In this paper, a ‘k’-state inverter producing a higher number of voltage levels was designed, and we studied the inverter's working. Further, a tri-state inverter was derived from the ‘k’-state inverter, which could build a maximum number of output voltage levels with the requirement of fewer components, thereby reducing the cost and size. A single Tri-state architecture generates three direct current (D.C.) voltage levels; therefore, cascading five tri-state architectures can generate 242 levels of DC voltages. Further, the inversion is done via the H bridge, which leads to 485 levels of the output voltage. Algorithms to design the amplitude of voltage sources and the generation of pulses are discussed in this paper. The proposed tri-state inverter takes a significant role in advancing renewable energy systems in utilizing inverter technology. A simulation study validated the operation of the proposed inverter. Moreover, an experimental setup was built for a single-phase 485-level inverter, and the structure’s performance was verified through the experimental results.