i

Principles of AC, DC, Linear, Step, and

Servo Motors

AC STEP
DC

Brian Rhoney
Chad Zimmer
Derek Murr

MAE 789 C
May 8th, 2000

© 2000 MAE 732 Shih

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 2

DC MOTORS .................................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION TO DC MOTORS ...................................................................................... 3
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ................................................................................................ 3
DC MOTOR CHARACTERISTICS........................................................................................ 5
TYPES OF DC MOTORS .................................................................................................... 5
Permanent-magnet motors.......................................................................................... 6
Series-wound motors................................................................................................... 6
Shunt-wound motors ................................................................................................... 7
Compound-wound motors........................................................................................... 8
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 8
AC MOTORS .................................................................................................................... 9
INTRODUCTION TO AC MOTORS ...................................................................................... 9
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION .............................................................................................. 9
TYPES OF AC MOTORS .................................................................................................. 10
Series AC Motors ...................................................................................................... 10
Synchronous AC Motor............................................................................................. 11
Induction AC Motors................................................................................................. 12
LINEAR MOTORS ........................................................................................................ 13
FORCES PRODUCED ........................................................................................................ 13
GEOMETRY OF LINEAR MOTORS .................................................................................... 14
LINEAR SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS ................................................................................... 15
DC LINEAR MOTORS ...................................................................................................... 15
STEP MOTORS.............................................................................................................. 17
INTRODUCTION TO STEP MOTORS .................................................................................. 17
TYPES OF STEP MOTORS AND HOW THEY WORK ............................................................ 18
VR Motor................................................................................................................... 18
PM MOTOR.................................................................................................................... 19
HYBRID MOTOR ............................................................................................................. 20
SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 21
SERVO MOTORS .......................................................................................................... 22
SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 22
REFERENCES................................................................................................................ 23
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DC Motors
Introduction to DC Motors
A direct-current motor is a device for converting dc electrical energy into rotating
mechanical energy. This process can be reversed, as in a dc generator, to convert
mechanical to electrical power. Direct-current equipment lends itself to automatic
processes, by giving automated machinery controllable, adjustable speeds, high starting
torques, as well as responsive braking. The easy of control and high torque capability
makes the DC motor attractive for many machinery applications.

All motors, weather AC or DC power line, have several basic characteristics in common.
They include:
1) a stator, which is the frame and other stationary components (provides the fixed
magnetic field, could be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet);
2) a rotor or armature, which is the rotating shaft and its associated parts (many
coils of wire are wound on a cylindrical shaft);
3) auxiliary equipment, such as a brush/commutator assembly for DC motors and a
starting circuit for AC motors

Principle of Operation
The basic principle that drives the DC motor is Faraday’s Law; which states that
electrical current is produced when there is relative motion between a conductor and
magnetic field(4). Of course the law is stated for a
generator, however the opposite is also true, motion is
produced when a current carrying wire is in the
presence of magnetic field. The motion is determined
by two factors, the direction of the current and the
direction of the magnetic field. The right-hand rule for
motors is used when determining the direction of the
motion. As shown in Figure 1, extend the thumb,
forefinger, and middle finger of your right hand so they
are at right angles to each other.

If the forefinger is pointed in the direction of magnetic

flux (north to south) and the middle finger is
pointed in the direction of current flow in the Figure 1: Right-hand rule for
conductor, the thumb will point in the direction the motors (1)
conductor will move. Again keep in mind the opposite
is true for a generator. If the wire is moved up and
down in the magnetic flux then a current is generated. The magnetic flux is provided by
the by the housing, or the stator. The wire is represented by the rotor or armature, which
has windings wrapped around it in a specified orientation(1).

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Notice that if the current is reversed then the motion of the wire is in the opposite
direction, according to the right-hand rule. This is the basic principle that causes the
rotation of the rotor.

