Date: 07/12/2011

16-bit MSP430 microcontroller chips for industrial and medical apps

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has announced the MSP430F563x and MSP430F663x families for designing portable measurement applications, including blood glucose meters, pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, electrocardiograms (ECG), activity monitors and sensor hubs. Home automation and industrial applications requiring a user interface such as utility meters, remote sensing and thermostats can also designed using MSP430 families. As part of the MSP430 portfolio, the F563x and F663x families are scalable to the entire series of MSP430F5xx and MSP430F6xx devices.

Features and benefits of MSP430F563x and MSP430F663x microcontrollers as per TI:
More memory options with 256kB flash and 18kB RAM allow the addition of wireless stacks, more application features, richer graphical user interfaces (GUI) and the addition of a real-time operating system (RTOS) to handle multiple tasks depending on the application design
Increased memory makes multiple USB APIs possible, providing more connectivity options and faster ramp to production when combined with TI's free software in the USB Developer's Package
The F663x family's integrated 160-segment LCD controller offers increased performance and eliminates the need for external LCD control, reducing the overall bill of materials (BOM)
High-performance analog peripherals, including 12-bit analog-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analog (DAC) converters provide high-resolution sensor measurements and enable two-way, real-world interface options
Ultra-low standby power as low as 1.8 uA and fast wake-up in 3 us offer optimized efficiency

Pricing and availability
The MSP430F563x and MSP430F663x devices range from $2 to $5 USD in 10K units. Production parts are immediately available.