN: The TCP moves within a straight line to the
desired position.
 CIRC: The TCP moves within a circular path.
 The movement ´PTP´ is the fastest movement pattern.
But for accurate moving PTP is not applicable because
no straight line is driven. The movement pattern
“Synchro PTP” harmonizes the speed of the fast-
moving axis to the speed of the low moving axis.
 The movement patterns (LIN) and (CIRC) require
high computing power, because all drives of the axis
have to be coordinated to each other.
4

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 Movement pattern
(Interpolation technics)
 Exercise: Classify the following moving patterns as shown!

Position control of servo

systems
 There are two types of position control in mechatronics
applications.
a)The PTP point to point or 
(position control) emphasizing the 
arriving time and stop position 
from any position without
considering the response route.

Applications: the robot arm for element assembly, spot 
welding, or the control of moving axis of mechanism for drilling 
a hole, etc.
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 Position control of servo
systems
 There are two types of control (Cont.).
b) The contour control (contouring or CP: 
continuous path) emphasizing the 
motion trajectory from the current 
position to the next position (position 
at each moment and its motion 
velocity). 
Applications: Arm of welding robot, painting robot, laser 
cutting robot, etc., or used for the control of transfer axis of 
mechanism implementing any three‐dimensional shape 
processing (machine center, etc.).
Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar 7 Session 02

Position control of servo

systems
 In the contour control, the servo system, as a position
control system, requires strict velocity control for
many kinds of response.
 For the welding robot, the importance is velocity control of the
torch which is determined according to the heat rate given along
the curve of welding (i.e., Welding requires variable velocity
control).
 For a painting robot, if the motion velocity of painting is
changed, the spot of painting is easily appeared (i.e., painting
requires constant velocity control).
 In the cutting operation of various materials, keeping the
constant cutting velocity can guarantee the cutting quality (i.e.,
Cutting process requires constant velocity control).
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 Position control of servo
systems
 In the contour control, an overshoot in the position
control system should not occur.
 In many cases, velocity control system is also regulated
so that the overshoot cannot occur.
 In the various kinds of actual processes, the generation
of overshoot of position will cause fatal defect of shape.
For example, in the process of constructing a shaft, if an
overshoot occurs, the radius of the part becomes smaller,
reducing the strength of this part. Moreover, if the vibrated
trajectory exists insufficiency of shape, it cannot be revised
at the later motion.
Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar 9 Session 02

Position control of servo

systems
 For realizing an arbitrary curve in three-dimensional space, in
most of cases, the curve is approximated by a folded line.
 As its results, the reference input to each axis servo system is
renewed in each given coordinate point and the ramp input with
various slope angles is given continuously.
 The velocity of each axis is calculated for making the given
synthetic velocity as a desired velocity.
 In addition, in the case of performing the
acceleration/deceleration control at start/stop
point, the reference input for simultaneous
start/stop of all axes, i.e., same command to
each axis at acceleration/deceleration point,
is generated.
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 Position control of servo
systems
 The generation of objective reference input for realizing
mechanism movement structured with a multi-axis mechanism
is done by the servo system in which the independent motion of
each axis including given machine mechanism can be realized.
 The features of reference input is regulated for keeping the
consistence of each axis.
 In almost all cases, position control
system is regarded as a 1st order system.
 The feedforward gain should be identical.
o If regulating like this, it is very easy to
implement the algorithm of reference
input generation to a multi-axis servo
system for any spatial curve.
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Control structure of Servo

Systems
 The objective command to servo system is obtained
correctly before control in many cases.
 For example, the element size, setting method, etc. of operation object of robot 
or process object of working machine can be completely known before starting 
the desired operation.  Also, the motion velocity as objective command at this 
time is also definitely determined. 
 Therefore, the tract information necessary for motion is known before starting 
control.
 In addition, it can be supposed that external disturbance is mixed into the 
control system.
 When the mixed disturbance over the supposition, concerning the safety of 
equipment, the motion of control system should be stopped and the power source 
for driving should be isolated as far as possible. That is to say, the motor must be 
selected from the clearly discussed results on the necessary maximal torque for 
executing operation. Therefore, the size of continuously mixed disturbance must be 
below the continuous rated torque of motor.
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 Control structure of Servo
Systems
 In many servo systems, a feedback system can be only
established based on the information of servo actuator, but not
according to the information of each moveable tip or motion tip.
 It means that, the detector of position and velocity in the opposite
load side of motor (side without load) is installed and then the
feedback system of actuator control is resembled by the obtained
information.
 This kind of control system is called
a semi-closed loop. Generally, it is
very difficult to construct the
feedback system by motion tip (end
effector) information in many
mechanism machines.
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Control structure of Servo

Systems
 The structure of a full-closed loop on the feedback of moveable
tip information adopted in some parts is shown in Fig. In
addition, almost all mechanic structures of industrial six-
freedom degree robots are semi-closed loop.
Position
controller

feedback

Fig. Structure of industrial servo system

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 Control structure of Servo
Systems
 The data regarded as objective reference input to
servo system from the upper control device, such as
computer or special control, should be given according
to the designated period (designated time interval).
 Therefore, the reference input for servo system is described with
the form of a velocity command.
o The period of this command or time interval is called as the
system clock of the servo system in the controller or servo data
rate of the controller.
 Since this reference time interval is selected based on the
property of the servo system dependent on the mechanism part
structure and related with the capability of control devise, its
value represents the synthetic performance of a machine.
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Issues in Mechatronic DC
Servo Systems
 Issues in Mechatronic Servo Systems

