Portescap in Motion

Controlling Brushed DC Motors with Pulsed-width Modulation (PWM)

The enduring popularity of coreless brushed DC motors comes from a combination of their simplicity of design, fast transient responses, negligible iron losses and ease of control. With speed proportional to applied voltage, the motor can be simply driven using a continuous linear regulation power supply. But is this always the best solution?

How Encoders Provide Motor Speed and Position Control 

In many mechanical systems, precise motion hinges upon effective monitoring and control of the motor. Encoders make motion control possible by sensing the motor’s speed and position and sending feedback signals to control components. Two square waves, or channels, shifted 90 electrical degrees from each other, along with an optional index pulse that occurs once per revolution, encode the angular position data.