The loop of wire in the dc motor, however, has current flowing through it from an
external source. This current causes a magnetic field to be produced. This field is
indicated by the dotted line through the loops, Figure 2a. The loop (armature) field is
both attracted and repelled by the field from the field poles (stator). Since the current
through the loop goes around in the direction of the arrows, the north pole of the armature
is at the upper left, and the south pole of the armature is at the lower right.

Figure 2: Diagram of armature rotation (1)

Of course, as the loop (armature) turns, these magnetic poles turn with it, Figure 2b.
Now, as shown in the illustrations, the north armature pole is repelled from the north field
pole and attracted to the right by the south field pole. Likewise, the south armature pole is
repelled from the south field pole and is attracted to the left by the north field pole. This
action causes the armature to turn in a clockwise direction.

After the loop has turned far enough so that its north pole is exactly opposite the south
field pole, the brushes advance to the next segments. This changes the direction of current
flow through the armature loop. Also, it changes the polarity of the armature field, as
shown in Figure 2c. The magnetic fields again repel and attract each other, and the
armature continues to turn(1).

In a dc motor, there is always a counter emf developed. This counter emf cannot be equal
to or greater than the applied battery voltage; if it were, the motor would not run. The
counter emf is always a little less(1). However, the counter emf opposes the applied
voltage enough to keep the armature current from the battery to a fairly low value. If
there were no such thing as counter emf, much more current would flow through the
armature, and the motor would run much faster. However, there is no way to avoid the
counter emf.

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DC Motor Characteristics
Motors that operate from DC power sources have many applications where speed control
is desirable. They can be categorized into three major sectors series, shunt, or compound
machines, depending on the method of connecting the armature and field windings.
Permanent magnet DC motors are also used for certain applications.

The amount of mechanical load applied to the shaft of a motor determines its operational
characteristics. As the mechanical load is increased, the speed of a motor tends to
decrease. As speed decreases, the voltage induced into the conductors of the motor due
to generator action decreases, which depends on the number of rotating conductors and
the speed of rotation. However the working (supply) voltage increases, thus more current
will flow through the armature windings. Since the torque of a motor is directly
proportional to the armature current, the torque will increase as the armature current
increases. The opposite of the above is true if the mechanical load is decreased.

The most desirable characteristic of DC motors is their speed-control capability. By

varying the applied voltage with a rheostat (variable resistor), speed can be varied from
zero to the maximum rpm of the motor. The increments of rpm depend of the steps of the
rheostat.

Types of DC Motors
There are four basic types of commercially availed motors:
1) permanent-magnet motors
2) series-wound motors
3) shunt-wound motors
4) compound-wound motors

The armature or rotor is a common component of all of the motors including AC motors.
Most use a drum-like armature as shown in the figure below. This configuration allows
the coil windings on the armature to be efficiently introduced to the magnetic field. The
windings are held in place by insulators, shown in the diagram as wedges.

Figure 3: Schematic of drum armature (1)

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Since most of the armatures in these motors are the same, they are often categorized by
how the field poles are magnetized and wired. It is important to understand how the
different fields are generated and the pros and cons of each.

Permanent-magnet motors
This type motor is often used for low-torque applications. When this type of motor is
used, the dc power supply is connected directly to the armature conductors through the
brush/commutator assembly, Figure 4. The magnetic field is produced by permanent
magnets mounted on the stator. The rotor of permanent magnet is a wound armature.

The permanent-magnet motor has several advantages over conventional types of dc

motors. One is the reduction in cost; these motors are cheaper than conventional dc
motors. The speed characteristics of the permanent-magnet motor are similar to those of
the shunt-wound motor. One of the most common permanent magnet motors is the gear
motor, Figure 5. They have the advantage of offering the rotation perpendicular to the
rotation of the motor.

