Design and implementation of fast PWM boost converter based on low cost microcontroller for photovoltaic systems

This paper presents the design and implementation of PWM boost converter using an 8-bit microcontroller that can be employed to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in photovoltaic systems (PV). In this paper, the used microcontroller is Arduino Uno that is based on microcontroller Atmega 328. Furthermore, the used PWM is governed using a Fast PWM Mode that is able to run at high frequency. The Fast PWM Mode is obtained by setting Wave Generation Mode (WGM) and Compare Output Mode (COM) that exist in this microcontroller. To validate the performance of the system, the proposed PWM is implemented and experimentally investigated to control a PV system. Instead of the PV modules, an Agilent Photovoltaic Simulator is employed. The experimental results demonstrate good performance under variable PWM.