Make the Switch to TI MCUs

Forum Post: MSP430F5325 : In MSP430F5325 can we use ROM for storing data like external EEPROM

hhh ggg — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:02:00 GMT

Hi ..

We are developing our product using MSP430F5325,we want to stored accumulated energy count in EEPROM, so our questions are

1) Is it possible to store accumulated energy count in ROM of MSP430F5325 ??

2) If yes,how and at which location or area of ROM of MSP430F5325 ??

3) Is external EEPROM required ??

Kindly help us.

Thanks

Blog Post: Live from Maker Faire!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:03:00 GMT

As Day 1 of Maker Faire comes to a close, there was a flurry of activity at our booth (504)! Makers came out in full force during this year’s show to get a glimpse of what the community is producing to help, entertain, and amaze others with their designs.

We’ve featured several fun Maker-friendly demos. Some of the most eye catching demos on display included an LED coffee table that uses the MSP430™ LaunchPad to sense the audio frequency and illuminated the LED based on this data. Another fascinating demo was the Air Mouse using motion sensors on the new Tiva™ C Series Sensor Hub BoosterPack to control the cursor on your computer. Though these demos were intriguing, the demo that had most Makers talking was the C2000™ LaunchPad compatible Quadcopter BoosterPack that coordinates and controls 4 servo motors to enable the copter to fly!

Gerard Sequeira, founder of the 43Oh online community, also had several community built BoosterPacks on hand to display the strong Maker involvement within the 43Oh community. Not to be left out, our third party partners from Anaren were at our booth and were excited to announce a new Energia library for their CC110L RF “Air” BoosterPack.

Were you at Maker Faire and stopped by our booth? Upload your Maker Faire photos and share them with us on Twitter and Facebook. We’d love to see pictures of you exploring Energia, Modkit or simply just playing with one of the above demos in the booth. Unable to attend Maker Faire? That’s okay -stay connected to all things ‘MAKE’ through Twitter, TI Facebook page, and the MCU Facebook page.

Tomorrow, May 19, is the last day of Maker Faire. Be sure to swing by our booth if you haven’t done so yet to grab some giveaways and learn about Energia, Modkit, 43Oh community, Anaren and others. As always, remember to Keep Calm and MAKE ON!

Page: Make the Switch Avatar Update

Anonymous — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:37:00 GMT

Have you made the switch?
From ultra-low power MSP430™ MCUs and high-performance C2000™ real-time controllers, to Hercules 32-bit ARM-based safety MCUs and Stellaris® ARM® Cortex™-M4F MCUs, TI offers the broadest range of embedded control products. We want to hear how you made the switch!

video platform video management video solutions video player

Download Make the Switch Flyer

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Blog Post: MAKE ON with TI MCUs @ Maker Faire 2013!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:21:00 GMT

Did you attend DESIGN West and just can’t get enough? Chomping at the bit in anticipation of the ‘greatest show (and tell) on earth’? We are, too.

Have no fear – Keep Calm & Make On! Don’t miss the TI MCU team at Maker Faire 2013.

Maker Faire is a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness – a true testament to the Maker movement.

Here’s what you need to know:

What? Maker Faire Bay Area
When? May 18 & 19, 2013
Where? San Mateo County Events Center, CA
Saturday 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
Why?
- Maker swag and giveaways from the TI MCU team
- Free tools from our MCU LaunchPad ecosystem!
- Exciting open-source software news from the community
- New demos and maker projects
- Meet the greats! Including Gerard, founder of 43oh.com and a true MSP430™ Power Player

Get your tickets today!

Bring your project and all your design questions, too. We’ll see you there!

Blog Post: Keep Calm and MAKE on with TI MCUs at DESIGN West!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:58:00 GMT

With DESIGN West under a week away, our MCU team is excited to share our schedule of MCU-related events, demos, conference sessions and other fun-tivities with you! See a full list of events below.

We will be sharing our DESIGN West Daily Download on the MCU Facebook page with our recommendations of what to see at the show each day. Like our page & stay in the loop!

The Make the Switch MCU Tool Exchange

It’s back – our famous Make the Switch Tool Exchange! Bring a competitor's old tool, trade it in and we will give you a shiny, new MCU LaunchPad or Hercules kit from Texas Instruments. See our top ten reasons to Make the Switch to TI MCUs in this flyer!