Figure 5: Picture of
Figure 4: Diagram of permanent magnet DC
permanent magnet DC gear motor (4)
motor (5)

Series-wound motors
The manner in which the armature and circuit
field circuits of a dc motor are connected
determines its basic characteristics. This is true
for the series-wound motor, which has the
armature and field circuit wired in series, as
shown in Figure 6. There is only one path for
the current to flow from the DC voltage source.
Therefore, the field is wound of relatively few
turns of large diameter wire, giving the field a
low resistance. Changes in the mechanical load
applied to the shaft causes changes in the
current through the field. If the load increases, Figure 6: Diagram of series-wound DC
motor (5)

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the current also increases, which creates a stronger magnetic field. The motor’s speed
varies from very fast at no load to very slow at heavy loads.

Since large currents may flow through the low-resistance field, the series motor produces
a high-torque output. Thus they are ideal for heavy load applications where speed
regulation in not important, such as an automobile starter motor. Large series-wound
motors should never be ran under no-load, due to runaway tendency if the motor at no
load. The high speed will often cause damage to the brushes or commutator. However,
small series-would motors have enough internal friction to keep from being concerned of
this problem. Other common applications for this type motor are hand tools (drills, saws,
etc), kitchen appliances (blenders, mixers, etc), and in winches and hoists. Another
advantage of the series-wound configuration is that they can be operate under both dc and
ac power supply.

Shunt-wound motors
Shunt-wound motors are more commonly used than any other type of dc motor. In this
configuration the armature and field coils are wired in parallel, Figure 7. The field coils,
which are wound with many turns of small-diameter wire, have a relatively high
resistance. Due to the fact that this high resistive field is in parallel with the armature,
very low current will pass through the field coils. Most of the current, about 95%, drawn
by the shunt motor flows through the armature circuit.

You may be wondering what causes

the field coils to have their magnetic
properties with such little current
flowing through them. It is
important to remember the properties
that control the magnetic field
produced by the electromagnet. The
field can be increased by either the
current flow through the conductor
or by the turn of turns of wire around
the conductor. Due to the large
number of wire turns that form the
field windings, a large magnetic field
is produced.

Placing a variable resistance in series Figure 7: Diagram of shunt-wound DC motor (5)

with the field windings can vary the
field current. As the resistances
increases, field current will decrease,
which reduces the strength of the electromagnetic field. When the field flux is decreased
the armature will rotate faster, due to the reduced magnetic-field interaction, and vise
versa. Therefore, using a field rheostat makes it easy to vary the speed of the shunt
motor.

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The shunt-wound motor has good speed control, but speed does decrease slightly when
the load increases. This reduction in speed is not a major concern and the decrease is
very slight. Do to the shunt-motor’s excellent speed control and low resistance to vary
speed versus load; it is commonly used for industrial applications, such as machine tools.

Compound-wound motors
The compound-wound motor has two sets of field windings, one in series with the
armature and one in parallel. It combines the desired characteristics of the series and
shunt-wound motors into one motor. There are two methods of connecting compound
motors: cumulative and differential. A cumulative compound motor has series and shunt
fields that aid each other, while in differential compound motor they oppose each other.
The two types vary in torque and speed in a different manner when the armature current
is increased. However, both have the high torque characteristics of the series motor,
while maintaining the speed control of the shunt motor. The only true disadvantage of
this motor is the expense (4). A compound motor is much more expensive than any of
the previously mentioned DC motors.

Figure 8: Diagram of compound-wound DC motor (5)

Summary
• Permanent-magnet dc motors – inexpensive motor with good speed control but
with low torque
• Series-wound dc motors – high torque but changes in load dramatically change
the rotational speed
• Shunt-wound dc motors – good speed regulation with slight variations with a
changing load, good overall more (widely used in industry)
• Compound-wound motors – has the best characteristics of both the series and
shunt-wound motors, but is very expensive

© 2000 MAE 732 Shih

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AC Motors

Introduction to AC Motors
AC motors utilize either monophase or polyphase alternating current as their power
source as opposed to the direct current of DC motors. AC motors are widely used and
preferred over DC motors due to the wide availability of AC power. Virtually every
country in the world produces AC power in their power plants. AC motors are well suited
for applications where constant speed is desired. The speed of the AC motor is dependent
on the frequency of the current applied to its terminals so some sort of controller is
required to alter its operating speed and this can be varied only within certain limits.

