The modes determine how the command input (+/-10V) is interpreted.

Torque Mode: The input commands a motor torque. -10V = 100% CCW torque, 0V = zero
torque and +10V = 100% CW torque. Torque is continuously adjustable over the entire
range (Ex: +4.95V commands 49.5% CW torque). Almost always Torque Mode is used in
CNC applications; the controller issues torque commands to the amplifier to close a PID
servo loop.

Velocity Mode: The input commands a motor RPM. -10V = 100% CCW RPM, 0V = zero RPM
and +10V = 100% CW RPM. RPM is continuously adjustable over the entire range (Ex:
+4.95V = 49.5% CW RPM). Normally Velocity Mode is used for speed control.

Position Mode: The input commands a motor position. -10V = 100% CCW position, 0V =
zero position and +10V = 100% CW position. Position is continuously adjustable over the
entire range (Ex: +4.95V = 49.5% CW position). Lets say you have a 20" long linear
feedback potentiometer and call the zero position mid-scale. Then -10V = -10", +10V =
+10".

Position mode - typically step and direction. Motor position is determined by the
number of steps.

Torque mode - +/-10 volts. Increasing command results in increasing torque. IE: 1 volt =
10 oz/in motor output, 5 volt command = 50 oz/in motor output. No feedback to the drive
unit. Used in point to point machines like drilling machines, pick and place machines,
inspection machines, and low cost cnc machines.

Velocity mode- +/-10 volts. Increasing command results in increased speed. IE: 1 volt = 20
IPM, 5 volts = 100 IPM. Velocity feedback is in the drive unit coming from an analog tach or
by calculating velocity from the encoder. This is the preferred for driving industrial cncs as
these machines operate in IPM mode and this type control allows you you synchronize axis
following errors with respect to time across multiple axis. Also allows for smoother operation
at very low speeds. Fanuc controls are all velocity mode systems.

CURRENT (OR TORQUE) MODE.

The Current mode produces a torque output from the motor proportional to the input
reference signal.
Motor output torque is proportional to the motor current. Torque mode is recommended if
the servo amplifier is used with a digital position controller (under this condition, a
movement of the motor shaft from the desired position causes a large correcting torque.
or "stiffness".
Velocity mode

Velocity mode servos have lower performance and are more difficult to tune than torque
mode servos. This is because a velocity mode servo has 90 degrees less phase margin than
a torque mode servo (velocity is the first integral of acceleration). Torque mode controls
acceleration, velocity mode controls speed.

Sounds complicated but it's not.:-) This car gas pedal analogy should help:

1) The gas pedal on your car acts as a torque mode input and you personally complete the
PID feedback loop when you drive. The gas pedal modulates acceleration; press a little and
you accelerate slowly, press hard and you accelerate quickly.

Your goal is to maintain a freeway speed of 80 MPH (it's a California freeway). You press the
pedal hard on the freeway on-ramp and accelerate quickly, say 10 MPH/sec. As your speed
builds and approaches 80 MPH, you begin to ease off on the pedal, lessening your
acceleration, say 1 MPH/sec. You smoothly round off acceleration to zero as you hit 80 MPH.
Once you are at speed you easily maintain it by making small adjustments in pressure on
the pedal (small accel, decel).

2) What if the gas pedal was a speed control (velocity mode)? Press it to the floor and the
car will accelerate like a bat from Hades to 120 MPH. Release the pressure and it will panic-
brake to 0 MPH. Acceleration and deceleration is either zero or neck-snapping; there is
nothing in between.

You reach 80.001 MPH and you ease the pedal pressure the tiniest bit. The result is full
panic braking to 79 MPH. You minutely increase pressure; the result is full-tilt acceleration
to 81 MPH if you are the least bit late in releasing pressure. Repeat the process and you get
an ever increasing oscillation; 75/85, 70/90, 60/100, etc. The only way you could maintain
80 MPH is by making the tiniest micrometer adjustments to the pedal and by making them
VERY slowly.

Conclude

Servo 'singing' is a characteristic of PID loops used with digital incremental encoders (the
usual kind). The integral (the 'I' in 'PID') term has infinite DC gain. This results in the motor
always being in motion even while 'stopped'. It bounces or ping-pongs between adjacent
encoder counts and this continuous CW/CCW motion produces the sound.

It can only be eliminated satisfactorily with sine/cosine type encoders. A servo dead-band
technique isn't as satisfactory because it introduces zero servo stiffness at the null error
location.
The other reason for servo singing was a 3kHz PWM frequency, common in older (>30 yr
old) servos. Back then fast transistors were very expensive so 3kHz was a good
compromise. The sound could drive you nuts though.