System and method for driving three-phase motor

A system for driving a three-phase motor having a first leg, a second leg and a third leg, said system comprising:

• a driver operable to provide a pulse-width modulated driving signal and a linear driving signal;
• a switch operable to connect to connect the first leg to ground, to connect the second leg and to said driver and to float the third leg;
• and
• a controller operable to instruct said driver to drive said second leg with the pulse-width modulated driving signal at a first time and to instruct said driver to drive said second leg with the linear driving signal at a second time,
• wherein the second time corresponds to a time when a voltage in the third leg reaches a predetermined threshold.

A tangible computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being capable of being read by a computer to be used for driving a three-phase motor with a driver, the driver being operable to provide a pulse-width modulated driving signal and a linear driving signal, the three-phase motor having a first leg, a second leg and a third leg, the tangible computer-readable instructions being capable of instructing the computer to perform the method comprising:

• connecting the second leg to the driver;
• floating the third leg;
• driving the second leg with the pulse-width-modulated driving signal from the driver;
• estimating a time when a voltage in the third leg will reach a predetermined threshold;
• and
• driving the second leg with the linear driving signal during the time.