Principles of Operation
Most AC motors rely on the principle of rotating magnetic electric fields in order to
operate. The magnetic field in the stator rotates, causing the rotor to turn in both
synchronous and induction types of AC motors. The magnetic field in the rotor, chases
the electrically induced rotating magnetic field in the stator by being attracted and
repelled by it. This rotating magnetic field causes a torque to be produced on the rotor
and causes it to turn.

The rotating magnetic field of the stator is created by placing poles that are at angles to
each other that are equal to the phase angle between the individual phases of the applied
voltage. (1) This principle can be easily demonstrated with a two-phase motor.

In a two-phase induction motor, the stator is made up of two windings. These windings
are placed at right angles to each other.

Figure 9: Two-phase
motor stator (1)

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If the voltages applied to phases 1-1A and 2-2A are 90° out of phase, the currents that
flow in the phases are displaced from each other by 90°. Since the magnetic
fields generated in the coils are in phase with their respective currents, the magnetic
fields are also 90° out of phase with each other. These two out-of-phase magnetic
fields, whose coil axes are at right angles to each other, add together at every instant
during their cycle. They produce a resultant field that rotates one revolution for
each cycle of ac. (1)

Types of AC Motors
There are three basic types of AC motors that are widely used:

1) series motors
2) synchronous motors
3) induction motors

Series AC Motors
A series AC motor, sometimes termed a universal motor, is the only type of motor that
can be powered by either AC or DC. The construction of this motor is very much the
same as that of a series-wound DC motor. The only differences are the special metals,
laminations, and windings that are used.

The series motor operates due to the instantaneous change of both field and armature
polarities. The reversals of current direction through the armature conductors are created
at the proper time intervals by the reversals of field polarity brought about by the
changing nature of alternating current. The speed and torque characteristics of series
motors are similar to those of DC series-wound motors. Applications of series motors
include portable tools, mixers, blenders, and electric drills.

Figure 10: Series AC Motor

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Synchronous AC Motor
Synchronous motors are able to run at a constant speed under any load condition. The
synchronous motor operates when three-phase AC power causes a strong magnetic field
to be set up around the rotor. The rotor is energized by DC that causes it to be attracted to
the rotating magnetic field of the stator. This produces a high torque as the rotor turns in
step with the rotating magnetic field of the stator.

A major disadvantage of the synchronous motor is the fact it possesses no starting torque.
This is due to the fact that when it is first started, the rotating magnetic field in the stator
rushes by the rotor so fast that it is repelled first in one direction and then the other. This
problem is dealt with in one of two ways.

One solution to this problem is to spin the synchronous motor up to speed with a DC
motor which is connected to the output shaft. Once the motor is up to speed, then it can
continue at a constant speed under its own power. Another solution is to add a squirrel-
cage type of winding to the rotor. The windings of this are composed of heavy copper
bars that are shorted together. A low voltage and high current are induced in the windings
by the rotating magnetic field in the stator. This creates a magnetic field in the rotor
which is attracted to that of the stator. This causes the rotor to begin rotation. This
process continues until the motor reaches near synchronous speeds, at which time the
rotor is energized with DC power and normal operation begins.

Figure 11: Squirrel-cage synchronous motor (1)

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Induction AC Motors
Induction AC motors are the simplest type of AC motors and are therefore the most
commonly used. This is due to the fact that they are simple and rugged and consequently
are cheap to manufacture. They also have lower operating costs due to the fact that the
rotor does not have to be connected to an external voltage source.

