Servo controller...

Normally, you would just connect the servo data line to a port pin on the AVR, and use the timer in the AVR to create the pulse width frames. But, if you don't want to do that, you could get a serial servo controller and connect it to the USARTs on the AVR.

Scott

Parallax has a servo controller that runs 16 servos and takes input from a serial port. (I assume the AVR has one) You can set position, speed, and get read the servo position from the board. They're about $40us.

Remove nospam_ to reply by email

Jeff H........

Lies, All lies. Don't believe a word Difool/sayNO says. He fears the truth!

Unless you really NEED to do it with an external chip, you can just connect to the PWM out pins on the AVR. They are essentially "Fire and Forget" in that you set up the pulse width in a few registers then just write the desired duty cycle to a register and the servo moves to that position. No fuss, no muss! You do not have to write a bunch of ISRs or anything like that. However, since you said you were a software guy, you could use the timer ISR to make your own PWM on any pin and control a whole bunch of servos. That is what most of the servo controllers that you can buy from various robo-part vendors have.

--TE

The below servo control chip is a good deal for $7.

Kronos Robotics makes such a beast.