
PIC18F1230/1330
2009 Microchip Technology Inc.
DS39758D-page 135
14.7
Dead-Time Generators
In power inverter applications, where the PWMs are
used in Complementary mode to control the upper and
lower switches of a half-bridge, a dead-time insertion is
highly recommended. The dead-time insertion keeps
both outputs in inactive state for a brief time. This
avoids any overlap in the switching during the state
change of the power devices due to TON and TOFF
characteristics.
Because the power output devices cannot switch
instantaneously, some amount of time must be
provided between the turn-off event of one PWM output
in a complementary pair and the turn-on event of the
other transistor. The PWM module allows dead time to
be programmed. The following sections explain the
dead-time block in detail.
14.7.1
DEAD-TIME INSERTION
Each complementary output pair for the PWM module
has a 6-bit down counter used to produce the dead-
time unit has a rising and falling edge detector
connected to the duty cycle comparison output. The
dead time is loaded into the timer on the detected PWM
edge event. Depending on whether the edge is rising or
falling, one of the transitions on the complementary
outputs is delayed until the timer counts down to zero.
A timing diagram, indicating the dead-time insertion for
FIGURE 14-17:
DEAD-TIME CONTROL UNIT BLOCK DIAGRAM FOR ONE PWM OUTPUT PAIR
FIGURE 14-18:
DEAD-TIME INSERTION FOR COMPLEMENTARY PWM
Even PWM Signal to
Output Control Block
Odd PWM Signal to
Output Control Block
Zero Compare
Clock Control
and Prescaler
6-Bit Down Counter
Duty Cycle
Compare Input
Dead Time
Prescale
FOSC
Dead Time
Select Bits
Dead-Time Register
td
PDC1
Compare
Output
PWM1
PWM0
td