Meet the winners of our MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge

Meet the winners of our BoosterPack Design Challenge and see their designs in person at the booth! They will be hosting their own in-booth training session Tuesday at 4 p.m. and will be participating in the Gadget Freak DIY Lab Tuesday at 5 p.m. Can’t make a session? Don’t worry, keep calm and see them demo their designs at the booth!

Conference Sessions

Hear from our experts during the following conference sessions!

April 23 at 2:00 PM Low-power Benchmarking and What Datasheets Don’t Show You (Salon 5)

April 23 at 5:00 PM Gadget Freak DIY Lab (Expo Theater)

April 24 at 9:30 AM Selecting an MCU Board (210 EF)

In-Booth Training

Join us in the booth at the top of every hour for product training and demonstrations from our experts. You'll even have a chance at cool giveaways, prizes and discounts!

Tuesday, April 23

12:00 PM SafeTI™ Design Packages

3:00 PM Ultra-low power MSP430™ development

4:00 PM Give your MCU LaunchPad a Boost!

Wednesday, April 24

2:00 PM The Sensibility of Sensing: sensor-fusion

3:00 PM MSP430 Microcontrollers in “Always On” Consumer Applications

4:00 PM SafeTI™ Design Packages

Thursday, April 25

12:00 PM The Sensibility of Sensing: sensor fusion

3:00 PM MSP430 in Telehealth Applications

At the show and want to learn more about our LaunchPads? Check out the new Getting Started with the MSP430 LaunchPad book! It’s now available to order through Elsevier and Amazon. Order yours today and stop by the Newnes booth (booth #837) at DESIGN West to learn more!

Stay connected with us – follow us on Twitter (@TXInstruments), like us on both the TI Facebook and MCU Facebook to get up-to-date news from the show.

Blog Post: TI employees designed BoosterPacks – YOU chose the winners!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:20:00 GMT

First, the community built their own MCU BoosterPacks. Then, TI employees created their BoosterPacks and YOU chose the best designs!

We offer our congratulations to the following employees on their winning BoosterPack designs:

1. TIPhoon BoosterPack by Divya Alok Gupta

2. InstaSPIN QuadCopter by Trey German

3. Stepper BoosterPack by Max Groening

Learn more about their designs by clicking the above links.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to the community for your votes and comments.

Do you want to learn more about building your own BoosterPack? Check out our LaunchPad and BoosterPack ecosystem and launch your project today.

Blog Post: TI employees built their own BoosterPacks – YOU pick the winners!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:41:00 GMT

Following up on our BoosterPack Design Challenge, many employees at TI were inspired to create their own BoosterPacks. So, while many of you were designing your own BoosterPacks so were our employees and man, did they have some neat designs.

We’d like YOU to vote for your favorite BoosterPack designs to help us determine the winners. Take a look at their designs and then vote for your favorite. Voting closes THIS Friday, April 12 at 5 p.m. CT vote now!

Good luck and may the best BoosterPack win!

Learn more about MCU LaunchPads.

Learn more about plug-in modules called BoosterPacks.

Blog Post: Register now: FREE motor control webinar!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:55:00 GMT

Learn how to identify, tune and control three-phase motor control systems in just minutes!

Are you designing applications that require accurate speed control, minimal disturbance and multiple state transitions? Want to learn more about TI’s FAST™ Software Encoder? If so, read on!

Join Texas Instruments and Arrow Electronics on Wednesday, April 10^th at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CST) for a free, live webinar on TI’s breakthrough motor control technology, InstaSPIN™-FOC (field-oriented-control). This new technology features TI’s software encoder, FAST, a universal three-phase motor software encoder supporting synchronous and asynchronous motors. Even those with limited motor control experience will learn how to improve motor efficiency, performance and reliability in all variable-speed and load-motor applications.

TI's InstaSPIN motor solutions will instantly spin then control any three phase motor - no motor datasheet required - no joke!

Webinar attendees will also receive a discount on the new TI InstaSPIN controller card! Presenters will equip attendees with knowledge about the silicon, software and tools for success.

Don’t hesitate and register now. We look forward to having you join TI and Arrow on April 10^th!

Blog Post: Get ready for TI @ DESIGN West, 2013!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:59:00 GMT

San Jose, CA has a lot going on. Situated at the heart of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area, ideas are sprouting and inventions are coming to life and we can’t wait to be part of the action!

In anticipation of April’s expo, TI representatives are gearing up from one of the biggest trade shows and events of the year, DESIGN West 2013.

