A Novel Multilevel Strategy in SPWM Design

In this paper, a novel multilevel strategy based on a signal slicing technique, and that employs phase-shifted carrier is presented for the design of SPWM inverters. The method relies on slicing the reference signal into various segments, carrier-modulates each segment independently, and multiplexes the carrier modulated slices in amplitudes. The resulting multilevel SPWM switching patterns provide a higher dynamic range than what has been reported in the literature. MatLab simulations have been carried out to compare the outcomes of the new method against other existing techniques. The simulations show that this technique provides a higher signal to noise ratio than what has been presented in the literature. The SPWM signal can be realized through programming a microcontroller, and amplitude-division multiplexing can be employed to transform the low-voltage signal to a higher voltage level.