1. Modeling of a mechatronic servo system.
2. Performance of one axis in a mechatronic servo system.
3. Performance of multiple axes in a mechatronic servo 
system.
4. Command to servo system (velocity or displacement)

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 Modelling a Simple DC Servo
Motor System
 The simplest form of servo – the direct current (DC)
position control servomechanism.
The basic form of a DC servo system is made of an electric
motor with an output shaft that has an inertial load J on it,
and friction in the bearings of the motor and load
(represented by the constant b) as shown in Fig.
R L
B
i
ea eb T J


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Modelling a Simple DC Servo

Motor System
 Governing equation
 Time domain S-Domain
Electrical system
𝒅𝒊 𝑬𝒂 𝒔 𝑹 𝑳 .𝒔 𝑰 𝒔
𝒆𝒂 𝒆𝒃 𝒊𝑹 𝑳
𝒅𝒕
𝒆𝒃 𝒌𝒃 𝝎 𝑬𝒑 𝒔 𝑲𝒃 . 𝜴 𝒔
Mechanical system
𝑻 𝒕 𝒌𝒕 . 𝒊 𝑻𝐦 𝐬 𝒌𝑻 . 𝑰𝒂 (s)
𝑱𝝎 𝒃 𝝎= 𝑻 𝒕 (J s 𝒃 𝜴 𝒔 =𝑻 𝒔
𝝎 𝜽 𝝎 𝒔𝜽 𝒔
 Where θ is the angular position of the servo output shaft.
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 Modelling a Simple DC Servo
Motor System
 The block diagram of the system is
𝐸 1 𝐼 𝑇 1 Ω 1 𝜃
𝐾
+ 𝐿𝑠 𝑅 (𝐽 s 𝑏 𝑠
-
𝐾
 The transfer function Ω(s)/Ea(s) can be obtained by 
eliminating l(s) from the equations and is given by
1 𝐾
𝐸 𝐿𝑠 𝑅 (𝐽 s 𝑏 Ω
1 𝐾
1 𝐾
𝐿𝑠 𝑅 (𝐽 s 𝑏
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Modelling a Simple DC Servo

Motor System
 The control objective is to control
the shaft position θ or
the shaft velocity 𝜔 to be some desire value
 Transfer function
Ω 𝐬 𝐾
𝐸 𝐬 𝐿 𝐽
𝑅𝑏 𝑠 1 𝑠 1 𝐾 𝐾
𝑅 𝑏
 The inertia divided by the friction coefficient is referred to
as the mech system time constant τ , where τ =
 The inductance divided by the resistance is referred to as
the electrical system time constant τ , where τ
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 Modelling a Simple DC Servo
Motor System
 Normally the armature inductance L is very small and may
be neglected.
Ω 𝐬 𝐾
𝐸 𝐬 𝐽
𝑅𝑏 𝑠 1 𝐾 𝐾
𝑏
Ω s K
E s Rb τ s 1 K K
Ω s K
E s Rbτ s Rb K K

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Modelling a Simple DC Servo

Motor System
K K
Ω s Rb K K Rb K K
E s Rb Rb 𝐽
τ s 1 s 1
Rb K K Rb K K 𝑏
𝜴 𝒔 𝑲𝑺𝒎
𝑬𝒂 𝒔 (𝝉𝐒𝐦 s 𝟏
 It is the most simple approximation 1st order system in
control system.
 Where,
𝐾 , is the servomotor gain
𝜏 , is the servomotor time constant.
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 Modelling a Simple DC Servo
Motor System
 The transfer function of the servo motor.
𝛺 s K
𝐸 s (𝜏 s 1
 This model is a good approximation for the servo
motor dynamics
The linear models given here are the basis of the design of
servo controllers.
A real servo however has non-linear components that
influence its dynamic behaviour.
The main nonlinearities are Coulomb friction in the moving
parts and the dead zone and saturation in the motor input
amplifier.
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Modelling a Simple DC Servo

Motor System
 The transfer function model can be decomposed into
the transfer function from the motor input to the
motor speed, and the transfer function from the motor
speed 𝝎(s)to the output shaft position 𝜽 𝒔 .
𝜃 s K
𝐸 s 𝑠 (𝜏 𝑠 1
The linear models given above are the basis of the design of
servo controllers. A real servo however has non-linear
components that influence its dynamic behaviour.
The main nonlinearities are Coulomb friction in the moving
parts and the dead zone and saturation in the motor input
amplifier.
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 Modelling a Simple DC Servo
Motor System
 An important job for the control systems analyst is to
know how to measure the values of the gains 𝐾 and
the time constant 𝜏 .
 Assume, a Servo motor system has been designed to
give a gain of one between the motor input and the
motor speed, and an approximate gain of 𝐾 =2
between the measured speed and the measured shaft
position.
 The nominal value of the time constant is 𝜏 1.5
sec.

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