Novel nonlinear backstepping control with integrated adaptive control function is developed for high-performance positioning control systems. The proposed schemes are synthesized by a systematic approach and implemented based on a modern low-cost DSP controller, TMS320C32. A baseline backstepping control scheme is derived first, and is then extended to include a nonlinear adaptive control against the system parameter changes and load variations. The backstepping control utilizes Lyapunov function to guarantee the convergence of the position tracking error. The final control algorithm is a convenient in the implementation of a practical 32-bit DSP controller. The new control system can achieve superior performance over the conventional nested PI controllers, with improved position tracking, control bandwidth, and robustness against external disturbances, which is demonstrated by experimental results.