Realization of an inverter with PWM command for
photovoltaic system
S.Bechekir1
1 Laboratory:Intelligent
Control and Electrical Power System
ICEPS Djilali Liabes University of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria
2 Université de Haute Alsace, Laboratoire MIPS, 4 rue des
Frères Lumière, 68093 Mulhouse, France
seyfeddine.electrotechnique@gmail.com
Abstract—The objective of this work is to study and design a
solar inverter, of a power of exit of environ 500 VA with a tension
of entry of 12 VDC and an exit has purely sinusoidal wave of 230
VAC at a frequency of 50 Hz. The improvements made to the
inverter are primarily at the level of the order, with first of all,
the generation of a purely sinusoidal wave, but also the
monitoring of the tension of entry and output voltage as well as
the electronic temperature of the switches, which would make it
possible to preserve the correct operation of the inverter. Quite
conscious that the subject is extremely vast, the design also
related to the electronic part of power. The order is part of a
microcontroller (16F876A) which ensures the control and the
monitoring of the inverter.
Keywords—Photovoltaic Energy; Inverter; Protection; PWM;
Microcontroller.
I. INT RODUCT ION
As the world is concerned with fossil fuel exhaustion and
environmental problems caused by the conventional p ower
generation, renewable energy sources particularly solar energy
and wind energy have become very popular and demanding.
PV sources are used today in many applications as they have
the advantages of being maintenance and pollution free [1].
Solar-electric-energy demand has grown consistently by
20%-25% per annum over the past 20 years, which is mainly
due to the decreasing costs and prices. This decline has been
driven by
1) An increasing efficiency of solar cells;
2) manufacturing-technology improvements;
3) Economies of scale;
PV inverter, which is an important element in the PV
system.
Power inverter is a device that converts electrical power
from DC form to AC form using electronic circuits. It is
typical application is to convert battery voltag e into
conventional household AC voltage allowing you to use
electronic devices when an AC power is not available [2].
There are basically three kinds of Inverter out of which, the
first set of inverters made, which are now obsolete, produced a
Square Wave signal at the output [3, 4]. The Modified Square
IS.Bousmaha 1 , M.Brahami1 , Djaffar Ould Abdeslam2
1 Laboratory:Intelligent
Control and Electrical Power System
ICEPS Djilali Liabes University of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria
2 Université de Haute Alsace, Laboratoire MIPS, 4 rue des
Frères Lumière, 68093 Mulhouse, France
mbrahami@yahoo.com
Wave also known as the Modified Sine Wave Inverter
produces square waves with some dead spots between positive
and negative half-cycles at the output. The cleanest Utility
supply like Power source is provided by Pure Sine Wave
inverters [5]. The present Inverter market is going through a
shift from traditional Modified Sine Wave Inverter to Pure
Sine Wave inverters because of the benefits that these
inverters offer. [6]
II. CONCEPT TECHNIC OF INVERT ERS PHOT OVOLT AIC
The basic concept of the inverters is easily
comprehensible and it is independent of technology used. The
principal function of this apparatus is to create an alternating
voltage starting from a continuous tension.
This is why the central part of an inverter frequently
makes up of a bridge with semiconductors able to connect
each of the two poles of entry to each of the two poles of exit
by the means of an electronic switch (transistor).
The functional diagram which results show an inverter in
good functioning order at the level technical, and being able to
be utilized such as alimentation of load alternatives , is
represented on the figure below. [7]
Fig. 1. Basic montage of a photovoltaic inverter
This bridge, which commutates according to the rate o f
the frequency of the network (50 Hz), is able to make it
possible to feed the alternative loads. However, it would be
about a rectangular current in which there intensity do not
influenced on the charge. To be able to control the current and
to provide a sinusoidal current, we place at the output a coil
with an iron core which acting as accumulator of current. The
frequency of the rate of the bridge is around the 20 kHz, so
that it is possible to form a current of 50 Hz.

III. ST RUCT URE OF THE PHOT OVOLT AIC INVERT ER

PROPOSES

A. Description
Figure 2 shows the general structure of the simulated
photovoltaic system, which comes in the form of two blocks:
the power part and the command control.

Fig. 3. Structure intern of the PIC 16F876

The PIC16F876 PIC housing described in “Fig. 4”

Fig. 2. Functional diagram of the inverter therefore includes 28 pins: 22 pins I / O, 1 pin for
alimentation, 2 pins for the oscillator and a pin to reset
The object of the command of the inverter is to allow the (MCLR). [6]
production of a tension or an alternative current, through the
command orders applied to drivers of the power switch.
In our case, the heart of the ordering of the inverter is
based on a microcontrolor (16F876A) very powerful of the
family of Microchip. This microcontrolor is responsible for
the generation of the sinusoidal wave in real-time.