This conference, formerly known as the Embedded Systems Conference, is one of the largest embedded systems shows in the world, promising inspiring speakers, hundreds of technical sessions and workshops, case studies and many opportunities to meet cool people and get hands-on training with the latest products and parts.

The TI MCU team is partnering up with Processors & Connectivity to bring you the latest and greatest developments from the heart of the company and innovative engineering.

Don’t miss out on some of the featured opportunities at DESIGN West – we can’t wait to meet you at the show, April 22 - 25.

The Make the Switch MCU Tool Exchange, brought to you by Digi-Key.

Bring a competitor’s old tool and we will give you a shiny, new tool from Texas Instruments. You know you want to!

The MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge winners, brought to you by TI and Mouser.

Come see the winners in action! We challenged all of our fans and makers from across the U.S. to create their very own BoosterPack for one of the MCU LaunchPads. You’ll be impressed with the winning designs – and get to see the prototypes in action!

The next-gen BeagleBone.

We know how much you love the Beagle platform. Stay tuned for exciting announcements from the team regarding their lovable and fun board.

Cool, never-before-seen demos & giveaways, in-booth trainings, prizes and discounts!

Be our friends! We’ll see you there.

Follow @TXInstruments and ‘like’ TI MCUs on Facebook to follow news from the show!

Forum Post: How I made the switch to TI MCU

TURJASU PYNE — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:18:00 GMT

Hi all,

I was always working on systems that were based on 8051, PIC and Motorola Mc68HC series. But since long time I was quite interested in TI roducts. I had started developing a simple navigation unit based on MSP430 Launchpad and achieved success largely with the extensive help from Texas Instruments. It was so successful that now we are planning to shift OUR ENTIRE PLATFORM TO TI MCU as far as possible. Im working on an indian railway project and it will be completely on TI MCP430!

Thanks TI

Great job done!

Just loooveee your MCUs

Blog Post: Boot, scoot and boogie on over to the TI booth at SXSW Create!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 23:45:00 GMT

Ladies and gentlemen, start your coding! We are excited to announce that TI MCUs will be at South by Southwest (SXSW) for SXSW Create! Stop by our booth right outside the Austin Convention Center to see some sweet demos and chat with our team of MCU LaunchPad experts. Our team will be at SXSW from Fri., March 8 – Mon., March 11.

Not totally convinced this is a can’t miss event? Would it help if I said we’re giving away free TI MCU swag at the booth? Oh, yeah. We’re talking everything from t-shirts to a full LaunchPad ecosystem, BoosterPacks and maybe even some tool discounts.

We’ll be live tweeting, blogging and posting on our MCU Facebook page throughout the show so, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@TXInstruments) for news, live from the show.

See you at SXSW!

Forum Post: RE: New method of exchange information

Jason Work — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:51:00 GMT

It's too bad I don't understand Bulgarian. Your video looks interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'd like to understand it better.

I assume you are using the USART of the MSP430F1232 for the communication you are explaining. Is this correct? Is the USART in UART mode? I see that the separation between the boards is 10 m. There are labels, "1, 2, 3, 4," but I see five circuit boards. Is one board different from the other four? It looks like the 12 V is supplied by two motorcycle batteries wired in series. They are connected to two boards. Is the power for the other circuit boards also carreid by the 10 m cables? How many conductors are there in one cable?

Blog Post: Calling all engineers, makers and electronics enthusiasts...

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:30:00 GMT

There is just ONE week left to submit your design!

Developers have until March 1 to enter the Texas Instruments MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge. Enter your idea now and receive the chance to win amazing prizes!

We want to take you AND your winning design to DESIGN West 2013 in San Jose, California, where you will showcase and demo your BoosterPack at the TI booth for the global electronics industry’s leading event. Did we mention that CircuitCo wants to meet you, too? Yep - when you enter your project, you’ll receive the chance to have your BoosterPack manufactured and distributed by CircuitCo. Pretty cool, right? (We thought so.)

Our MCU LaunchPad evaluation platform is the world’s largest low-cost development ecosystem, and provides developers with hardware and software needed to get off the ground in ten minutes or less. The LaunchPad ecosystem lets developers easily elevate their ideas at high value for low cost. BoosterPacks are plug-in modules that allow engineers to add greater functionality and peripherals to one of three TI MCU LaunchPad evaluation platforms. You can find out moreabout our entire LaunchPad ecosystem by visiting www.ti.com/launchpad.

