sanservo

Sanservo is a term used in hobbyist and industrial automation to describe a family of servo devices that integrate motor, gearbox, sensor feedback, and control electronics in a single package. The most common form is a closed-loop servo that accepts a position command via a control signal and provides feedback indicating current position, enabling precise control and repeatability.

Typical sanservo devices use a motor (often brushed DC) paired with a feedback sensor such as an optical or magnetic encoder. Some variants include integrated microcontrollers or motion controllers that run firmware for trajectory planning, current limiting, and safety features like overcurrent protection and stall detection. Control interfaces may range from simple PWM signals to more advanced digital protocols, depending on the model and manufacturer.

Applications for sanservo units span hobby robotics, radio-controlled models, automation projects, and educational demonstrations. They are valued for compactness, simplified wiring, and the ability to achieve closed-loop control without assembling separate motor, sensor, and controller components. Performance characteristics vary by model and vendor, typically including torque, speed, positional resolution, operating voltage, and feedback accuracy.

Terminology and branding around sanservo are not standardized; some vendors market sanservo as a brand or product line, while others use generic terms like digital servo or closed-loop servo. When selecting a unit, buyers should verify compatibility with their control system, connector types, and firmware or software update options. The term denotes a category of servo technology rather than a single universal standard, and individual components labeled as sanservo can differ significantly in capabilities.