Performance of three algorithms for frequency measurement under transient conditions

This article compares the transient performance of three algorithms for electric frequency measurement. The algorithms are based on different techniques: (a) measurement of intervals between zero-crossings; (b) adjustment of points to a sinusoidal waveform; and (c) measurement of phase shift between fundamental components of Discrete Fourier Transform. The comparison was performed by application of the three algorithms to signals obtained by numerical simulation and to voltage waveforms sampled in experimental cases. For the case of numerically simulated signals, a theoretical frequency was defined as a reference value for the comparison with the measured values. In the experimental sampled waveforms, the effect of abrupt signal changes and the effect of filters are shown. The characteristics of the filters were selected to obtain a similar time delay in the measurement of a step in the frequency. With such filters, the three algorithms showed a similar transient behavior in all the analyzed cases. The analysis of the effect of harmonic distortion in the voltage signal is out of the scope of this article.