Novel Digital Continuous Control of SVM Inverters
in the Overmodulation Range
S.Bolognani, M.Zigliotto
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Padova
Via Gradenigo, 6a, 35 131 Padova, ITALY
-
Abstract A novel technique for Space Vector Modulation
(SVM) inverters in the overmodulation range is presented. A
unique algorithm manages the transition from the onset of
overmodulation to six-step operation. The technique is suitable
for a very simple digital implementation; experimental results,
obtained by a DSP board, are also included in the paper.
I. INTRODUCTION
Inverter-fed induction motors are taking a primary role in
the variable speed drive market. Due to its simple and
effective digital implementation, SVM technique is widely
adopted [1,2] and research activity now focuses on some
aspects previously overlooked; in particular, the pulse-width
control in the overmodulation range is becoming a topic of
considerable interest [3-51.
Neglecting the switching harmonics, all S V M strategies
naturally produce sinusoidal output voltage with a linear
voltage gain characteristic until the inverter overmodulation
range is reached. Conversely, there isn't a unique way to
manage the transition to six-step mode, that features the
maximum fundamental output voltage.
In [3], a two-mode overmodulation strategy is proposed;
the technique is of great value, even if it forces an
unavoidable on-the-spot switch between the two modes in a
very restricted output voltage range.
In [4] a Compensated Modulation Technique (CMT)
provides an accurate compensation for the inverter gain
characteristic (defined as the ratio of the output voltage to
the reference signal) of a sine-wave modulated PWM
inverter working in the pulse dropping region. The method,
adaptable to any PWM modulator, is based on the
linearisation of the voltage gain characteristic that is
specific to each overmodulation strategy. As in the technique
proposed in [3], t h s is performed through a look-up table
implementation of the inverse relationship, off-line
computed and stored in the controller memory. As a
disadvantage, the memory requirement increases with the
desired algorithm resolution. In [5] the control of PWM
voltage inverters in the pulse dropping region is exploited,
and a comparison between sine-wave and space vector
modulations in the overmodulation is carried out.
In this paper, a novel digital continuous technique for
S V M inverters in the overmodulation range is presented. In
$5.000 1996 IEEE
0-7803-3044-7196 219
the proposed method, a single algorithm manages the
transition from the onset of overmodulation to the six-step
mode.
The technique is suitable for a very simple practical
implementation, and the gain characteristic results almost
linear, avoiding the necessity of a look-up table
implementation. After the description of the technique, and
its analytical exploitation, the paper describes the
implementation on a fixed-point DSP evaluation board the
experimental results, in agreement with the expectation,
conclude the paper.
11. THE NOVEL CONTINUOS CONTROL
STRATEGY IN THE OVERMODULATION RANGE
For a balanced tern of periodic phase voltages u,(8), U@),
U,@), of period 271, a voltage space vector is defined as
It's well known that this definition gives a practical and
friendly tool to handle three-phase quantities, reducing the
notation complexity and being the basis of the Space Vector
Modulation techniques. SVM features switching periods of
constant time duration, in which a reference voltage vector is
obtained as time-average of two adjacent state vectors and
null state vectors.
It may be worth to recall that state vectors correspond to
the transformation, by (l), of the eight feasible combinations
of the six switches of the inverter; the two null state vectors
are related to the switches configurations that short-circuit
the load, i.e. those with all the upper (or lower) switches
turned on [2].
Drawing on the complex plane the six active (not null)
state vectors, it is evident that any reference vector can be
reproduced if its trajectory resides within the boundary of the
hexagon formed by joining the extremities of such state
vectors [3]; exceeding that limit causes distortion in the
output voltage waveform, and an amount of unwanted
harmonics is generated. The extreme working condition
(that reveals both the maximum fimdamental voltage and the
maximum harmonic content) is reached in the square-wave
operation, that is often referred also as six-step mode [3-61.
 It's now worth to define the modulation index M as the
amplitude of the fundamental component U, of the actual
phase voltage, normalised with respect to its maximum
value, obtained in the six-step mode:
(2)
The procedure is then symmetrically repeated for the other
sectors. As can be inferred from the outlined procedure, the
produced vector U has a constant amplitude
1u1= r (3)
and a phase 9 linked to the reference 9, by the expression

where U, represents the DC-link voltage of the inverter.

