Patent ID: 7215060

Claim:
An electrostatic actuator comprising: a stator having an electrode substrate; a movable unit having at least one movable element, which is guided by the stator to be able to be reciprocated in a predetermined direction and is provided with an electrode arranged opposite to the electrode substrate; a waveform data generation unit which generates waveform data having at least a drive time and a drive pattern on the basis of an operation request from the outside; a waveform output register having an output area and a buffer area, which hold the waveform data; a waveform data management unit which writes the waveform data generated by the waveform data generation unit in the buffer area, erases the waveform data held in the output area of the waveform output register after the drive time has elapsed, and moves the waveform data held in the buffer area to the output area; an output waveform generation unit which generates a corresponding waveform signal on the basis of the drive pattern held in the output area of the waveform output register; and a switching circuit which converts the waveform signal into voltage to the electrode substrate.