Figure 12: Induction AC motor

Since the rotor is not externally energized, the magnetic field must be induced. AC
voltages are induced in the rotor circuit by the rotating magnetic field of the stator.
Stator construction of induction motors are nearly identical to those of synchronous
motors but rotor construction is very different. The rotor of an induction motor is a
slotted laminated cylinder. There are windings in the slots of two major types. One is the
squirrel-cage winding which consists of heavy copper bars connected at each end with a
metal ring. The other is a wound rotor that consists of actual coils placed in the rotor
slots. Applications for induction motors consist of washing machines, refrigerator
compressors, bench grinders, and table saws.

Figure 13: Different types of rotors for

induction AC motors

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Linear Motors
Linear motors are increasingly popular solutions for
today's automation applications. Driving this rise in
popularity are application advantages inherent in linear
motor systems. When compared to more traditional
mechanical systems, some advantages of linear motors
include significantly improved throughput, system
accuracy and system life. These systems, Figure 14,
are slim lined and extremely versatile.

The linear motor works under the process as does its

counterpart the rotary motor. By an imaginary process,
this device can be transformed into a linear motor is the
stator is cut open and unrolled, Figure 15. Also a
conducting sheet of plate replaces the rotor. The flat Figure 14: Picture of Various
plate rotor is referred to as the secondary and the types of linear motors (2)
unrolled stator is the primary. However now the
primary has a beginning and an end, which was not a problem when the stator was
circular. This creates a phenomenon called end or edge effects, which creates a few
problems (2).

Figure 15: Imaginary process of unrolling a conventional motor to obtain a

linear induction motor (3)

It is true that for almost every type of rotary machine there is a corresponding type of
linear electric machine (LEM). However the two most important are the linear induction
and linear synchronous motors, LIM and LSM respectively.

Forces Produced
LEM’s develop two mutually perpendicular forces, one in the direction of motion and the
other normal to the direction of motion. The normal force may be an attraction or a
repulsion force between the primary and secondary. A machine in which the net force is
such that the secondary tends to be suspended over the primary may be used mainly for
suspension and called a linear levitation machine (LLM). Conversely, a machine used
primarily for producing thrust is called a linear motor (2). Both LIM’s and LSM’s may
be used a levitation or as linear motors.

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Geometry of Linear Motors

So far we have discussed the linear motor by laying the stator flat and replacing the rotor
with a flat plate. Figure 16, shows how the stator of a normal rotary machine is
polarized with north and south poles of the magnets alternated around the hoop. The
same is true for the linear motor, except in a straight line.

Figure 16: Magnetic Positions of both the linear and tubular

motors (3)

However the major problem with this type of layout is the side effects. The magnetic
field has an edge effect, thus the flat plate (armature) would want to move side to side.
Therefore secondary must be constrained perpendicular to the direction of travel. This is
not a desired characteristic for high-speed applications due to frictional losses. One
design is the tubular linear motor.

Figure 16, shows how the magnetic plates would be orientated in the tubular
construction. The armature would also be cylindrical and would be placed around the
primary with an air gap between the two. This would provide a magnetic field to
surround the primary. Thus, there is no end effect and the secondary need not be
supported. However, now the motion is restricted in the side-to-side motion, but a
rotational freedom has been introduced. Figure 17, shows the expected speeds that can
be reached by the tubular linear motor. Notice travel can be 1.46meters and the speed
can be up to 4.2m/s.

Figure 17: Speeds and acceleration data for some tubular linear motors (2)
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Linear Synchronous Motors

A linear synchronous motor (LSM) is the linear counterpart of the rotary synchronous
motor. The armature winding of the motor is located in a laminated magnetic core
installed along the quideway and is fed, section by section from rectifier-inverter power
stations. The frequency and phase of inverter voltage are controlled according to the field
winding (located on the moving part) position with respect to the armature axis. From
this point of view the LSM power conditioning and control unit resembles that used for
rotary synchronous motors. The armature magnetic core is used for levitation. This limits
the amount of power which is transferred to the load (the thing that is being moved). This
leads to a mass reduction due to the fewer windings that are needed. This gives the
system lower power consumption and better dynamic operating characteristics. (6)

Figure 18: Linear synchronous motor

DC linear Motors
The main proposed purpose for DC linear motors has been for short-stroke applications.
They use a mild steel core of circular cross section with a single-layer surface winding to
form the primary (armature). (3)

This provides a normal and thrust force. The thrust force is in both directions, in the
direction of travel and opposite of travel. However, the force in the travel direction is
greater and causes the secondary to move. The circular construction causes the
secondary to be equally supported in the normal direction.