So, what can you make? Let your design soar with LaunchPad and BoosterPacks!

But wait - There’s MORE!

Interested in attending DESIGN West and need an extra boost?

The TI MCU team has plenty up our sleeve for this year’s show. Use promotional code DESIGNTI to receive a 35% off discount on conference registration! Sign up now & launch your design today!

Blog Post: Tell us about your first #MCULove!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:14:00 GMT

Love is in the air – but not just any old love, #MCULove! Throughout Valentine’s Day, share your stories, pictures and videos with us on your first #MCULove, the best date you’ve been on with your MCU, the first moment you knew your MCU was meant for YOU with us!

Tweet us on @TXInstruments Twitter handle with the #MCULove to share your stories. You can also ‘like’ our MCU Facebook page to get Valentine’s Day updates from TI MCUs as well as sharing your love stories with us in the comments below.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our fans!

Blog Post: TI welcomes MSP430™ E2E™ Guru Jens-Michael Gross to Dallas

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:57:00 GMT

On February 1, TI celebrated a momentous occasion and honored TI’s E2E™ contributor Jens-Michael Gross during the 2013 E2E (engineer to engineer) Community Awards Ceremony in Dallas.

Gross is quite the celebrity on TI’s E2E community. The E2E community exists to support users via various forums in which customers can search for answers, post questions, and receive replies from TI-ers and other customers. In his spare time, Gross has written over 10,000 posts on E2E forums to help other engineers achieve success with TI products.

While the TI E2E Community is broad and diverse, Gross was the first member to achieve Guru Status on E2E, has won the E2E Contributor of the Year award for three years in a row and has racked up over 123,000+ points. He’s done all of this on his own time and as a non-TIer, simply to help out other E2E community members and fellow engineers.

At the ceremony, Gross was asked why he answered so many questions on the forum, and he answered that he was an addict and loved solving riddles. Gross flew from Berlin to attend the ceremony as well as meet with the MSP430™ apps team.

“Jens-Michael Gross is one cool dude!” said Dung Dang, an applications engineer for MSP430. We agree – Congratulations, Jens-Michael!

Forum Post: TI Saved my first project as Freelancer

Harshal Advane — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:46:00 GMT

Hi,

I am Advane Harshal, from India, I am Electronics Engg with 4+ years of exp as ASIC Verification Engg.I have been working

on 89c51 and AVR atmega16,32 from college days.

Recenlty I started working as freelancer and got my first project, The client wanted a medical pill reminder, running on 3v cell.

I started with AVR atmeg16L as it mentioned operating voltages as 2.7V-5,5V, but once you build it then all the problems started

popping out.

With less a week left to deliver the project, I came across TI's MSP430 Launchpad, It was so easy to use and with all

the example code readily available I was able to deliver the project in time.

Had I not got MSP430G2553 I would I have never again tried to be Freelancer.

Thanks TI for this wonderful product.

Blog Post: TI MCUs are proud to announce the MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:49:00 GMT

Give your TI MCU LaunchPad a boost & win a trip to DESIGN West to demo your design!

Have you ever looked at your LaunchPad and said, “It would be really cool if I could …”? Don’t get us wrong, LaunchPads are really great as they are, but have you ever wanted to add your own special twist or capability to your favorite LaunchPad? Well, now’s your chance! TI and Mouser are proud to announce the MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge!

From now until March 1, 2013, U.S.^* engineers and hobbyists alike can literally design their way to DESIGN West, one of the largest technology trade shows in the world! Three winners will be selected to showcase their design in the TI booth at DESIGN West 2013 in San Jose, Calf. and will have their designs considered for manufacture by CircuitCo! Want to participate? See the BoosterPack Design Challenge guidelines below.

TI MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge guidelines

Challenge participants will have until March 1, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. CST to submit an original BoosterPack design online at ti.com/boosterpackchallenge. Several of the requirements include:

Providing a schematic and a brief, written description of the BoosterPack design.
Designing a BoosterPack with bill of materials (BOM) not exceeding $40 USD and conforming to the BoosterPack pinout standard.
Uploading the project to either Google Drive or Github online file sharing systems.
Recording a video describing the BoosterPack idea and uploading it to YouTube.

To learn more about the contest and also see a full list of rules and regulations, go to ti.com/byob.

Not sure how to get started? Check out our BoosterPack page for previous examples of BoosterPacks and for more information about these BoosterPack plug-in modules at ti.com/boosterpack. See our MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge video for even MORE info on our contest!

