Vishay Releases Royalty-Free Courier-115 Software Protocol Enabling Infrared Wireless Communication for Texas Instruments MSP430 MCU Platform

Targeting the data logger, personal biometer, and industrial metering markets, Courier-115 provides the basis for simple and fast infrared communication supporting data rates up to 115kbit/s. Courier-115 and any of Vishay’s infrared transceivers enable extremely low-cost, proprietary wireless communication in products like glucose meters or water meters. As a global leader in infrared wireless solutions, Vishay provides wireless hardware and software expertise so customers can focus on product design and development.

Radio frequency (RF) and infrared communication technology co-exist in a number of metering applications, but infrared provides a more convenient means for high-volume device calibration, initialization and launch in a manufacturing environment. While RF commonly serves to allow wireless meter reading in the field, infrared is a much faster medium for downloading firmware updates. The low cost of infrared communication helps manufacturers fill these critical application gaps.

As a member of the Texas Instruments Developer Network, Vishay developed the Courier-115 software based on MSP430 MCUs, the industry's lowest-power, 16-bit general purpose MCUs. The combination of the MSP430 MCU's extremely low-power standby current with an instant-on active mode and fully synchronized, high-speed system clock enables the trend toward smaller, lower-cost applications. Vishay’s Courier-115 complements this low power consumption with a unique wake-up-listen-sleep routine, resulting in an average current of 1.0microamp (μA).

Courier-115’s small code size and small RAM requirement help ease the adoption of unregulated infrared wireless communication. Adapting the best of IrDA, but leaving the bulk and complexity behind, the software library is very flexible, allowing direct access to lower layers and simplified subroutine calls.