Position actuators

A Position actuator moves to and holds a specific angle (degrees). It's driven by a standard RC-servo pulse, so anything built on a servo fits here.

Catalog types that use this control kind:

All wire up as a servo output (gpio-servo).

Firmware requirement: servos need gateway firmware 1.4.0 or newer. Update from Gateways → Update firmware before adding one.

Add one

1. Devices → Add device → Actuator, pick a type from the Positioning family.
2. Choose the gateway and accept the suggested signal pin.
3. Save. The Control panel shows a dial/slider in degrees.

Connection fields

Calibrate the pulse range. Servos vary: some need ~500–2500 µs for a full 0–180° sweep. If your servo doesn't reach the ends, or buzzes/strains at an extreme, widen or narrow minUs/maxUs until the physical travel matches the commanded angle.

Control it

• Device page / dashboard — set the angle; it commits on release and confirms on the gateway ack. On a dashboard, add the Actuator widget.
• The command is { op: 'position', deg: <angle> }. The gateway converts degrees to a microsecond pulse using minUs/maxUs and minAngle/maxAngle, then drives a 50 Hz signal.

Automate it

• Rules — when CO₂ > 1000 ppm, open the damper to 90°.
• Macros — use the servo write step to sweep through positions (e.g. a camera pan or a multi-port valve sequence).

Safety

• On connection loss the gateway drives the servo to defaultAngle.
• Continuous strain at an end-stop overheats servos — keep the commanded range inside the mechanical travel via minAngle/maxAngle.

Troubleshooting

• No movement → confirm firmware ≥ 1.4.0 and that the servo has adequate, separate power (servos draw current spikes; don't power a big servo from the board's 3.3 V).
• Jitter → power supply noise or a marginal signal pin; add a capacitor across the servo supply.
• Doesn't reach the ends → widen minUs/maxUs.

See also the actuators overview and Move actuators.