Kudos on Launchpad Workshop!

Some suggestions for future "optional" modules:

1. Setting up an automated measurment of ADC inputs. (Slow sample times) Show how to use low-power modes to reduce the overall power for an extended time measurment.

2. Using the DMA to automate the taking of ADC measurements, with an emphasis on reducing the power consumption even further. Also, explore other uses of DMA in a low-power environment.

3. Further low-power options, like interfacing to external chips that can be put into low power modes when not being used for measurements.

It is nice to see the interrupt link added to the list of available links for viewing! Again, great stuff, guys!

Good review and good introductory material.

You are Right Todd, its really good. 

Thanks for the inputs. I'm actually working on ADC and Low-Power chapters right now.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by #3, though?

sgspecker:

 I see that 2 additional links are now available - great stuff!

Once upon a time, I saw a presentation from the MSP430 group that highlighted external modules that had power-down modes, so that overall power could be saved on a target board by "turning off" the device external to the MSP430, using an MSP430 GPIO pin. I'm not sure if there are such devices on the Launchpad devices, so it may or may not make sense in your current work flow. BUT, the idea was using devices that could be turned on or off when not in immediate use.

For instance, maybe a device needs to be used once every 5 minutes. There is no sense in keeping that device active (and drawing precious current) if it can be turned off for 4.99 minutes and powered up then used for 0.01 minutes.

sgspecker:

Here is another request - use of GUI Composer to take the PC's time and use it to set the RTC (on either 5529 or FR5969) and then be able to display the RTC time (semi-real-time?)...

OK, I see what you're talking about now. At the moment, I don't think there's anything useful that I can demonstrate this with, but I'll add a comment about this to the ULP chapter.

I'm not sure I can add GUI Composer to the RTC exercise for the next workshop release, but I'll add that to my list. I can see how that might be a nice way to display the time.

Thanks for the inputs,
Scott

Here are some other thoughts on RTC:

1. TI has specific hardware recommendations regarding the LF crystal used - specifically the use of a guard-ring. [SLAA322]

2. How loading affects the crystal frequency and resulting RTC clocking.

3. How to use calibration register to counter effects from RTC clocking.

4. Display RTC on Sharp Booster Pack (as an alternative to GUI Composer). However, setting it via GUI Composer would still be very Nice!

Some further thoughts on ADC12...

1. Given that MODOSC is available as an ADC clock, and it is very close to the maximum frequency for ADC12, it would appear that it would be the most viable clock source to use. Especially since it is an "on-demand" clock.

2. Would there be any reason to use another clock source, other than the ability to get "closer" to the maximum frequency of 5 MHz on the ADC clock?

It's nice to see 2 more links available for  Low Power Optimization and Real-Time Clock!

I just tried the link for USB Communications, and received a message "webpage cannot be found." Is there a broken link? (The adjacent link does work.)

Link is now working - thanks.

Another Enhancement Request:  MPY32

Guys:

It looks like

MPYS = X1;

 OP2 = A;

MACS = X2;

 OP2 = B;

MACS = X3;

 OP2 = C;

MACS = X4;

 OP2 = D;

result = RESLO;

generates more efficient code than

result = A*X1 + B*X2 + C*X3 + D*X4;

(I would need to put some intrinsics in the first several to disable & re-enable interrupts...)

This might also be a good lead-in to QMath and IQMath for the MSP430.

Todd, I appreciate the Kudos. A minor workshop revision was released today, fixing some errata and improving the LCD chapter for the 'FR4133 Launchpad.

While "Code Optimization" (including the MPY32 and IQMath) is on the todo list, I'm afraid there are quite a few topics ahead of it in the priority queue. I very much appreciate the suggestions and feedback. Please keep it coming.

Thanks!
Scott