Start development with our MSP430™ microcontrollers
Our design and development ecosystem can help simplify your design process. Explore design options and find resources for MSP430™ microcontrollers (MCUs) to help make it easier for you to get to market.
Investigate & find the right device
Ready to find the right device for your application? We make it easy to explore your options and start your development journey. Use our product search to identify the right MSP430 microcontroller for you.
Easy exploration with limited investment
Using cloud resources, you don't need to purchase hardware, or even download software to verify if you have the right device. Our MSP430 training academy provides a starting point to learn about our MSP430 microcontrollers portfolio and learn more through our test code examples.
Evaluation
We are committed to simplifying your evaluation process. You have access to a variety of evaluation resources, including hardware, software and cloud-based tools, to help make the evaluation process easy and efficient.
Step 1 of evaluation: select your hardware
Start evaluating our MSP430 MCU portfolio by leveraging a modular ecosystem that gives you flexibility to evaluate the MCUs, using the LaunchPad™ development kits, evaluation modules (EVM), and BoosterPack™ plug-in modules. The following hardware development kits are the most popular to start evaluating your design with.
MSP-EXP430FR2433
The MSP-EXP430FR2433 is a LaunchPad™ development kit that has 16 kB of FRAM memory and a 10-bit ADC that includes on-board debug probe for programming, debugging and energy measurements. This tool can get you started with our housekeeping functions.
MSP-EXP430FR2355
The MSP-EXP430FR2355 is a LaunchPad™ development kit that has 32 kB of FRAM memory and configurable smart analog combos (12-bit DACs and PGAs) to help you get started with development.
MSP-EXP430FR6989
The MSP-EXP430FR6989 is a LaunchPad™ development kit that has 128 kB of FRAM memory, 12-bit ADC, 320-segment LCD controller and a dual AFE to help you get started with development.
MSP-EXP430F5529LP
The MSP-EXP430F5529LP is a LaunchPad™ development kit that has 128 kB of FRAM memory, 12-bit ADC and USB 2.0 support to help you get started with development.
EVM430-FR6047
The EVM430-FR6047 is an EVM that helps you develop ultrasonic water metering solutions with direct interface to transducers ranging from 150 KHz to 2.5 MHz, display measurement parameters with an on-board LCD and connect to RF communication modules.
CAPTIVATE-FR2676
The CAPTIVATE-FR2676 is a base MCU board that you can use in the CapTIvate™ capacitive touch MCU ecosystem featuring the MSP430FR2676.
Additional LaunchPad™ development kits
| Kit name | Features |
|---|---|
| MSP430FR2311 LaunchPad development kit | 4 KB of FRAM memory, an integrated transimpedance amplifier (TIA), op amp and 10-bit ADC, and enhanced comparator. |
| MSP430FR4133 LaunchPad development kit | 16 KB of FRAM memory, LCD support, a 10-bit ADC, three 16-bit timers with 60 GPIO. |
| MSP430FR5969 LaunchPad development kit | 64 KB of FRAM memory with 12-bit ADC, 5x 16-bit timers, 16 channel comparator, AES256, and a 3 channel internal DMA. |
| MSP430FR2476 LaunchPad development kit | 64 KB of FRAM memory, a 12-bit ADC, enhanced comparator, four 16-bit timers and 43 GPIOs. |
| MSP430FR5994 LaunchPad development kit | 256 KB of FRAM memory and an integrated low-energy accelerator for signal processing. The EVM has a microSD card slot and super capacitor for use without an external power supply. |
| MSP430G2x LaunchPad development kit | 16 KB of flash with two 16-bit timers, 8-channel comparator and 8-channel 10-bit ADC now with an on-board EZ-FET emulator with EnergyTrace technology and a 14/20-pin DIP socket. |
Additional BoosterPack™ plug-in modules
MSP430 BoosterPack plug-in modules can be paired with LaunchPad development kits to provide additional features and functionality including sensing capabilities, LCDs and battery packs.
| Kit name | Features |
|---|---|
| Audio BoosterPack plug-in module | Adds audio input functionality from a microphone, audio output through an on-board speaker as well as headphone input and output. |
| Capacitive touch keypad BoosterPack plug-in module | Easily evaluate capacitive touch sensing with a 12-button, backlit capacitive touch keypad. The BoosterPack Plug-in Module can be used with a LaunchPad development kit, the CapTIvate development kit or CapTIvate programmer board. |
| Educational BoosterPack plug-in module | Provides various analog and digital inputs/outputs at your disposal including an analog joystick, environmental and motion sensors, RGB LED, microphone, buzzer, color LCD display and more. |
| Fuel Tank / Battery BoosterPack plug-in module | Allows LaunchPad development kits to be powered from the included rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The BoosterPack Plug-in Module also includes an on-board lithium polymer battery charger and gas gauge. |
| Infrared (IR) BoosterPack plug-in module | Provides simple integration of Infrared (IR) transceiver functionality to start developing remote control applications using the on-board keypad, IR LED transmitter and IR receiver/demodulator. |
Step 2 of evaluation: download & set up software
Our software resources (royalty and license free) provide access to all components needed for the evaluation and production of your embedded system.
