Last week, we discussed a mobile credit card reader based on the MSP430FR5739 device, MSP430’s first FRAM- based MCU.
This week, you will see not only how the MSP430FR5739 accommodates your energy budget, but also how it helps to enable the Internet of Things with easy Wi-fi implementation.
These days, the ‘smart’ prefix can be applied to just about any home appliance. Think about smart refrigerators that send you a text message when the door is left open; thermostats that automatically adjust when you leave for the day, and dryers that beep when your kitty gets stuck in a bundle of warm laundry. It would seem as if we need to stay connected with all our appliances, all the time ( preferably wirelessly ;)).
If your application cannot do all of the above, perhaps it’s time to make it smarter!
The MSP430FR5739 can handle all of your application’s housekeeping tasks while interfacing with a host Wi-Fi controller such as TI’s Simple Link Wi-Fi CC3000 controller, making your device Wi-Fi enabled faster than you can say ‘IoT.’
One application that we will look into in more detail is the humble home thermostat. 'Old school' thermostats that served one purpose - to operate relays to turn on/off the AC and heater are a thing of the past. Thermostats can now detect ambient light, use proximity sensors, talk to other Wi-Fi enabled home applicances and are directly controlled from smart phones and tablets.
Check out the block diagram consisting of an MSP430FR5739 MCU in a thermostat application interfacing to a Simple Link Wi-Fi CC3000 controller. The MSP430FR5739 is equipped with 16K FRAM, an analog comparator, a 10-bit ADC with 14 external channels, 5 timers and multiple serial communication ports. The ADC on the FR57 can interface directly to a temperature sensor and temperature values can be read and stored on-the-fly in FRAM. Stored values can be displayed using an I2C-enabled LCD. Typical controls for heating and cooling via user input can use the capacitive touch enabled GPIOs. Any one of the SPI ports can be used to communicate to the CC3000 controller to upload or download data using Wi-Fi. In this case the MSP430FR5739 can work on all the housekeeping tasks keeping the Wi-FI enabled host controller in standby for as long as necessary.
This example can be extended to any sensor-based application. If you have an application that requires data logging, chances are that you are using a multi-chip solution, i.e. an MCU + EEPROM, to log the data. In this case, the MSP430FR5739 can replace both the MCU and the EEPROM. The embedded FRAM can be used to log data. It reduces complexity due to serial interfacing with standalone memory, minimizes system cost and can be used for many (many) years given its extremely high endurance of 10^15 write cycles.
Wondering how to get started? Check out our current deal with the MSP-EXP430FR5739 Experimenter’s Board and the Simple Link Wi-Fi CC3000 Booster pack for just $57! The MSP430FR5739 product folder provides many example applications that illustrate how to interface the MSP430FR5739 with the Simple Link Wi-Fi CC3000 controller. Also, check out our training videos for more cool features and information on the MSP430FR5739 device and to learn more about our evaluation tools.
