Basic · Project #07

🤖 Servo Sweeper Bot

Make a servo motor sweep back and forth like a radar scanner using the Servo library.

📋 Overview

Servo motors are precision actuators that rotate to exact angles. The Arduino Servo library makes them simple to control — just tell it what angle you want (0–180°) and it goes there.

What you'll learn: Servo library, attach(), write(), angle control, and PWM signals.

Estimated time: 20–30 minutes. Difficulty: ⭐ Beginner-friendly.

🧩 Components Needed

Component	Specification	Qty	Notes
Arduino Uno R3	5V	1
SG90 Servo Motor	0–180°, 5V	1	Or MG90S for more torque
Breadboard + Wires	Half-size	1
USB Cable	Type A to B	1

📖 Step-by-Step Tutorial

Connect the Servo

Servo has 3 wires: Brown/Black → GND, Red → 5V, Orange/Yellow → pin 9.

Upload the Code

The Servo library is built into Arduino IDE. No installation needed.

Watch It Sweep

The servo will sweep from 0° to 180° and back continuously.

Control with a Potentiometer

Replace the auto-sweep with analogRead(A0) mapped to 0–180 to control angle manually.

💡

Powering a servo directly from the Arduino 5V pin is fine for SG90 (light load). For stronger servos, use an external 5V supply to avoid browning out the Arduino.

💻 Arduino Code

servo_sweeper.ino

// Servo Sweeper — Volt X
#include <Servo.h>

Servo myServo;
int angle = 0;
int step = 2;

void setup() {
  myServo.attach(9);
}

void loop() {
  myServo.write(angle);
  delay(20);

  angle += step;
  if (angle >= 180 || angle <= 0) {
    step = -step; // Reverse direction
  }
}

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