ESP32 - MG996R

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to use the MG996R high-torque servo motor with ESP32.

Hardware Used In This Tutorial

1	×	ESP-WROOM-32 Dev Module
1	×	USB Cable Type-C
1	×	MG996R Servo Motor
1	×	Jumper Wires
1	×	(Recommended) Screw Terminal Expansion Board for ESP32

Or you can buy the following sensor kits:

1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays)
1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

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Introduction to Servo Motor

The MG996R servo motor is a high-torque servo motor capable of lifting up to 15kg in weight. The motor can rotate its handle from 0° to 180°, providing precise control of angular position. For basic information about servo motors, please refer to the ESP32 - Servo Motor tutorial.

Pinout

The MG996R servo motor used in this example includes three pins:

VCC pin: (typically red) needs to be connected to VCC (4.8V – 7.2V)
GND pin: (typically black or brown) needs to be connected to GND (0V)
Signal pin: (typically yellow or orange) receives the PWM control signal from an ESP32's pin.

Wiring Diagram

Since the MG996R is a high-torque servo motor, it draws a lot of power. We should not power this motor via the 5v pin of ESP32. Instead, we need to use the external power supply for the MG996R servo motor.

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

If you're unfamiliar with how to supply power to the ESP32 and other components, you can find guidance in the following tutorial: How to Power ESP32.

ESP32 Code

/* * This ESP32 code is created by esp32io.com * * This ESP32 code is released in the public domain * * For more detail (instruction and wiring diagram), visit https://esp32io.com/tutorials/esp32-mg996r */ #include <Servo.h> Servo servo; // create servo object to control a servo void setup() { servo.attach(9); // attaches the servo on pin 9 to the servo objectư servo.write(0); // rotate slowly servo to 0 degrees immediately } void loop() { for (int angle = 0; angle <= 180; angle += 1) { // rotate slowly from 0 degrees to 180 degrees, one by one degree // in steps of 1 degree servo.write(angle); // control servo to go to position in variable 'angle' delay(10); // waits 10ms for the servo to reach the position } for (int angle = 180; angle >= 0; angle -= 1) { // rotate from 180 degrees to 0 degrees, one by one degree servo.write(angle); // control servo to go to position in variable 'angle' delay(10); // waits 10ms for the servo to reach the position } }

Quick Instructions

If this is the first time you use ESP32, see how to setup environment for ESP32 on Arduino IDE.
Do the wiring as above image.
Connect the ESP32 board to your PC via a micro USB cable
Open Arduino IDE on your PC.
Select the right ESP32 board (e.g. ESP32 Dev Module) and COM port.
Click to the Libraries icon on the left bar of the Arduino IDE.
Type ServoESP32 on the search box, then look for the servo library by Jaroslav Paral. Please be aware that both version 1.1.1 and 1.1.0 are affected by bugs. Kindly choose a different version.
Click Install button to install servo motor library for ESP32.

Connect ESP32 to PC via USB cable
Open Arduino IDE, select the right board and port
Copy the above code and open with Arduino IDE
Click Upload button on Arduino IDE to upload code to ESP32

See the result: Servo motor rotates slowly from 0 to 180° and then back rotates slowly from 180 back to 0°

Code Explanation

Read the line-by-line explanation in comment lines of code!

How to Control Speed of Servo Motor

By using map() and millis() functions, we can control the speed of servo motor smoothly without blocking other code

/* * This ESP32 code is created by esp32io.com * * This ESP32 code is released in the public domain * * For more detail (instruction and wiring diagram), visit https://esp32io.com/tutorials/esp32-mg996r */ #include <Servo.h> Servo myServo; unsigned long MOVING_TIME = 3000; // moving time is 3 seconds unsigned long moveStartTime; int startAngle = 30; // 30° int stopAngle = 90; // 90° void setup() { myServo.attach(9); moveStartTime = millis(); // start moving // TODO: other code } void loop() { unsigned long progress = millis() - moveStartTime; if (progress <= MOVING_TIME) { long angle = map(progress, 0, MOVING_TIME, startAngle, stopAngle); myServo.write(angle); } // TODO: other code }

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Function References

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