The proposed continuos control strategy in the
overmodulation range will be described with reference to
Fig. 1. The timing calculations for the inverter switches, to
produce, as mean in a switching period, a given voltage
space vector, recur every n/3 sector; hence, Fig. 1 details the
operation only in the first sector, understanding that every
computation will be then repeated taking into account in
which sector the reference vector is actually laying.
hexagonal
boundary f Im actual trajectory
,of vector U
Fig. 1 - The novel overmodulation strategy
Let's then state a reference vector with amplitude r and
phase 9,; as mentioned above, until its trajectory remains
within the hexagon boundary, normal SVM operations are
performed. As the amplitude r increases above the liinit h =
U ~ c / d 3 ,that substituted in (2) returns a modulation index
M = 0.907, the actual reference trajectory is modified with
respect to the ideal one. Assuming to be in the initial
condition with 9,= 0, the following steps are performed:
(4)
The six-step mode is reached when r = 2/3 UDC, for which
ctg is zero and M=l. It's to
note that the proposed method can
be defined continuous not only because it avoids abrupt
changes in the output voltage, but also in the enlarged
meaning that a single algorithm manages the transition from
the onset of overmodulation to the six-step mode.
The simplicity of the algorithm implementation is soon
understood noticing that the intersection of the reference
with the hexagon (S1=a ) corresponds to a limit timing
condition within a switcbng period (no null-vectors are
applied) and this fact is easily detected by the conventional
software routines already implemented for normal S V M
operation. A simple linear backward operation fixes the
phase 9 of the produced vector precisely at agwhether it is
momentary exceeded due to the asynchronous sampling
operation of the software routine with respect to the
reference voltage vector.
IlI. ANALYTICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE
VOLTAGE EIARMONIC CONTENT
It has been found [6] that the space vector defined by (1)
can be expressed by its space vector Fourier series
expansion, as

0 a voltage vector U of amplitude lul = r and phase 9 = 9, +m +m

is produced as long as possible, i.e. until its trajectory = Cun
u(s) ,jnsI = x u ne j n a l t (5)
intersects the hexagon boundary, that happens at 9, = as; n=-m n=-m

a fixed voltage vector of amplitude r and phase 9 = agis where 9, has been expressed as function of time, 91= cult,
produced while 9, moves from agto 7d6. Afterwards, the and o 1 is the fundamental angular velocity. The complex
symmetrical fixed voltage vector is produced, with the coefficient U, is given by
same amplitude r and augmented phase 9 = (7c/3-ag), for
9 moving from 7c/6 to (7d3-ag);
0 from 9, = (7c/3-cxg) to 7c/3 the produced vector follows U, =- 1 7u(9)e-jn91 d9, (6)
2n
again the reference, with the same amplitude r and phase 0
Since in the proposed SVM technique the produced three
91.
phase voltages form a symmetrical tern, that is, u,(S)=u,(S-
I

220
 1
211/3),uC(8)=u,(9-4n/3), then they have the same harmonic 46 x/3-ag

[:
,
content. It is possible to show that the n-th order component U, = - 2a +eJag je-jsl dal + ej x/3-a9) -js1 d81 =
has amplitude given by the absolute value of (6).
ag RI6
Noticing that the behaviour of the amplitude and phase of
the voltage space vector is redundant, (6) can be
particularised as follows: = -[3r 2ag +j( -jcos(ag) + j f i sin(ag))] =
II

0.63
kn
0.62

k=O 0.61

with the maximum percentage error of OS%, got for

r=2/3UD,. This expression indicates that the technique lends
itself to a very simple digital compensation, even avoiding
the creation of a look-up table ( that is mandatory for highly
non-linear gain characteristics) and saving system memory.

As a general rule, under the hypothesis of considering a

balanced and symmetrical periodic tern, the rms value of the
output voltage can be obtained as a direct function of the
voltage space vector behaviour in a period [6]; it is

0.58 0.62 0.64 0.66

Fig.2 - Sth, 7-thand 11-th harmonics as function of reference amplitude r

The case n=l (amplitude of fundamental component of the

U& =q- J5 2n
(12)

generated phase voltages) is easier to handle starting again

from expression (7), since the particularisation of (8) Such general expression, detailed using (3) and (41, gives a
requires a limit evaluation of the indeterminate form O/O; Particularly simple result
using (3) and (4), expression (7) thus becomes

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 discontinuity. The frequency of the fundamental has been
intentionally taken rather low, to increase the gap with the
switching frequency, for a better filter action; of course,
similar results could be obtained at every fundamental
frequency, with a proper filter strengthening.

This relation states that the rms value of the phase voltage
is strictly increasing with r and with U,, thus confirming
that the worst harmonic content appears in the six-step
mode.

IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

The proposed SVM technique has been used in the voltage

control stage of a full-digital speed control of an Induction
Motor (IM)drive. The whole control m s on the DSllOl
processor board residing in a PC/AT host computer. Such
board features a fixed-point TMS320C1,4 DSP, and it is
Fig.5 - u * &just
~ before overmodulation(M=0.907)
completed with several software tools for fast software
development and debug; Fig.4 sketches the experimental
setup.