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The obvious undesirable features of the DCLM is the presence of a wound armature and
brushes, although for very small displacements brushes are not needed. The armature
current-carrying conductors placed in a DC magnetic field produce the output thrust and
displacement. The armature is the stationary member and the field unit is movable, refer
to Figure 19. A single-layer winding of the enameled copper wire is bounded to the
surface of a mild steel core. The outer face of the winding is machined to expose the

Figure 19: Design of a Tubular DC linear motor

copper to provide an extended linear commutator. Current is fed into the armature by
brushes attached to the field unit. The excited main field winding establishes the flux in
the armature core. Circumferential current in the armature windings cuts orthogonaly the
air gap radial flux at each pole, thereby producing an axial force.

The cylindrical symmetry of the DCLM offers a number of advantages, such as the
absence of end turns and complete unitization of the armature winding between the
brushes. Also a uniform gap, resulting in the neutralization of the attraction force
between the armature and the field unit.

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Step Motors

Introduction to Step Motors

A step motor is a device that processes digital signals in order to obtain a specific angular
displacement. As the name implies, the motor accomplishes its displacement by rotating
in steps. Each signal input into the motor results in the incremental rotation of the rotor.

Figure 20: Visual description of signal vs. step relation

Step motors are used in applications where precise angular location of the shaft is
necessary. Each incremental step passes through a predetermined angle determined by
the number of signals input into the motor. Therefore, counting the number of pulses
input into the motor determines the angular location on the rotor. This eliminates the
need for a closed loop system for operation of the motor. Accurate operation of step
motors using open loop control is their distinguishing trait.

Another trait of step motors is their ability to hold their position between steps without
the use of brakes or clutches. Step motors are able to achieve rotation through precise
angles and then hold their position and accompanying load time after time.

Some step motors can perform half steps, which allow them to double their number of
steps for every revolution resulting in better precision.

Figure 21: Visual description of accuracy accomplished using half steps

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Types of Step Motors and how they work

Step motors are electromagnetic rotary actuator that mechanically converts digital pulses
into incremental shaft rotations. The number of pulses input into motors is directly
proportional to the number of steps taken by the motor, thus determining the amount of
rotation. The frequency of the pulses also determines the speed at which the shaft rotates.

There are three types of stepping motors. Each accomplishes the same tasks in similar
manners but use slightly different components. The variable-reluctance, VR, permanent
magnet, PM and hybrid motor are the three different stepping motor types.

VR Motor
VR motors are comprised of two main parts, the rotor and stator. The rotor and stator are
free of magnetic charge when the motor is not being used. This enables the motor to be
“freewheeled”, which is a term that describes its ability to be spun with no resistance
other than friction from bearings. Freewheeling is possible only with VR stepping
motors.

Figure 22: Schematic of a variable reluctance stepping motor

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When current is passed through the wire labeled A, a magnetic field is generated. The
field passes through the rotor and the stator, creating a magnetic attraction between the
rotor and stator. In the figure above, the passing of current through wire A resulted in the
magnetic attraction between the rotor and stator, thus orienting the rotor as seen above.

For the motor to increment one step further, wire A would be deenergized and current
would be passed though wire C. This would result in the rotor rotating clockwise and
stopping when the blade of the rotor was in line with the magnetic field induced in pole
C.

These energizing and deenergizing of poles result in the incremental steps produced in a
variable reluctance stepping motor.

