MSP430 microcontrollers – Applications
Building automation
We are committed to providing a broad portfolio of MCUs that can be used in virtually every smart building product or application. Smarter sensing, energy and power efficiency and analog integration features allow you to monitor and control intelligent buildings to create safe, efficient and enjoyable building environments. Here’s some featured building systems that can benefit from a comprehensive, single platform of MSP430™ MCUs:
Fire safety
Fire & smoke detector
Smoke detector designs are challenged to optimize the BOM while meeting the industry standards and maintaining the lowest power consumption. With a history spanning decades of support for the smoke detector market, MSP430 microcontrollers help our customers solve key design challenges.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| 10 years+ battery life or drive more sensor nodes by bus power | ‹2uA average power consumption |
| Ability to detect small photodiode currents | Low leakage internal transimpedance |
| More accurate detection of smokes and distinction between real smoke vs. nuisance | Integrated OPAmps and DACs to enable dual-ray detection to achieve higher accuracy vs. single-ray detection |
| Optimized BOM while meeting industry standards | MCU with integrated OPAmps, PGAs, DACs, ADC and temp sensor to help to reduce BOM |
| Enable rapid prototyping and testing | Software configurable integrated analog signal chain elements |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2311 | MSP430FR2311 LaunchPad™ development kit | |
| MSP430FR2355 LaunchPad™ development kit | ||
| MSP430F2274 | 38-pin target development board | Reference design: Implementing Transimpedance Amplifier with MSP430F2272 |
Building security systems
Access control
Add capacitive touch to your security system keypad and electronic smart lock designs with MSP430 capacitive sensing microcontrollers. Leverage a broad portfolio that can scale with your needs – from discrete touch solutions to SoCs for more system control.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Energy efficiency / long battery life | Benchmark performance for standby current consumption |
| Small form factor and board size | Flexible sensor/button design for small board space |
| Resistance to harsh elements/environments | IPX5-rated solutions for water/moisture rejection |
| RF noise immunity | Spread spectrum modulation and frequency hopping techniques to reduce antenna interference |
| Time to market | Real-time tuning and code generation with CapTIvate Design Center |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
Motion & occupancy detection
Motion and occupancy detectors are a common fixture in most residential & commercial spaces. They enable energy-efficient lighting systems, as well as the detection of security threats. MSP430 microcontrollers allow for the implementation of low-power motion detectors based on both digital & analog PIR sensors.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| 10 years+ battery life | Flexible low power modes <1uA |
| Efficient and effective analog signal chain for long detection range | MCU with integrated OPAmps, PGAs, DACs, ADC and temp sensor |
| Scalable options allowing for rapid prototyping of analog or digital sensors | Wide portfolio with high integration of analog and digital interfaces |
| Small form factor and board size | Wide variety of packages down to 2mm2 |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430F2013 | 14-pin Target Development Board for MSP430F2x | Application note: Ultra low-power motion detection using the MSP430F2013 |
Lighting & HVAC
Lighting
Revolutionize your traditional lighting control design with MSP430 capacitive sensing MCUs. Enhance functionality by adding dimming control, color mixing, and proximity backlighting. Improve aesthetics with sleek, modern overlay materials, and reduce mechanical complexity by eliminating moving parts.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Touch detection reliability/robustness | SYNC feature to align capacitive touch measurements to AC zero crossings |
| Small form factor and board size | Flexible sensor/button design for small board space |
| State retention for on/off or dimming settings in case of power loss | Built-in non-volatile FRAM with unlimited writes |
| RF noise immunity | Spread spectrum modulation and frequency hopping techniques to reduce antenna interference |
| Time to market | Real-time tuning and code generation with CapTIvate Design Center |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2522 |
Thermostat
Whether you are designing a simple thermostat or a smart thermostat with intuitive HMI, MSP430 microcontrollers help you address complex challenges and deliver what’s next in thermostat design. MSP430 microcontrollers can help with ultra-low-power consumption, more functionality, and better aesthetics and design.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Intuitive HMI design within space constraints, Capacitive touch functionality for better user interface | CapTIvate™ technology can support tiny buttons or sliders. |
| Reduce false detects for capacitive touch designs, enable battery life over 15 years and support waterproof, glove-friendly designs | CapTIvate™ technology with 0.9µA/button, 10V rms noise immunity and support for metal overlays |
| Reduced BOM cost | Integrated LCD driver, OPAMPs/PGAs, DACs and Real Time Clock helps to reduce discrete components on board. |
