MICROCONTROLLER SOLUTIONS

Ultra-Low-Power MCUs Integrate Flash and Intelligent Peripherals

The first devices in the new MSP430x5xxx generation of ultra-low-power MCUs from Texas Instruments provide high-performance analogue integration and industry-leading power specifications. The six Flash-based F54xx devices consume as little as 160μA/MHz and offer performance of up to 25MHz.



With Flash memory capacity of 256KByte and up to 16KByte RAM, the devices include intelligent peripherals that draw power only when in operation. An advanced Power Management Module (PMM) allows designers to dynamically select the optimum core voltage to execute the task in hand, while enabling accurate power on reset and supply voltage supervision with monitoring. A unified clock system offers a selection of clocks to achieve the right mix of power and precision, including an option for operation without a crystal.

The devices also include a true 32-bit Real-Time Clock (RTC) with an alarm. Requiring just 1.5µA of standby current, this feature enables batteries to operate without servicing for 20 years or longer. A wake up time of less than 5µs with full status retention from both standby and sleep modes provides full performance on demand and instant reaction to events like external interrupts. Multi-channel Direct Memory Access (DMA) permits data exchange with peripherals while the core remains in low-power modes.

MSP430F5xx MCUs, which are fully code compatible with existing MSP430 controllers, are designed for use in battery powered portable systems and metering, as well as battery-less devices that rely on energy harvesting from solar power, vibration energy or human body temperature. The new devices offer Flash read/erase/write capability down to 1.8V; for applications based on two AAA batteries, Flash write is possible down to the battery end-of-life voltage of 0.9V.



Future devices in the series will incorporate Radio Frequency (RF), USB, encryption and LCD peripherals, allowing designers to add functions needed in fields such personal medical, home automation, human interface control, portable instrumentation, remote sensing, consumer electronics and security.

Package options include both 80- and 100-pin Thin Quad FlatPacks (TQFPs).

Features

• 16-bit MSP430-series MCUs
• Up to 25MHz: 12MHz at 1.8V
• 1.5µA standby with full retention and 5µs wake-up
• Up to 256KByte Flash
  • Read/erase/write down to 1.8V
  • Read during erase
• Up to 16KByte RAM
• Multi-channel DMA
• 12-bit ADC
• Up to four Universal Serial Communications Interfaces (USCI)
• Flexible clocking
• Real-Time Clock
• On-chip multiplier
• Power Management Module
• 80-pin or 100-pin TQFP

Applications

• Metering
• Security
• Portable medical
• Industrial
• General purpose
• Energy harvesting

For further information, including a copy of the MSP430F5438 Datasheet, please click here