A system for operating a barrier system such as a garage door, gate or fence. A DC motor is connected to and operates a barrier drive. A power amplifier is configured to receive power signals from a power supply and to output modulated DC signals to the DC motor. A controller implements an intelligent closed-loop motion control algorithm to control the power amplifier according to a non-linear motion profile. A feedback sensor provides status signals to the controller to determine position or speed of the barrier.