Fast steering mirrors (FSMs) designed by the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology are significantly smaller in volume and mass, offering distinct advantages. To improve their performance in the open-loop control mode, this study introduces a control algorithm and evaluates its performance on an electromagnetic-driven MEMS-FSM. The algorithm employs a method to shape the input signal by fitting the system’s transfer function and modifying the step response. This shaped signal is then applied to the system to minimize overshoot, reduce settling time, and improve working bandwidth, thereby enabling faster angular adjustments and improving the stability of the FSM. The experimental results demonstrate an 85.65% reduction in overshoot and a decrease in settling time from 84 ms to 0.4 ms. Consequently, the working bandwidth of the FSM system increases to 2500 Hz, demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithm in enhancing MEMS-FSM’s performance.

We report a high-performance electromagnetic micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) fast steering mirror (FSM) designed to meet the pressing need for miniaturized laser communication terminals on small low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. With a 10 mm optical aperture, the device employs a gimbal structure driven by orthogonal magnetic field components to achieve biaxial decoupling and high linearity. A bipolar magnetic configuration augments the driving torque, providing sufficient design margin for the torsion axis while reducing power consumption. Additionally, T-shaped torsion beams are utilized to enhance shock robustness without compromising the scanning range. Experimental results demonstrate a mechanical tilt of ±2.3 mrad@±52 mA with a low holding power of 54 mW per axis. Nonlinearity is only 0.04%. Resonant frequencies of 598 Hz and 819 Hz are achieved, enabling a rise time of 0.38 ms and a closed-loop 2% settling time of approximately 1.0 ms. Furthermore, the structural failure of the torsion beams was observed at a shock load of 960 g. This work provides a robust, power-efficient, and high-precision beam-steering solution for optical communication terminals on small LEO satellites.