RC car and boat steering
The high torque and metal gears make the MG996R a common choice for driving the steering linkage or rudder on larger RC models where micro servos strip or stall.
MG996R Servo · Straight Horn
High-torque metal-gear analog servo from TowerPro that delivers up to about 11 kg·cm at 6V from a standard 50Hz PWM signal.
What is the MG996R Servo · Straight Horn?
The MG996R is a high-torque analog hobby servo built around a metal gear train and a dual ball-bearing output shaft. It runs on 4.8V to 7.2V and is commanded by a single-wire 50Hz PWM control pulse, which makes it a mechanically compatible, higher-muscle upgrade for the plastic-gear SG90/MG90 class of micro servos. This straight-horn variant ships with a single-arm horn suited to push-pull linkages and RC-style steering.
Torque and speed both scale with supply voltage. The datasheet rates stall torque at roughly 9.4 kg·cm at 4.8V and about 11 kg·cm at 6V, with a no-load transit speed near 0.17 s/60 degrees at 4.8V and 0.14 s/60 degrees at 6V. A 5 microsecond dead band keeps hold position reasonably stable. The body measures about 40.7 x 42.9 x 19.7 mm and weighs around 55 g.
The catch with all that torque is current. Running current sits around 500-900mA at 6V, and a hard stall can pull roughly 2.5A. That current profile, rather than the simple PWM logic interface, is what dictates most of the wiring decisions for this servo.
MG996R Servo · Straight 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 5-6V supply sized for its current draw (500-900mA running, up to ~2.5A at stall). Do not run it from the Arduino onboard 5V pin or the USB regulator, which will brown out and reset the board.
- Tie the external supply ground to the Arduino ground so the PWM signal shares a common reference. Without a common ground the servo will jitter or ignore commands.
- Feed the orange signal wire a standard servo pulse: ~20ms period (50Hz) with a roughly 1-2ms high pulse, ~1.5ms being center. The signal input accepts 3.3-5V logic levels and draws negligible current.
- Wire colors follow the TowerPro convention: red is VCC (4.8-7.2V), brown is GND, and orange is the PWM signal.
- Add a bulk electrolytic capacitor (for example 470-1000uF) across the servo power rails near the connector to absorb the inrush and stall-current spikes that would otherwise sag the supply and disturb other logic.
Board compatibility
The MG996R Servo · Straight Horn connects to any of the microcontrollers supported in Tinkered. Mind the 6 V logic level on 3.3 V boards.
Common MG996R Servo · Straight Horn mistakes
Powering it from the Arduino 5V pin
The MG996R can pull about 2.5A at stall, far beyond what the Arduino regulator or a USB port can supply. Doing this causes voltage sag, random resets, and possible regulator damage. Use a separate 5-6V supply.
Forgetting the common ground
When the servo runs from its own supply, its ground must still be connected to the Arduino ground. Skipping this leaves the PWM signal without a shared reference, so the servo twitches or does not respond at all.
Assuming a full 180 degrees of travel
The usable rotation from standard 1-2ms pulses is closer to 120 degrees on many MG996R units. Commanding pulses that push past the mechanical limit makes the servo buzz, draw stall current, and heat up while it grinds against the endstop.
Ignoring stall heat and current
Holding a heavy load against gravity keeps the motor near stall, drawing high current continuously and heating the gearbox. Mechanically balance the load or de-energize between moves rather than letting it fight a stall indefinitely.
No bulk capacitor on the power rail
Each move produces a sharp inrush that can dip the shared supply and glitch sensors or the microcontroller. Omitting a decoupling capacitor across the servo rails is a frequent cause of erratic behavior in multi-servo builds.
MG996R Servo · Straight Horn datasheet
Official MG996R Servo · Straight Horn datasheetTowerPro
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Build with the MG996R Servo · Straight Horn.
Drop the MG996R Servo · Straight Horn into a circuit, write firmware, and simulate it in your browser, then deploy to real hardware. All in one editable Tinkered project.