Come back to our blog on March 22 to see who the lucky three winners are!

So, what are you waiting for?! Enter your designs TODAY!

… But wait! There’s MORE!

Throughout the duration of the MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge, our TI MCU Facebook page will feature information and trivia questions on our sponsors. These "Sponsor Spotlight" posts will include one trivia question about our sponsors, LaunchPads and BoosterPacks on our Facebook page. Entrants must click the link included in each post to answer the question. Once the post is live, entrants will have ONE hour to submit their answers to the trivia question. The first 2 – 10 people who respond with the correct answer will win the prize listed that day. Click here to see official Sponsor Spotlight rules and regulations.

Please note: Entrants must submit your answer through the link included on each post. Entries submitted in the comments section of each post WILL NOT be counted. Limit one prize per person, per day.

Make sure to “like” our TI MCU Facebook page and become a fan to participate and win!

*The MCU BoosterPack Design Contest is only open to residents in the continental United States.

Blog Post: MCU Facebook Sponsor Spotlight Trivia Contest

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:34:00 GMT

Be sure to become a fan of our MCU Facebook page because starting on February 1, 2013 we will being our weekly Sponsor Spotlight trivia contest giveaways. Check back on our page every Friday at 1 p.m. CST for your chance to win. Good luck!

MCU BOOSTERPACK TRIVIA CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

CONTEST DESCRIPTION

This MCU BoosterPack Trivia Contest (the “Contest”) is designed to challenge individuals to provide responses to weekly trivia questions for a chance to win prizes provided by the following prize donors, namely, Mouser, CircuitCo. Electronics, Anaren, Total Phase, 43oh.com, and Olimex LTD. (collectively, the “Prize Donors”).

GENERAL CONDITIONS:

The contest is sponsored by Texas Instruments Incorporated (“TI” or “Sponsor”), with a place of business at 12500 TI Blvd., Dallas, TX 75243. The Contest is governed by these Official Rules, as well as by applicable state law and United States federal law, without regard to any conflicts of laws principles. The Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. By entering the Contest, each entrant agrees to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of TI which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest.

HOW TO ENTER/DATES OF CONTEST:

To enter, visit http://www.facebook.com/timicrocontrollers (the “MCU Facebook Page”) to access the online entry form and respond to the trivia question that is posted on each Contest Day (as defined below). You must complete all required fields on the entry form. Only entries submitted using the WuFoo link located on the MCU Facebook Page will be accepted. Entries may NOT be submitted via the comments section of the MCU Facebook Page.

The Contest will start when the first trivia question is posted on Friday, February 1, 2013 and will end one hour after the final question is posted on Friday, March 8, 2013. One trivia question will be posted weekly on the dates identified below (the “Contest Days”):

Week 1: Friday, February 1, 2013

Week 2: Friday, February 8, 2013

Week 3: Friday, February 15, 2013

Week 4: Friday, February 22, 2013

Week 5: Friday, March 1, 2013

Week 6: Friday, March 8, 2013

New trivia questions will be posted on the MCU Facebook Page at 1:00 pm CST on each Contest Day. The deadline for submitting entries for each Contest Day will be posted on the MCU Facebook Page but will generally be within one (1) hour of the time that the trivia question is posted (the “Entry Deadline”). Entries must be submitted prior to the Entry Deadline to be considered.

All entries must be in English and must contain the entrant’s full name and a valid email address. Limit one entry per person, household and email per Contest Day. Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void. No other form of entry is valid. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or by any means which subvert the entry process are void.

Once submitted, all entries become the exclusive property of TI and cannot be modified or changed.

NO SPONSORSHIP:

Entrant acknowledges and agrees that the contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. All information provided by entrant is provided to Sponsor, and not to Facebook. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Contest must be directed to the Sponsor, and not to Facebook.

JUDGING AND NOTIFICATION:

All entries will be reviewed by a panel of qualified judges for completeness and correctness of the answer. The judges’ determination as to the correct answer for each trivia question will be final and binding.

The first ten (10) eligible entries received with the correct answer to the trivia question by the Entry Deadline on each Contest Day for Weeks 1 – 3, the first two (2) eligible entries received with the correct answer to the trivia question by the Entry Deadline on each Contest Day for Week 4, and the first five (5) eligible entries received with the correct answer to the trivia question by the Entry Deadline on each Contest Day for Weeks 5 – 6 will win the prize specified below for that Week, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to choose fewer winners if, in its sole discretion, if it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible entries with the correct answer.

Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received by the Entry Deadline with the correct answer and the time the entry is submitted. .

The weekly prize winners will be notified by TI by email at the email address provided on the entry form within seven (7) days of the Contest Day.

Winner(s) will be required to respond to the prize notification within the time specified in the notification and may be required to: (1) provide his or her full mailing address for the purpose of receiving the prize(s), which address must be within the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico); (2) upon TI’s request, sign and return a release of liability, declaration of eligibility, and, where lawful, a publicity release granting permission to use his/her name and likeness for advertising and/or promotional and/or marketing purposes (without further compensation) (Tennessee residents need not complete and return a publicity release); and (3) take possession of the prize(s) in the manner specified by TI.

If the above requirements are not met, the prize(s) may be awarded to a replacement winner. The replacement winner(s) will need to satisfy all of the requirements of these Official Rules. This process will be repeated until the prize(s) are awarded in full.

PRIZES:

Contest Week 1: Ten (10) eligible winners will win:

One LaunchPad Ecosystem T-shirt, provided by Mouser, with an approximate retail value of US $15 each.

Contest Week 2: Ten (10) eligible winners will win:

One Educational BoosterPack, provided by CircuitCo Electronics, with an approximate retail value of US $25 each.

Contest Week 3: Ten (10) eligible winners will win:

One A2530E24AZ1 BoosterPack ZigBee development kit, provided by Anaren, with an approximate retail value of US $ 123.25 each.

Contest Week 4: Two (2) eligible winners will win:

One of the following: Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, or Komodo CAN Solo Interface provided by Total Phase, ranging in approximate retail value from US $250 - $350 each. The exact item to be awarded each prize recipient will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Contest Week 5: Five (5) eligible winners will win:

One of the following: The Terminal - 43oh OLED BoosterPack, The LCD Button Boosterpack, The LCD Capacitive Touch Boosterpack, The Card Reader - SDCard Boosterpack or The Prototyping Boosterpack Combo, provided by 43oh.com, ranging in approximate retail value from US $9 - $18 each. The exact item to be awarded each prize recipient will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Contest Week 6: Five (5) eligible winners will win:

One UEXT BoosterPack paired with one of the following: MOD-IO2 module, MOD-TC module, MOD-LCD3310 module, MOD-WII-UEXT-NUNCHUCK module or MOD-RS485-ISO module, provided by Olimex LTD., ranging in approximate retail value from US $49 - $56 each. The exact item to be awarded each prize recipient will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion

The total approximate retail value of all prizes to be awarded in the Contest is US $3,000.

In the event of unavailability of a stated prize, TI reserves the right to substitute items of equal or greater value. Prizes are not transferable, exchangeable, or redeemable for cash. Reporting and payment of any federal, state, provincial, local, VAT, or other taxes, fees, customs, duties, insurance, or other amounts owed in connection with any prize are the sole responsibility of the winner(s).

EACH PRIZE IS GIVEN AWAY BY TI “AS IS.” TI DOES NOT MAKE, AND HEREBY DISCLAIMS, ANY WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, REGARDING ANY PRIZE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Contest is open to any natural person who is a legal resident of the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico), who is 18 years or older at the time of entry. Officers, directors, and employees of TI and/or its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, or agents (including but not limited to advertising, promotion and production agencies, or of the Prize Donors, and members of their immediate families (including spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, step-children, step-parents and in-laws) or those with whom they are domiciled are not eligible.

Late, incomplete, computer-generated script, or other automated entries are not eligible and are void. In addition, entries that have been tampered with or altered are not eligible and are void. It is the sole responsibility of each entrant to notify TI in the event of a change in e-mail address or other contact information. TI is not responsible for network, modem, or other equipment failures or for incomplete, garbled, or delayed entries, however caused.

DISQUALIFICATION:

TI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant that TI determines: (1) has tampered with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or the MCU Facebook Page; (2) has acted in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or with the intent to annoy or harass TI or any other person or entity; (3) has not satisfied all of the requirements for entry in the Contest; or (4) to be otherwise ineligible under, or otherwise in violation of, these Official Rules. Any attempt by an entrant to commit any of the above acts of misconduct may be a violation of civil or criminal law and TI reserves the right to seek damages from such entrant to the fullest extent permitted by law.

