Stepper motors vs. servos.

[po2le]

Can stepper motors be used for the same purposes as servos?· I haven't made it that far yet, but I was thinking of using a servo to steer a simple motor driven gizmo.· Could a·stepper motor be used.· What is the basic difference between the two.· I've found stepper motors in hardware stores for a couple of bucks, while servos·cost at least $12., but steppers seem to be more complicated.· I've·used the servo that came with my·"homework board/what are microcontrollers kit?"·· I just followed the directions in the book, and its rather easy to get going, but stepper motors seem to be a little more confusing.

PO'T

[Mike Green]

There are excellent descriptions on the Wikipedia. Do a websearch for "wiki servo motor" and "wiki stepper motor".

Steppers are indeed more complicated to drive and control. They're also more precise for positioning while servos are "sloppy".
On the other hand, servos are simple and very easy to control.

[po2le]

Thanks Mike.