# Digital vs. Analog Servos



## GOT (Apr 17, 2007)

I have used only analog servos and have been annoyed with how loud they can be. Now I am looking at digital servos and have two questions.
1) I hear they put out a high-pitch squeal. Are they noisier than analog servos?
2) Do they work with prop1/prop2 controllers? If so do I have to send a pulse through basic stamp every millisecond?


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## Death Master (Jul 1, 2007)

I got this from the futaba site: a ‘digital servo’ is the same as a standard servo, except for a 
microprocessor, which analyses the incoming receiver signals and controls 
the motor. It is incorrect to believe that digital servos differ drastically in 
physical design to standard ones. Digital servos have the same motors, 
gears and cases as standard servos and they also, most importantly, have a 
Feedback Potentiometer (Pot) just like their standard counterparts. 
Where a digital servo differs, is in the way it processes the incoming receiver 
information, and in turn controls the initial power to the servomotor, reducing 
the deadband, increasing the resolution and generating tremendous holding 
power.

1) they are just as loud.
2) they use the same signals as analog.
3) they use more power


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## GOT (Apr 17, 2007)

Yes, I have read these things. I am curious if anyone has personal experience with these before I buy one.


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## Death Master (Jul 1, 2007)

GOT said:


> Yes, I have read these things. I am curious if anyone has personal experience with these before I buy one.


If its personal opinion you want and experience with them, brother I got it LOL, I think that the noise is about the same, I have both, also I had the same questions you had, and looked on a few RC forums and some people complain about the noise and some say it's about the same, but it turns out to be what the gears are made of, I do know the digital use more power and get hotter than the analog, I think the digital holds it position better and is a lot more smooth looking when it turns at slower speeds. I have the S9157 High-Torque Servo about 130$ I used this for an elbow joint actuator.


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

I asked a professional animatronic maker about this, and he basically said they just use both. It's more about the torque and speed specs.


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## yeloowtang (Aug 7, 2012)

I have used both in RC helicopters, the main reason for the digital is for precision and torque... other than that they do the same job.

what was said is corect, digital uses more power, they are faster and more precise and the mechanical part is the same..

being on rc forums most always laught at the people that complain about the noise.. you are running them in a rc plane/helicopter with either a gas/nitro or electric motor !! flying at a distance and fair speeds  not a chance in hell you can ear them unless doing maintenance on the work table...
BUT
for a prop i can see why the noise bothers, then again if you have music and sound effects no one will notice, plus if they move slowly you don't ear them all that much..it's when they mave fast you get the zip zip analog or the bip bip digital..

oh and i must add the moving slowly part !!!! you would have less noise with analog than with digital.
the digital ones always beep when they receive a signal so if they move slowly you would get a constant beep beep beeeeeeeeeep beep beep where as with the analog you just ear the motor/gear sounds..


i hope this helps 

steff


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## MaxSinister (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm kind of new here, but I've also used both. I like digital for the fact that I can program them (speed, angle, etc.). Sometimes, they will have a hum when at rest that the analog doesn't seem to have, but that's not a big deal for my projects.


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