The problem I ran into is apparently well known among those who work with servomotors on a regular basis. There is a pretty cheap and easy solution described in this document from the Gecko Drives website.
The document illustrates a snubber that shunts the current from the motor to ground as long as the voltage from the motor (the back EMF) is higher than the supply voltage. That will protect the power supply, the motor driver, and anything else connected to the same power bus.
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I'll be installing that circuit and using a separate power supply for the controller board in future servomotor projects. I suggest you do the same.
The document illustrates a snubber that shunts the current from the motor to ground as long as the voltage from the motor (the back EMF) is higher than the supply voltage. That will protect the power supply, the motor driver, and anything else connected to the same power bus.
I'll be installing that circuit and using a separate power supply for the controller board in future servomotor projects. I suggest you do the same.