A comprehensive explanation of self-control servo gimbal

It mainly involves the selection of a suitable servo, the design of the gimbal structure, the writing of control code, and the assembly and debugging. Here's a detailed production process:

One. Preparation of materials

1. Servo:

Usually at least two servos are required, one to control the left and right rotation of the gimbal, and the other to control the up and down tilt of the gimbal. Let's take a simple PWM servo as an example: DS-S006M nine-gram copper-toothed servo (if possible, it can also be on the bus servo, with high-precision magnetic encoded sensor, it can do closed-loop control, angle fine-tuning, and higher accuracy).

Pay attention to the torque and speed of the servo to ensure that it can meet the movement needs of the gimbal.

Servo Selection:

(1) Torque: Make sure the torque of the selected servo is large enough to support the weight of the gimbal and its load (such as the camera).

(2) Speed: Although speed is not the deciding factor, a faster response speed can provide a smoother control experience.

(3) Accuracy: If possible, choose a servo with a high-precision magnetic encoder to improve the accuracy of angle control.

2. Control board:

Microcontrollers such as Arduino and ESP32 can be used as control boards, which have rich peripheral interfaces and powerful control capabilities. You'll also need to install the appropriate development environment and libraries to write and upload control code.

3. Power supply:

Choose the right power supply according to the power requirements of the servo and control board. For small servos such as the DS-S006M nine-gram copper-tooth servos, a 5V or 6V DC power supply can usually be used. Use a regulated power supply to ensure stable voltage and avoid fluctuations affecting the performance of the servo and control board.

4. Other materials:

Brackets and connectors: used to fix the servo and build the gimbal structure.

Screws and nuts: used to secure individual parts.

Wire: used to connect the servo and the control board.

Second.the gimbal structure design

1. Determine the size and shape of the gimbal:

Design the size and shape of the gimbal according to the actual needs to ensure that it can stably support the camera or other loads. Design to ensure that the center of gravity of the gimbal is located near the center of the axis of rotation to reduce vibration and instability. If necessary, consider adding counterweights to adjust the center of gravity.

2. Design the rotating mechanism:

The output shaft and gear system of the servo are used to build a rotation mechanism to realize the left and right rotation and up-and-down tilt of the gimbal.

Pay attention to the design of reasonable transmission ratio and gear clearance to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the movement. It is advisable to use mechanical elements such as gears, bearings, or slides to optimize transmission efficiency and reduce friction. The design takes into account the adjustment of the gear ratio in order to find the best balance between speed and torque.

3. Fixed bracket:

Design and fabricate a fixing bracket to secure the servo to the gimbal and ensure a strong and reliable connection between the various components.

In terms of material selection, lightweight but strong materials such as aluminum alloy or carbon fiber are used to reduce weight and enhance stability.

3D printed parts can be used for rapid prototyping and testing of different designs.

Three. Write control code

1. Initialize the servo:

Initialize the servo in the code, set its control pins and initial angle.

2. Write control logic:

Write the control logic according to the actual needs to realize the left-right rotation and up-and-down tilt functions of the gimbal.

You can use loop statements and delay functions to control the speed and range of the servo's motion.

(1) Library file:

Leveraging existing servo control libraries, such as Arduino's Servo library, can greatly simplify the process of writing code.

If you use custom or special types of servos, you may need to write or modify library files to suit their communication protocols and control patterns.

(2) Control algorithm:

Consider implementing a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control algorithm to optimize the position control and response speed of the servo.

Use sensors, such as gyroscopes or accelerometers, for more advanced stabilization and stabilization

3. Debugging and optimization:

The control code is continuously debugged and optimized in the actual test to ensure the stability and reliability of the gimbal.

Fourth, assembly and commissioning

1. Assemble the gimbal:

The individual components are assembled according to the designed structure to ensure that all connections are strong and reliable.

Connecting the power supply and control board:

Connect the power supply to the control board and servo to make sure the circuitry is connected correctly.

2. Upload the control code:

Upload the written control code to the dashboard and check if it works properly.

3. Test the gimbal function:

(1) Before the actual test, a software simulation or static test is carried out to verify the correctness of the control code.

(2) Test the function of the gimbal through the control board or remote control, including left and right rotation and up and down tilt.

(3) Observe whether the movement of the gimbal is smooth and accurate, and adjust and optimize it as needed. Observe and record any abnormal behavior of the gimbal during movement (such as vibration, stuttering, or drifting), and adjust and optimize accordingly.

With the above steps, you can use the rudder mechanism to make a simple gimbal. Of course, according to different actual needs, you can also further improve and expand the gimbal, optimize the algorithm and execution logic; There are also added features: such as adding anti-shake function, adding more servos for more complex movements, etc. Congratulations to all of you for making a stable, reliable, and feature-rich gimbal system. Learn more about the application knowledge of servos, and pay attention to "Desheng servo".