| Ultra-low-power for higher battery lifetime | Standby current < 1uA with RTC |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2633 | Capacitive touch MSP430FR2633 MCU board | Reference design: Capacitive Touch Based User Interface with Proximity Sensing and LED Animation |
| MSP430FR4133 | MSP430FR4133 LaunchPad Development Kit | Reference design: Thermostat implementation with low-power MCU |
| MSP430FR2353 | MSP430FR2355 LaunchPad development kit | White paper: Smart Analog Combo Enabling Tomorrow's Sensing and Measurement Applications |
| MSP430FR6972 | MSP430FR6989 LaunchPad Development Kit |
Grid infrastructure
Our solutions and broad portfolio of devices enable efficient energy management and delivery to develop a grid that meets global compliance standards for long-term reliability and future-proofing. Whether it’s implementing ultrasonic sensing for higher accuracy and precision, making mechanical meters smarter, or creating more cost-effective electric meters, we offer a wide variety of SoCs, host MCUs, and analog front-end to meet your every need.
Ultrasonic flow meters
With no moving or mechanical parts, ultrasonic sensing technique is the preferred technology for high accuracy static water, heat and gas meters. MSP430 MCUs with integrated ultrasonic sensing analog front end helps customers to design their products to exceed the performance standards, achieve higher battery life and quicken time to market,
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Achieve accurate low flow detection and high dynamic range | Integrated AFE with impedance matching and cross correlation technique |
| Extend battery life to achieve full potential | Ultra-low power core, high speed ADC and effective use of Low Energy Accelerator (LEA) for digital signal processing |
| Lower system cost | Adapt low cost, off the shelf transducers without compromising metrology performance or accuracy |
| Easier to develop and expedite time to market | Comprehensive reference design with guidance on measurement profile and Ultrasonic Design Center SW |
| Lower production time and cost | Enhanced calibration technique across temperature and flow rates |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
Rotary/mechanical flow meters
In today’s world of connected applications, there's a trend is to convert mechanical meters into smart flow meters. MSP430 MCUs with integrated scan interface enable this trend by supporting multiple sensing technologies (like optical sensing, magnetic sensing and LC sensors) for flow measurement.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Optimized cost and higher accuracy of mechanical flow measurement | System on chip with enhanced scan interface peripheral enables higher accuracy and lower cost |
| Ultra-low-power background flow measurement | Ultra-low-power active (100uA/MHz) and standby modes (350nA) |
| Fast and low power data logging and firmware update possibility | Integrated FRAM memory enables 100x faster data write speed compared to standard Flash memory |
| Advanced security for automated meter reading, automated meter infrastructure needs | AES256 and true random number seed for random number generation algorithm |
| Expedite time to develop and time to market | Reference design and evaluation modules to speed up the design phase |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR6989 | Water meter extented scan interface (ESI) enabled, ultra-low power MSP430FR6989 evaluation module | Reference design: Water meter for three LC Sensors |
| MSP430FR4133 | MSP430FR6989 LaunchPad Development Kit | Reference design: Water meter with FRAM |
| MSP430FW429 | 64-pin Target Development Board | |
| MSP430FR6972 | MSP430FR6989 LaunchPad Development Kit |
Electricity meters
Electricity meters
E-Meters are often required to meet ANSI C12.20 and IEC 62053 accuracy standards, and at the same time enhance system security and code/data protection for smart electric meters. MSP430 microcontrollers with high precision ADCs & sophisticated peripherals enable a single chip solution to achieve these requirements and goals.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Supporting sensors across different designs and architectures | Flexibility to design with current transformers, shunts or other sensors, and a broad portfolio for single and 3 phase meters |
| Achieve <0.1/<0.2% accuracy over 2000:1 dynamic input range for phase current | High precision Sigma Delta ADCs with integrated PGAs to achieve higher accuracy |
| Reduce cases of energy theft and revenue loss due to meter tampering (magnetic and mechanical) | Hardware real-time clock with separate Vbat and tamper detect IOs |
| Reduce system level cost | System on chip with 24-bit, 7 individual Sigma Delta ADCs with differential inputs and integrated PGAs, LCD controller & RTC |
| Implementing and testing complex metrology functions and scaling across multiple configurations may delay time to market | Faster time to market enabled by easier implementation of metrology functions through Energy Measurement Design Center (EMDC) |
| Achieving ultra-long run-time with >10yrs battery life | Ultra-low-power modes with <2uA standby mode |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430I2041 | MSP-TS430RHB32A | Reference design: Low-Cost Single/Dual-Phase Isolated Electricity Measurement |
| MSP430F6736A | EVM430-F6736 | |
| MSP430F6779A | EVM430-F6779 | |
| MSP430F67641A | Energy Measurement Design Center | Reference design: Class 0.5 accuracy 3-phase smart meter |
Factory automation
Our integrated MCUs enable designers to build transmitters with high precision, energy and power efficiency, communication capabilities, and small form factor.