PM Motor

Permanent magnet stepping motors are also comprised of a rotor and stator but the rotors
in these motors carry a permanent magnetic charge. These motors cannot be freewheeled
due to the rotor’s magnetic charge. Another distinguishing characteristic of PM motors is
their rotor. The rotor of the PM motor has no teeth unlike the other stepping motors. The
permanent magnetic field that the rotor contains eliminates the need for teeth.

Figure 23: Schematic of a permanent magnet stepping motor

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By passing current through wires A and C, magnetic fields are produced that, depending
on the direction of current flow, attract the poles of the rotor to the position you see
above. When A and C are deenergized and B and D are energized, the rotor rotates 90
degrees. The figure above could be used to also describe half steps. If wires A B C and
D were energized, then the rotor would rotate only 45 degrees instead of 90.

Compared to a VR motor of the same size, a PM motor produces much more torque
during rotation.

Hybrid Motor

A hybrid stepping motor has characteristics of both PM and VR motors. In a hybrid

motor the rotor is a permanent magnet but it has blades like VR motors. The result is a
motor that has very high torque and very small, precise step increments.

Figure 24: Schematic of a hybrid stepping motor

The hybrid stepping motor achieves its small incremental steps using misaligned teeth on
the rotor and stator. Since the teeth are misaligned, when the poles are energized the

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rotor makes small steps. In contrast, if the poles and teeth were aligned perfectly, when
poles are energized the rotor would rotate in the amount of one complete tooth pitch.

Another method of achieving greater precision used in hybrid motors is the addition of
rotor teeth that are offset from the first set of teeth. By offsetting the second set of teeth,
the amount of rotation in each step of the rotor will decrease by 50%, doubling the
precision of the motor.

Figure 25: Cutaway view of a hybrid two phase stepping motor

Summary

• VR motors are the most basic types of stepping motors. They produce little
torque but are able to freewheel.
• PM motors produce larger amounts of torque but have little precision.
• Hybrid motors have both high torque and excellent precision.

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Servo Motors
A servo motor is an AC or DC powered motor that uses feedback and controllers to
achieve a specific angular location. Servo motors can achieve the same levels of
accuracy as stepping motors, but must use a closed loop feedback system whereas
stepping motors operate using open loop systems.

Figure 26: Servo motor showing ports for feedback control

A characteristic of servo motors that is appealing is their speed. When comparing servo
motor speed to stepping motor speed, the servo motors are much faster. Their speed
offsets their greater costs due to the control system that must accompany them.

Without the use of an accompanying control system, servo motors would have very little
precision, which is their only drawback.

Summary

• Servo motors use closed loop feedback systems

• Servo systems are more expensive than stepping motor systems due to the need
for a controller
• Servo motors achieve their desired location faster than stepping motors

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References

1) Integrated Publishing 1998: http://www.tpub.com/neets/book5/index.htm

2) Gieras, Jacek and Piech. Linear Synchronous Motors Transportation and Automation
Systems. CRC Press. Washington, DC: 2000.

3) Nasar, S and Boldea. Linear Motion Electric Machines. Wiley-Interscience

Publication. New York, New York: 1976.

4) Patrick, Dale and Fardo. Rotating Electrical Machines and Power Systems. 2ed Ed.
The Fairmont Press, Inc. Lilburn, Ga: 1997.

5) Traister, John. Handbook of Electric Motors: Use and Repair. The Fairmont Press,
Inc. Lilburn, Ga: 1992.

6) Bolder & Nasar. Linear Motion Electromagnetic Systems. John Wiley & Sons, NY,
NY: 1985

7) Kenjo & Sugawara. Stepping Motors and Their Microprocessor Controls. Oxford
Science Publications, NY, NY: 1994

8) Crowder, Richard. Electric Drivers and Their Controls. Oxford Science Publications,
NY, NY: 1994

9)Kuo, Benjamin. Theory and Applications of Step Motors. West Publishing Co. NY,
NY: 1974

10) http://www-brazos.rice.edu/elec201/motors.html

© 2000 MAE 732 Shih