IV. M ICROCONT ROLLER PIC 16F876

The choice of a PIC is directly related on the application
envisaged, and the different advantages, which it gets:
x Not very expensive, it makes it possible to carry out
applications with very few components;
Our application uses a PIC 16F876-20, that is to say:
x 16 : Family Mid-Range ;
x F : Memory FLASH ;
x Type 876 ;
x Operating Frequency : DC - 20 MHz to the maximu m
Fig. 4. Pin Diagrams
x Only 35 single word instructions to learn
x Up to 8K x 14 words of FLASH Program Memory,
x Up to 368 x 8 bytes of Data Memory (RAM) V. SIMULAT ION OF THE INVERT ER ON PROT EUS (ISIS)
x Up to 256 x 8 bytes of EEPROM data memory The simulated photovoltaic inverter block diagram is
x I/O Ports : Ports A,B,C shown in “Fig. 5”.
x 3 Timers, Timer0 (8-bit timer/counter with 8-bit
The inverter output voltage is a pure sine wave produced
prescaler), Timer1 (16-bit timer/counter with
by the PWM module PIC with a frequency 20 kHz.
prescaler can be incremented during sleep via
external crystal/clock), Timer2 (8-bit timer/counter The inverter also includes the input voltage protection, the
with 8-bit period register, prescaler and regulation of output voltage and the output current and the
postscaler)[8]. protection against
x Wide operating voltage range: 2.0V to 5.5V

Fig. 5. ISIS diagram of the PV inverter
VI. PRINCIPLE OF GENERAT ION OF THE PWM
The inverter delivers several positive and negative slots
“Fig. 6”, which reduces the importance of the filter and have a
faster voltage regulator [9]. By modulating the relative time of
conduction and blocking, it is possible to distribute the voltage
during the period such that virtually the conduction time of a
switch is proportional to the instantaneous value of the
fundamental. This principle is called Pulse With Modulation
and is noted PWM.
Fig. 6. Gate Drive Inputs in Inverter Mode
Fig.7. PWM generation principle
Fig.8. Result of simulation
VII. A LGORIT HM OF COMMAND
There are many reactions of signals at the input of the
microcontroller necessary for proper operation of the inverter,
including:
A. The input voltage sensor (battery).
B. Temperature Sensor (Rt, NTC-47k) electronic switches.
C. Output sensor alternating current, AC output voltage
(230V).
The current, main source of heating, Fact of lowering
considerably the efficiency of the inverter and it can damage
this last. This is why a forced cooling is set up to divert this
problem in order to obtain a better output. The leds L1 , L2 ,
inform us on the state of the inverter:
1. L1 (green) → Started
2. L2 (red) → Battery low (< 10 V)
3. L1 (green) flickering → awake
4. L2 (red) flashing → High temperature of the power
transistors.
The block diagram of the algorithm of the controls used in
this paper shown in “Fig. 9”.
 Fig. 12. Simulation (DC/AC) Converter (Matlab simulink)

IX. REALIZAT ION

Insertion of components on the printed circuit board.

Fig. 9. Algorithm of command

We implemented the control routine in a 16F876A PIC

microcontroller, and we configured the conversion module A /
D integrated in this circuit, to start the automatic conversion.

VIII. RESULT S OBT AINED

In the following figures are represented the inverter
output signals.

Fig. 13. Insertion of components

Fig. 10. Power circuit

Fig. 14. Complete circuit (power part and command)

Fig. 11. Output signal of the inverter with proteus ISIS All tests were performed in 50 Hz mode (you can check
the frequency of results).
A. No-load test
The waveforms obtained practically to the output of the
inverter and the control are given respectively in “Fig. 15, 16,
17, 18”.

Fig. 18. Output signal of the inverter

With a temperature very high of the switches (mosfet) the

NTC heats and gives the order to the FAN pin which must
generate the signal below “Fig. 19”.

Fig. 15. Inverter Mode Operation

For the Positive Half of the Sine Wave generation, Q 2 is

always high ,Q1 is always off , Q3 is applied with 20 kHz
PWM corresponding to Positive Half cycle 50Hz sine wave
and Q4 is applied with corresponding complementary (to Q3 )
PWM . For the Negative Half 50 Hz sine wave generation, Q4
is always high, Q3 is always off, Q1 is applied with 20 kHz
PWM corresponding to positive half cycle 50 Hz sine wave
and Q2 is applied with Q1 complementary PWM.

Fig. 19. Output signal of the PIC FAN pin

B. Test in load
Test with a resistive load without transformer R= 33kΩ.

Fig. 16. Output signal of the PIC pin PWM and pin A/B

Fig 20. T est with a resistive load

Test with a resistive load to the transformer output

R=10kΩ of 2W.

Fig. 17. Output signal of the 74LS257 (74HC257)

Fig. 21. T est with transformer
 The inductive load consists of a resistance of 50Ω and a
reel of 1.0 H (resistance intern 12Ω about).
Fig. 22. Montage of test with a load RL
Current Voltage
Fig. 23. Signal of output current and voltage
Fig. 24. T he inverter realized
X. CONCLUSION
This work was intended to the realization of a
photovoltaic inverter by PWM command to eliminate
troublesome harmonics and get a current quasi-sinusoidal at
the output.
We chose as the heart of the inverter command a
microcontroller (16F876A) very powerful from Microchip
family. This microcontroller is responsible for the generation
of the sine wave in real time.
To analyze, design and control the power electronic
structure carried out, we use modeling and dynamic simulation
using the Proteus ISIS.
No one can deny the importance and place more
remarkable that hold the inverter by making these devices a
vast area of research.
Indeed, it is an essential part of power electronics having
a profound influence in the field of technology. Relatively and
following this choice place, the inverters need to be an axis of
trust and study.
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