Field transmitters
Field transmitters convert temperature/pressure/flow measurement into an electrical representation and transmit them over a loop powered 4-20 mA interface, an IO-Link interface or wireless connection. MSP430 MCUs offer unique advantages for both the measurement of parameters as well as the interfaces used for transmission of those measurements.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Precision signal chain for sensing | Integrated configurable signal chain elements including OpAmps, PGAs, DACs and ADCs |
| Quick firmware update for IO-Link, without stalling the CPU or blocking the memory | Integrated FRAM memory is 100x faster than Flash memory - no buffering or pre-erase required |
| Ultra-low current consumption, especially for loop powered applications | Ultra-low power consumption (<700na standby power and ~100uA/MHz) |
| Small form factor and extended operating temperature | MCU options with105C operating temperature and small package size (4x4, 5x5) |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2355 – 32KB FRAM, 105C, 4x4 package, Integrated DACs & PGAs | MSP430FR2355 LaunchPad™ development kit | Application note: How to Use the Smart Analog Combo in MSP430™ MCUs |
| MSP430FR2476 – 64KB FRAM, 105C, 5x5 package | MSP430FR2476 LaunchPad™ development kit | Training: MSP430 MCUs Smart Analog Combo |
| MSP430FR5969 – 64KB FRAM, 7x7 package | MSP430FR5969 LaunchPad Development Kit | Reference design: IO-Link Firmware Update leveraging |
| MSP430FR5738 – 16KB FRAM, 2x2/4x4 package | 40-pin Target Development Board |
Other applications
What products are you developing? The broad MSP430 MCU portfolio offers more than 1,000 orderable part numbers of 16-bit MCUs that can match your design needs in virtually every industry, design, and application. For example:
Speakers
Users demand sleek interfaces with controls beyond mechanical buttons. With MSP430 capacitive touch MCUs, you can enable swipe gestures for skipping/rewinding, drag gestures to adjust volume, and tap gestures for pause/play/mute operations.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Energy efficiency / long battery life | Benchmark performance for standby current consumption |
| Advanced touch gestures | Support and example library for control gestures |
| Resistance to harsh elements/environments for outdoor/recreational speakers | IPX5-rated solutions for water/moisture rejection |
| RF noise immunity | Spread spectrum modulation and frequency hopping techniques to reduce antenna interference |
| Time to market | Real-time tuning and code generation with CapTIvate Design Center |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2522 |
Blood glucose monitors
Reduce time to market and system complexity with our fully integrated blood glucose meter SoC’s. Offering designers flexible, yet precise analog peripherals, an integrated LCD driver and USB capability combined with an energy efficient MSP430 microcontroller.
| Design challenge | MSP430 advantages & benefits |
|---|---|
| Precise current measurement required | 12 & 16-bit ADC’s tightly coupled with op-amps provide a high performance signal chain solution |
| Cost optimized design target | Highly integrated single chip solution reduces overall BOM |
| Long battery life from CR2032 cell | Flexible power modes allow extended life with <1uA RTC |
| Featured devices | Tools and development kits | Design resources |
|---|---|---|
| MSP430FR2355 | MSP430FR2355 LaunchPad development kit | |
| MSP430FG4618 Experimenters board |