New TI MCUs boost battery life in portable devices

18th October 2013

Nat Bowers

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Enabling advanced contextual computing functionality in next-generation handheld consumer devices, Texas Instruments announce the new MSP430F525x microcontrollers. Reducing power consumption in “always on” applications like smart phones, tablets and accessories, the new MCUs feature a 1.8V split-rail I/O architecture that allows seamless interface to the application processor without needing an external level shifting circuit.

Transfering sensor hub, keyboard control and battery/power management functionalities to MSP430F525x MCUs enables designers to create portable consumer devices that put power-hungry application processors and touch screen controllers on standby instead of draining the system’s battery.

Customers can now create smartphones, tablets and accessories that maintain I/O at 1.8V while operating the MCU at maximum performance. Extending battery life in portable consumer products from hours to days, the new MCUs feature a fast wake-up time at 3.5µs and as little as 1.6µA power consumption in standby mode. The MSP430F525x microcontrollers also simultaneously reduce board space and system cost.

All of the new MSP430F525x microcontrollers include easy-to-use software and support to help designers get started quickly. The new MCUs are compatible with MSP430Ware software so developers can access code examples to simplify development and speed time to market. Additionally, the new MCUs are code compatible with existing MSP430 devices, enabling a broader range of scalability across TI’s ultra-low-power MCU portfolio. The new 16-bit MCUs also include additional RAM, I/O and serial interfaces to handle complex sensor algorithms, aggregation and monitoring functionalities quicker.

Additional features and benefits of MSP430F525x microcontrollers:

Include four USCI_A and four USCI_B interfaces so developers have up to eight serial interfaces (four I²C and four SPI) for fast and robust communication to sensors or peripheral devices,
Up to 35 general-purpose I/O can be used in the 1.8V voltage rail to conserve energy by switching off power supplies to components that are not in active use,
Low-power peripherals include four 16-bit timers, a high-performance 10-bit analog-to-digital converter, hardware multiplier, DMA, comparator, and real-time clock module with alarm capabilities,
Active power at 290µA/MHz in Flash and 150µA/MHz in RAM, standby mode at 1.6µA (3V) and ultra-fast wakeup at 3.5µs allows developers to implement differentiated features while maintaining ultra-low power consumption.

Eight additional single-voltage rail 128K Flash MSP430F524x and MSP430F523x variants are ideal for industrial applications requiring larger memory like wireless smoke detectors, industrial sensors and smart appliances. These devices also support other software-intensive wireless interfaces like ZigBee and Wi-Fi.

Pricing and availability

Developers can immediately purchase the new MSP430F525x MCUs starting at $2.61 for 1K units and MSP430F524x/3x MCUs start at $1.70 for 1K units. The microcontrollers are priced from $2.05 for 1K units and samples are immediately available. The MSP-TS430RGC64C target socket is now available for $117 USD. The MSP-FET430U64C target socket and UIF emulator is also now available for $175 USD from TI’s eStore.