Patent ID: 6900998

Claim:
A switch cell, that is used in a switch branch of a matrix converter, that generates a multilevel output voltage signal from a multiphase ac electrical input signal having a first set of voltages, frequencies and phases, said output voltage signal being applied to an output leg of said matrix converter to generate a multiphase ac electrical output signal having different voltages, frequencies and phases, said switch comprising: four inverter arms, each of said four inverter arms comprising a diode having a positive pole and a negative pole, and a transistor having a gate, an emitter and a collector, said emitter connected to said negative pole of said diode and said collector connected to said positive pole of said diode, a first of said four inverter arms being connected to a positive node of said full bridge inverter and to an input leg of said plurality of input legs, a second of said four inverter arms being connected to said positive node of said full bridge inverter and to an output leg of said plurality of output legs, a third of said four inverter arms being connected to a negative node of said full bridge inverter and to said input leg, and a fourth of said four inverter arms being connected to said negative node of said full bridge inverter and to said output leg; a capacitor that is connected between said positive node of said full bridge inverter and said negative node of said full bridge inverter, that is charged to a dc voltage from said multiphase ac electrical input signal to produce said multilevel output voltage signal.