A biopsy device for driving a penetrating member, comprising: a device housing, the device housing having an handle portion configured to be grasped by a clinician's hand; a linear motor having a motor housing and a linear motor shaft, the motor housing being coupled to the device housing, the linear motor shaft being movable in the motor housing along a longitudinal axis, the linear motor shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion having a distal end, the distal end portion configured to be drivably coupled to the penetrating member; a controller circuit operatively coupled to the linear motor, the controller circuit having a processor circuit, a first feedback circuit, and a second feedback circuit, the first feedback circuit having at least one drive characteristic sensor (50-1, 50-2, 50-3, 50-4) associated with the linear motor shaft and the second feedback circuit having a housing position detector connected to the device housing, the first feedback circuit and the second feedback circuit operating simultaneously, the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to control an axial advancement of the distal end of the linear motor shaft in accordance with a linear motor shaft advancement profile based on first control signals received from the at least one drive characteristic sensor (50-1, 50-2, 50-3, 50-4) of the first feedback circuit; and the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to keep the distal end of the linear motor shaft at a constant axial position, as offset by a position indicated by the linear motor shaft advancement profile, based on second control signals received from the housing position detector of the second feedback circuit so as to compensate for user movement of the device housing. a device housing, the device housing having an handle portion configured to be grasped by a clinician's hand; a linear motor having a motor housing and a linear motor shaft, the motor housing being coupled to the device housing, the linear motor shaft being movable in the motor housing along a longitudinal axis, the linear motor shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion having a distal end, the distal end portion configured to be drivably coupled to the penetrating member; a controller circuit operatively coupled to the linear motor, the controller circuit having a processor circuit, a first feedback circuit, and a second feedback circuit, the first feedback circuit having at least one drive characteristic sensor (50-1, 50-2, 50-3, 50-4) associated with the linear motor shaft and the second feedback circuit having a housing position detector connected to the device housing, the first feedback circuit and the second feedback circuit operating simultaneously, the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to control an axial advancement of the distal end of the linear motor shaft in accordance with a linear motor shaft advancement profile based on first control signals received from the at least one drive characteristic sensor (50-1, 50-2, 50-3, 50-4) of the first feedback circuit; and the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to keep the distal end of the linear motor shaft at a constant axial position, as offset by a position indicated by the linear motor shaft advancement profile, based on second control signals received from the housing position detector of the second feedback circuit so as to compensate for user movement of the device housing. the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to control an axial advancement of the distal end of the linear motor shaft in accordance with a linear motor shaft advancement profile based on first control signals received from the at least one drive characteristic sensor (50-1, 50-2, 50-3, 50-4) of the first feedback circuit; and the processor circuit configured to execute program instructions to keep the distal end of the linear motor shaft at a constant axial position, as offset by a position indicated by the linear motor shaft advancement profile, based on second control signals received from the housing position detector of the second feedback circuit so as to compensate for user movement of the device housing.