What is Pulse-width modulation (PWM)?

A method that adjusts average voltage or power by varying the high time of an output while keeping the period constant. Used to dim LEDs and control motor speed.

Field: Embedded Systems & Firmware

Pulse-width modulation (PWM) in the explanations

Questions that mention Pulse-width modulation (PWM) (6)

  1. When a microcontroller produces an analog voltage by passing a PWM signal through a low-pass filter, what determines the output voltage?
  2. A PWM signal has a period of 1000 counts, with the output high (1) for 250 counts of each period. What is the duty cycle?
  3. When a constant current keeps flowing into a capacitor, how does its voltage change?
  4. What is the main role of an inverter in power electronics?
  5. How many switching devices does a typical three-phase inverter for driving a three-phase motor use?
  6. Which method is commonly used by microcontrollers to adjust LED brightness or motor speed?

Related terms

Microcontroller Duty cycle Baud rate Bootloader Brown-out detection Contact bounce Debouncing GPIO Hard real-time I2C

Back to the glossary