Motor bus switching

A method, comprising:

• providing a motor;
• providing an inverter circuit configured to selectively energize phase windings of the motor, the inverter circuit including a first inverter leg, a second inverter leg and a third inverter leg, each of the first, second and third inverter legs including first and second power switches connected in series between first and second power rails;
• providing a first DC voltage input to the inverter circuit at a first DC voltage level;
• determining a voltage level of a DC bus capacitor connected between the first and second power rails;
• and
• in response to the determined voltage level of the DC bus capacitor reaching a predetermined voltage level, providing a second DC voltage input to the inverter circuit at a second DC voltage level lower than the first DC voltage level.

A motor control system, comprising:

• an inverter circuit including a first inverter leg, a second inverter leg and a third inverter leg, each of the first, second and third inverter legs including first and second power switches connected in series between first and second power rails, the inverter circuit configured to selectively output energization signals to phase windings of a motor;
• a DC link discharge circuit configured to monitor a voltage level of a DC bus capacitor connected between the first and second power rails;
• and
• a bus switching circuit configured to selectively output one of a first DC voltage level or a second DC voltage level to the inverter circuit in response to an output of the DC link discharge circuit.