TI’s single-chip MCU and low power RF solution

The unique blend of TI’s 16-bit MSP430F5xx MCU and low power RF transceiver draws a low enough current to enable battery-operated wireless networking applications that operate without servicing for ten years or longer, a critical factor for customers in the metering industry. Advanced functionality in a tiny form factor can also power innovative RF sensor networks that report data to a central collection point to analyze information such as smoke in the atmosphere to detect forest fires, moisture or pesticide information in crop fields or even humidity levels in a winery. The power-efficient, flexible CC430 platform will also enable battery-free sensors that use energy harvesting modules that run off of solar power, human body temperature or vibrations for a power source.

“Our energy harvesting microgenerators are based on the simple idea that the vibration of a piece of plant machinery can be transformed into electrical power for sensor systems to send critical performance data over wireless protocols,” explains TI customer, Roy Freeland, CEO of Perpetuum. “Sensing applications are limitless, power supplies are not; solutions like the CC430 platform that combine low power and high functionality with the know-how to take the mystery out of RF design help bridge this gap to help usher in a new age of energy solutions.”

The first CC430 devices are monolithic with high integration to allow for a 50 percent reduction in package and PCB space compared to two-chip solutions. Applications that benefit from this integration and size reduction may include smart hospital tracking systems that communicate patient or medical equipment information to a central location, as well as personal area networking between watches, pedometers, chest strap heart rate monitors and PC-based health and fitness analysis programs. Smaller board space and reduced complexity also help shrink the size of heat cost allocators and AMI smart metering systems, which are expected to make up 28 percent of all electric meters by 2013.

An extensive MSP430 MCU peripheral set will be available for CC430-based devices including intelligent, high-performance digital and analog peripherals like a 16-bit ADC and low power comparators that provide high performance – even during RF transmissions – and consume no power when not in operation. These peripherals also speed design by integrating functions such as an integrated Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator that encrypts and decrypts data sent wirelessly for more secure alarm and industrial monitoring systems. An additional choice for designers will be the on-chip LCD controller, contributing to further cost- and size reductions for LCD based applications.

The combination of TI’s new MSP430F5xx MCU and low power RF transceiver offers a unique low-power/performance mix and high integration along with extensive RF know-how and support. These advancements help break down barriers to RF implementation such as stringent power, performance, size and cost requirements as well as design complexity and ease-of-development issues, helping bring wireless connectivity to a host of products.

TI is taking the mystery out of RF design with RF reference designs, SmartRF Studio software, RF packet sniffer and design notes. Designers will be able to get up and running easily with a CC430 development kit and tools, such as the Code Composer Essentials (CCE) or IAR Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Third-party support, training and university programs, code examples and libraries also facilitate ease of use and shorten time to market.