Distributed control system for servo controlled powered door actuator

A power door actuation system for a door of a vehicle that is moveable relative to a vehicle body about a hinge axis between a closed position and a fully-open position, the power door actuation system comprising:

• a housing mounted to one of the door or the vehicle body;
• an actuator mounted within the housing, the actuator comprising:
• an electric motor supported by the housing, the electric motor having a motor output;
• a geartrain supported by the housing and having a geartrain input coupled to the motor output for receiving a motor force from the electric motor and further having a geartrain output, the geartrain moveable in a forward drive direction and in a backdrive direction, and
• an actuation member coupled to the geartrain output and configured for extension and retraction relative to the housing in response actuation by the geartrain output, wherein the actuation member is coupled to the other one of the door and the vehicle body;
• and
• wherein the electric motor is configured to apply a force on the geartrain while in a door hold state and current is being applied to the electric motor to operate the geartrain in a balanced state such that when the geartrain is in the balanced state, a force applied to the geartrain by a user manually moving the door out of the door hold state to cause the geartrain to be driven in the forward drive direction is approximately equal to a force applied to the geartrain to cause the geartrain to be driven in the backdrive direction.