Abstract: An automatic door operator with a motor connectable to a door through gear units and linkages and for moving the door between an open and a closed position. An absolute position transducer measures the absolute position of the door independently of previous positions of the door and substantially continuously. A control senses an external signal indicating one of a desired open state and closed state of the door. The control compares the absolute position of the door with the external signal and generates the drive signal to drive the motor to cause the absolute position to be substantially identical to the external signal. The motor is a regenerative drive operatable in all directional combinations of electrical driving torque and motor rotation. The control electrically drives the regenerative drive in a direction opposite a rotation of the regenerative drive to brake a load applied to the motor. The control also limits the current to the motor, to limit the force the motor applies to the door.