0-
INVERTER
I I I I

SUPPLY
Dc 1
............................................... 0
DS I 1 0 1 Board j
~

Fig.6 - U*# in the overmodulationrange, with r/U,,=0.6 (M=0.936)

I Spectrum
Analyser 1 =
Fig.4 - Experimental setup

Since the main goal is the test of the proposed

overmodulation technique, a separated voltage and frequency
control has been considered. The switching period was of
100 ps; the main program has been written in C language,
while Assembly was used for those parts particularly close to
the DSP resources as Compare/Capture timers.
As depicted in Fig.4, for the sake of simplicity the
measurements have been carried out on the signals u*.+~,
obtained from the switching commands S*a,b,ctrough a low- X-axis 50msldiv Y-axls 2VIdiv
pass frequency filter, to eliminate the switching frequency Fig7 - u * & in
~ six-step mode ( M = l )
and the related harmonics.
Following figures show the behaviour of the u * % ~referred
,~
The voltage harmonic content at different degree of
to a stationary a,P frame, respectively before the beginning overmodulation has been measured, showing an overall
of the overmodulation range (FigS), for a ratio r/UDc=U.6 agreement with the calculated results; in particular, Fig.8
(Fig.6) and in six-step mode (Fig.7). reports the low-frequency harmonic content of one of the
It is shown that due to the unique software management SVM command signals (U,*) produced by the novel
routine, the transition to six-step is smooth and without technique, under the same test condition of Fig.6 (r/UDc =

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0.6); it confirms a rather good match with the calculated perfect accordance with the results predicted by the theory of
values by expression (8),with n = 5,7,11. the space vector Fourier analysis.

IU"I '01 REFERENCES

* = calculated values
-
J.Holtz, "Pulsewidth Modulation A Survey", IEEE Trans. IE, vo1.39,
no.5, pp.410-420, December 1992
H.W.Van Der Broeck, H.C.Skudelny "Analysis and Realisation of a
Pulsewidth Modulator Based on Voltage Space Vector", IEEE Trans. IA,
vo1.24, no.1, pp.142-150, JanuaryIFebruary 1988
J.Holtz, W.Lotzkat, AKhambadkone, "OnContinuous Control of PWM
-20 Inverters in the Overmodulation Range Including the Six-Step Mode",
-2s IEEE Trans. PE, vo1.8, pp.546-553, October 1993
R.J.Kerkman, D.Leggate, B.J.Seibe1, T.M.Rowan, "An Overmodulation
-30
Strategy for PWM Voltage Inverters", Proc. of 19th Annual International
Conference on Industrial Electronics, Control and Instrumentation,
IECON'93, pp.1215-1221, Maui, Hawaii, November 1993
R.J.Kerkman, D.Leggate, T.M.Rowan, B.J. Seibel "Control of PWM
Voltage Inverters in the Pulse Dropping Region", Proc. of 9th Annual
Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC '94,
pp.521-528, Orlando, Florida, February 1994
It's worth to note that the actual phase voltage harmonic S.Bolognani, M.Zigliotto, "Space Vector Fourier Analysis of SVM
161
content, shown in Fig.8, also includes the multiple-of-three Inverters in The Overmodulation Range", Proceedings of ...PEDES '96,
components. They are not returned by (8) since the New Delhi, India, January 1996, in press
transformation (1) does not preserve the homopolar
component, that anyway vanishes considering the line-to-
line voltage.

V. CONCLUSIONS
It's easy to argue that different S V M strategies can manage
the transition from the pure sinusoidal operation to the six-
step mode with rather different side-effects, mainly related to
the harmonic content of the phase voltage and the
implementation complexity of the control algorithm. It is
anyway to highlight that

the range of overmodulation is less than 10% of the

whole range, and it is usually exploited during transients,
while steady state operations in overmodulation often fall
in the six-step mode;

0 IM has to be derated accordingly to the inverter harmonic

production, that is anyway maximum in six-step mode.

Therefore, even if an harmonic reduction is always

desirable, in this contest a simple and straightforward
implementation of the algorithm could yield the tangible
advantage of a lower CPU load, then a possible higher
switching frequency or, conversely, a less powerful and thus
cheaper microprocessor.
The proposed technique reveals a very simple structure,
and it is suitable even for low-cost, standard microcontroller-
based inverters. The voltage gain characteristic is not
strongly non-linear, thus enabling a direct compensation
without a memory-consuming look-up table.
The novel overmodulation strategy has been
experimentally tested and the measurements have been in

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