LIABILITY/TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

By entering, each entrant releases and holds harmless TI, Facebook, the Prize Donors, any manufacturer or supplier of any prize, any other persons or entities involved in the Contest, each of its and their respective parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents, from any responsibility or liability whatsoever arising out of or resulting from: (1) entry or participation in the Contest; (2) the acceptance, possession, or use of any prize; (3) any violation by such entrant of these Official Rules or applicable laws; (4) any incorrect or inaccurate entry of information including, but not limited to, those which occur as a result of technical malfunctions, human error, lost/delayed data transmission, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, line failures of any telephone network, computer equipment, software or any combination thereof; (5) entry materials that have been tampered with, or entries that are illegible, late, lost, damaged, postage due or misdirected; (6) any injury or damage to participants or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any material in connection with the contest; and (7) any conditions arising from events beyond TI’s reasonable control.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, NEITHER TI NOR ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PARTIES SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE CONTEST, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, WHETHER ARISING IN STATUTE, TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH PARTY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND ALL SUCH DAMAGES ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED AND EXCLUDED.

PUBLICITY:

By entering the contest, each entrant grants to TI the right to use and publish such entrant’s name, state of residence, and any other information in any winning entry both online and in print, in connection with the Contest, without additional compensation, except to the extent prohibited by law. In addition, by entering the Contest, each entrant consents to the use of their names and likeness for advertising and/or promotional and/or marketing purposes without additional compensation unless prohibited by law. TI reserves the right to use any information provided by entrants in connection with the contest in any manner permitted by these Official Rules.

PRIVACY:

Sponsor reserves the right to use information regarding entrants for future mailings, including for contest administration purposes, subject to applicable laws and regulations and privacy policies. TI’s privacy policy can be found at http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/legal/privacy.shtml.

TERMINATION:

TI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest at any time for any reason, including but not limited to any reason that affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest. Such reasons include but are not limited to fraud, tampering, unauthorized access, infections by computer virus, bugs, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of TI.

GOVERNING LAW:

The Contest and these rules and conditions shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas and any dispute arising out of this contest shall be brought in, and each entrant hereby consents to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in, the Federal District Courts sitting in Dallas County, Texas. By entering this Contest, all entrants agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action or other proceeding.

WINNERS LIST:

A list of winners will be available online at www.ti.com/byob after March 15, 2013.

To obtain a copy of these rules or the name of the prize winner(s), available after March 15, 2013, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

Texas Instruments Incorporated

c/o MCU BoosterPack Design Challenge Trivia Contest

13532 N. Central Expressway

Mail Station 3824

Dallas, TX 75243

Requests must be received by April 15, 2013.

Blog Post: MAKE the New Year count with TI MCUs!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:34:00 GMT

Happy New Year!

Every New Year brings reflections on the past, possibilities of future endeavors and the opportunity for a fresh and renewed start.

Many of you have probably settled on resolutions and goals for the new year and we are no exception! Our resolution at Make The Switch is to aide customers in continuing to make the switch to TI microcontrollers while also enabling them to make things happen. After all, you are a community of makers – individuals and innovators known for their can-do personalities and willingness to see and invent new, different and exciting things.

TI MCUs would like to help you reach all of your design goals to create the latest technological breakthrough. That’s why we’re excited to share new events, announcements and (dare we say it) contests geared specifically towards the maker community in 2013.

To kick things off, here are a few tips on how you can make the most out of 2013:

Stay curious – dare to create new designs that could change the world.
Pay it forward – have you completed a new design? Share it with the larger community.
Take part in DIY (Do It Yourself) projects – trick out your garages, kitchens and homes with your designs. (You know you’ve always wanted to program LEDs to sync with your stereo, right?)

What are your resolutions this year? Share your thoughts below and stay tuned for more information on all things “make” in the future!

Forum Post: MAKE the New Year count with TI MCUs!

Make the Switch TI MCUs — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:27:00 GMT

Happy New Year!

Every New Year brings reflections on the past, possibilities of future endeavors and the opportunity for a fresh and renewed start.

To kick things off, here are a few tips on how you can make the most out of 2013:

Stay curious – dare to create new designs that could change the world.
Pay it forward – have you completed a new design? Share it with the larger community.
Take part in DIY (Do It Yourself) projects – trick out your garages, kitchens and homes with your designs. (You know you’ve always wanted to program LEDs to sync with your stereo, right?)

What are your resolutions this year? Share your thoughts below and stay tuned for more information on all things “make” in the future!