General-purpose MCUs software
MSP430Ware™ software
The MSP430Ware software is a collection of design resources for developing with MSP430 MCUs including a wide selection of highly abstracted software libraries. The software is available as a component of Code Composer Studio™ IDE desktop and cloud versions, or as a standalone package.
GUI composer
The GUI composer helps you easily create custom HTML GUIs that can interact with the programs running on your target device. A wide variety of different web components are provided that allow you to control the target device and display data sent from the target device.
MSP housekeeping MCUs
This software helps you implement different housekeeping functions, such as driving LEDs, monitoring system voltage levels and waking up the main processor on an event detection.
Advanced sensing MCUs software
CapTIvate™ MCU design center
The CapTIvate™ MCU design center GUI is a one-stop resource for everything related to CapTIvate capacitive sensing technology integrated on MSP430 microcontrollers. It includes tools, documentation and software examples that can simplify and accelerate capacitive touch designs.
Energy measurement design center
The energy measurement design center is a rapid development tool that enables energy measurement using a graphical user interface (GUI), documentation, software library and examples that can simplify development and accelerate designs in a wide range applications.
Ultrasonic sensing design center
The ultrasonic design center is a one-stop resource to develop ultrasonic sensing applications. Our resource includes tools, a GUI, documentation, software libraries and application examples.
Development
Simplify your development tasks and accelerate your time-to-market with our proven hardware, software and tools. Everything you need to move forward to production is at your fingertips. We are here to help you navigate the development process and accelerate your embedded system design.
Explore our MSP430 microcontroller development ecosystem
| Software | Description |
|---|---|
| Code Composer Studio™ IDE | An Eclipse-based IDE that provides a suite of tools to develop and debug embedded applications. |
| MSP FET | An emulation development tool – often called a debug probe – which allows users to quickly begin development on microcontrollers. |
| MSP430 academy | A training series which acts as a great starting point for all developers to learn about the MSP430 MCU Platform which provides affordable solutions for all applications. |
| MSP430Ware™ software | A collection of design resources for developing with MSP430 MCUs including a wide selection of highly abstracted software libraries. The software is available as a component of Code Composer Studio™ IDE desktop and cloud versions, or as a standalone package. |
| UniFlash | A stand-alone tool recommended for programming on-board flash memory for Arm-based microcontrollers. |
| Ultra-low-power advisor & Energy Trace | These two tools are used together to optimize current consumption in your product. The ultra-low-power advisor analyzes your code and gives you recommendations to reduce your current consumption. The Energy Trace tool helps you trace the usage of current in your design. |
| GUI composer gallery | A composer gallery that has a wide range of starting examples to help you with demo development. |
| Design center GUIs | Tools, documentation and software examples to simplify and accelerate capacitive touch designs using MSP430 CapTIvate MCUs. Drag and drop capacitive buttons, sliders, wheels and proximity sensors to the workspace and use the GUI to generate code, configure and tune in real time. |
Production
As you finalize your design and prepare to bring it to market, we are committed to delivering the resources you need to ensure you get to market quickly and smoothly. No matter your challenge, we are here to support you through your final development phase. Learn more about some third-party tools to get you into production.
Production design tools
Our production tools help you quickly ramp to production and start creating your designs. The table below represents our featured production tools.
| Programming tool / provider | What is this tool? | Tool/service type | Capacity (throughput) | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Software | Services | ||||
| MSP-FET | Debugging, in-system programming, off board programming | Units in parallel: 1 | Global | |||
| MSP-GANG | Mass production in-system and off board programming | Units in parallel: 8 | Global | |||
| UniFlash | Global | |||||
| MSP BSL | In-system programming | Global | ||||
Third-party network
To best meet your design needs and accelerate your time to market, we work with a variety of third parties to help with everything from software development to hardware design and other production services. The table below represents a portion of our third-party partner network.
| Programming tool / provider | What is this tool? | Tool/service type | Capacity (throughput) | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Software | Services | ||||
| EPS | World-wide programming service provider with programming and tape & reel service offerings | Units in parallel: 1 | Global | |||
| Action Circuits | Europe-based programming service provider with programming and tape & reel services offering | Units in parallel: 8 | Global | |||
| Dediprog | Programmer and programming service (Taiwan-based) provider | Taiwan | ||||
| Flatek | Programmer and programming service (Taiwan-based) provider | Taiwan | ||||
| Elprotronic | Flash & Gang programmer and software provider | Units in parallel: 64 | Global | |||
| Olimex | MSP430 JTAG hardware programmer provider | Units in parallel: 1 | Europe | |||
| Elnec | Europe-based production and universal programmer provider | Single-site | Europe | |||
| Phyton | In-system and universal programmer provider | Single-site | Americas | |||
| Data IO | Volume throughput: > 1000 | Global | ||||
| BPM Micro | Provides a complete ecosystem of manual and automated universal programming solution | Volume throughput: > 1000 | Global | |||
| Acroview | China-based universal programmer and programming service provider | China | ||||
| Hi-Lo Systems | Automated programming system and programming service provider | Single-site | Americas | |||
| Xeltek | Universal programmer provider | Single-site | Global | |||
| SMH Technologies | In-system programming tool provider | Single-site | Americas | |||