MG996R Servo · Cross Horn

A high-torque metal-gear standard servo (TowerPro MG996R) that swings roughly 180 degrees under 50Hz PWM control, shipped here with a 4-arm cross horn on its 25-tooth spline.

Try it in the simulator View datasheet

MG996R Servo · Cross Horn: High-torque servo variant

What is the MG996R Servo · Cross Horn?

The MG996R is TowerPro's high-torque standard-size servo, an upgraded successor to the MG995 that adds metal gearing, dual ball bearings, and a revised control PCB for tighter centering and a narrower dead band. It is a positional servo: a PWM pulse commands an absolute shaft angle across a travel of about 180 degrees (roughly 90 degrees each side of center), not continuous rotation. This variant ships with a cross-shaped (four-arm) output horn fitted to the 25-tooth output spline.

Electrically it runs on 4.8 to 7.2V. Stall torque is about 9.4 kg-cm at 4.8V, rising to about 11 kg-cm at 6V, with the shaft moving faster at the higher voltage. Position is set by a standard servo pulse: a 50Hz (20ms period) signal whose high time of roughly 1 to 2ms selects the angle, with about 1.5ms holding the neutral center. The three leads are power (red), ground (brown), and the PWM signal (orange), and the servo works with 3.3V or 5V logic-level pulse sources.

Because the internal motor can draw on the order of 2.5A when stalled, the MG996R is best driven from its own supply rather than an Arduino's onboard regulator. It is a common choice for robotic arm joints, pan-tilt camera mounts, RC steering and throttle linkages, walking-robot legs, and latch or gate mechanisms where its torque and metal gears are worth the extra current budget.

MG996R Servo · Cross Horn pinout

Pin	Function	Type
`VCC` VCC (4.8-7.2V)	Power	Power in
`GND` GND	Power	Power in
`SIG` PWM Signal	PWM servo control pulse	Digital input

Specifications

Operating voltage: 6 V (max 7.2 V)
Interface: GPIO timing (Trigger / Echo)
Dimensions: 40.7 × 42.9 × 19.7 mm

Verified from the Tinkered component library · TowerPro.

Circuit requirements

Power the servo from a dedicated 4.8-7.2V supply sized for its current draw, not from the Arduino 5V pin; brief stall current can reach around 2.5A and will brown out or reset a board fed through the onboard regulator.
Tie the servo supply ground to the Arduino/microcontroller ground so the PWM signal shares a common reference; without a common ground the servo jitters or does not respond.
Feed the SIG line a 50Hz (20ms) PWM pulse of about 1 to 2ms (roughly 1.5ms for center); the signal is logic-level and works from 3.3V or 5V control pins.
Add a bulk electrolytic capacitor (for example 470-1000uF) across the servo supply near the connector to absorb the inrush and stall current spikes that otherwise sag the rail.
Do not exceed 7.2V on VCC; the MG996R has no onboard regulation for higher voltages and a 9V or 12V supply will damage it.

Board compatibility

The MG996R Servo · Cross Horn connects to any of the microcontrollers supported in Tinkered. Mind the 6 V logic level on 3.3 V boards.

Common MG996R Servo · Cross Horn mistakes

Powering it from the Arduino 5V pin

The MG996R can pull about 2.5A at stall, far beyond what an Arduino's regulator or a USB port can supply. Doing so causes voltage sag, random resets, and undervoltage jitter. Use a separate battery or supply and share grounds.

Forgetting the common ground

When the servo runs on its own supply, the signal line still needs a shared ground reference with the microcontroller. Leave it out and the servo twitches, buzzes, or ignores commands entirely.

Feeding it more than 7.2V

This servo is rated 4.8 to 7.2V. Wiring it to a 9V battery or a 12V rail because 'more volts means more torque' overheats the motor and control board and can destroy it.

Expecting continuous 360-degree rotation

This is the positional 180-degree MG996R, not the continuous-rotation version that shares the same body. Commanding it like a wheel motor only drives it against its internal end stops and can strain the gears.

Forcing or mis-seating the cross horn

Center the servo (about a 1.5ms pulse) before pressing the cross horn onto the 25-tooth spline, and never rotate the shaft by hand past its mechanical limits. Back-driving or over-travel can strip the metal gears.

MG996R Servo · Cross Horn datasheet

Official MG996R Servo · Cross Horn datasheetTowerPro

Popular MG996R Servo · Cross Horn projects

Multi-joint robotic arm

Its 9-11 kg-cm of torque and metal gears make the MG996R a workhorse for lifting and holding arm segments at each joint.

Pan-tilt camera or sensor mount

Two MG996Rs give a sturdy, high-torque platform for aiming a camera, ultrasonic sensor, or laser across a wide field of view.

RC steering and throttle linkages

The JR/Futaba-compatible connector and standard pulse signal drop straight into RC cars and boats needing extra steering force.

Walking robot legs

Hexapod and quadruped builds use banks of MG996Rs for leg joints where torque-to-size and metal gearing matter.

Automated latch, gate, or dispenser

The strong holding torque suits door latches, pet feeders, and dispensers that must move and then hold a mechanism against load.

Build with the MG996R Servo · Cross Horn.

Drop the MG996R Servo · Cross Horn into a circuit, write firmware, and simulate it in your browser, then deploy to real hardware. All in one editable Tinkered project.

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