Offering developers more flexibility in electricity metering and energy monitoring applications, Texas Instruments has announced the MSP430F673x/F672x family of ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontrollers. TI’s new devices guarantee no interruption of operation through a backup capable microcontroller supporting real-time clock operation and power management from the main power supply and up to two separate auxiliary supplies. The 24 new F673x/F672x devices also achieve more precise measurements through an increased sampling rate and superior linearity over multiple operating conditions, such as current range and time, resulting in a stable system solution. These devices are TI’s first 6xx series microcontrollers with integrated 24-bit sigma-deltas and a 320-segment LCD controller. Compared to the previous 160-segment solution, developers can leverage enhanced segmented LCDs with more programmability and enable more characters on displays, especially with Asian languages. As part of the MSP430 microcontroller portfolio, the F673x/F672x devices are designed for ultra-low-power modes, ensuring the LCD display is consuming as little power as possible during operation.
TI’s free MSP430 Energy Library is available to support metrology software on the new F673x/F672x devices, providing an easy startup for customers developing a utility meter product. Developers can test and experience accuracy results with the MSP430F6736 EVM, a single-phase electricity meter as well as program and debug F673x/F672x devices with the MSP-TS430PZ100B target board and MSP-FET430U100B flash emulation tool.
