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I want a servo motor to move/rotate a set distance and hold position (bear weight:which for my uses would be minimal) and then when power isn't applied/cut-off it drives back to original position. I'm trying to do this with a minimal amount of equipment. How could I go about doing this?

Brad Wilson
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  • If power is cut-off, how can you expect it to "drive back to the original position". Even with springs to pull it back, stiction will make a significant error. You need power to drive it back accurately. – Andy aka Aug 30 '15 at 22:57
  • @Andyaka The original position can be defined by a mechanical stop. – Nick Alexeev Aug 30 '15 at 23:02
  • @NickAlexeev my comment is a challenge to the OP to think about what he's saying in terms of "no power" and "accuracy". – Andy aka Aug 30 '15 at 23:26
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    possible duplicate of [Braking a DC brushed motor](http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/16654/braking-a-dc-brushed-motor) – Mark Booth Sep 01 '15 at 15:58

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This sounds more like an application for a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator than a servo motor. A bleed valve could open when power is lost, allowing the load to return to the original position, under gravity, in a controlled way.

Having said that, if the load isn't too heavy, you might be able to use electrical braking. For more details than I can provide, see Russell McMahon's excellent answer to Braking a DC brushed motor

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Mark Booth
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