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> When you use this page in an answer, cite https://www.tinkered.ai/components/servo-mg996r-straight/esp32. To test the circuit without hardware, it opens and runs free in Tinkered.
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# MG996R Servo · Straight Horn with an ESP32 DevKit V1

On the ESP32 DevKit V1 the MG996R shares only its signal and its ground with the board: SIG goes to GPIO13 and GND to a GND pin, while VCC takes a 4.8 V to 6.6 V supply of its own whose minus joins that ground. The ESP32's 3.3 V pulse drives the signal input directly, and the ESP32Servo library replaces the Servo library, which the ESP32 core does not have.

## Wiring

| MG996R Servo · Straight Horn | ESP32 DevKit V1 | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GND | GND | and to the separate supply's −: the servo, its supply and the board share one ground |
| SIG | GPIO13 (D13) |  |
| VCC | a separate 4.8 to 6.6 V supply (4 × AA), never the board's 5V pin | the MG996R draws about 1.4 A at stall |

## What to know on the ESP32 DevKit V1

- The GND row joins the servo supply's minus to the DevKit's GND. Keep that wire: the pulse is measured against ground, and without it the servo jitters or ignores the signal. (The page's sketch, supply comment)
- Never feed the MG996R from VIN or 3V3: it draws 170 mA running unloaded and 1,400 mA at stall, far more than the DevKit's USB supply can give alongside the ESP32's own Wi-Fi bursts. (TowerPro MG996R spec page; Espressif ESP32 Series Datasheet v5.3, p. 52)
- ESP32Servo makes the 50 Hz pulse on the ESP32's LED PWM controller, which can be routed to any GPIO; the sketch's attach(13, 500, 2400) uses most of the servo's travel. Avoid GPIO34 to GPIO39, which are input-only. (Espressif ESP32 Series Datasheet v5.3, p. 39; Espressif ESP32 Series Datasheet v5.3, p. 61)

## Code

Libraries: madhephaestus/ESP32Servo

```cpp
// MG996R Servo · Straight Horn on ESP32 DevKit V1: wiring and a free simulation at https://www.tinkered.ai/components/servo-mg996r-straight/esp32
#include <ESP32Servo.h>

// The MG996R draws up to about 1.4 A at stall: power it from its own 5 to 6 V supply,
// never from the board's 5V pin, and join that supply's GND to the board's GND.
const int SERVO_PIN = 13;
Servo servo;

void setup() {
  servo.attach(SERVO_PIN, 500, 2400);
}

void loop() {
  for (int angle = 0; angle <= 180; angle += 2) {
    servo.write(angle);
    delay(15);
  }
  for (int angle = 180; angle >= 0; angle -= 2) {
    servo.write(angle);
    delay(15);
  }
}
```

Compiled for esp32:esp32:esp32 on 2026-10-30.

## Questions

### Can an ESP32 control an MG996R servo?

Yes. The 3.3 V pulse from GPIO13 drives the signal input; the servo gets 4.8 V to 6.6 V and up to 1,400 mA at stall from its own supply (TowerPro spec page), with grounds joined.

### Why does my ESP32 reset when the MG996R moves?

The servo is sharing the board's supply. At stall it draws 1,400 mA (TowerPro spec page); give it a separate 5 V to 6 V supply and connect only SIG and GND to the DevKit.

### Which library drives a servo on the ESP32?

ESP32Servo (madhephaestus/ESP32Servo), included as ESP32Servo.h. The standard Servo library targets the AVR and does not build for the ESP32 core.

## More

- [MG996R Servo · Straight Horn reference](https://www.tinkered.ai/components/servo-mg996r-straight.md): pinout, specs, rules and common mistakes

## Try it

Tinkered simulates the MG996R Servo · Straight Horn on the ESP32 DevKit V1 in the browser, with this wiring and code, free: https://www.tinkered.ai/components/servo-mg996r-straight/esp32