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MSP430 & ADS129x - How to get started

Marty 56222
Prodigy 30 points

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: ADS1298, ADS1298R, TUSB3410

Hello,

I am new to the TI line of microcontrollers and need some help getting started.  We are working a project to collect 2 channels of data from an ADS1298 using an MSP430 and then send the data to a PC via USB.  Here are my (VERY) begginer questions:

 

1)  Which MSP430 would you suggest (we also need a few digital i/o lines and LCD capability)

2)  Is there a suggested experimenter board for the MSP430 from question 1?  If so, where should we buy it and what is the part number?

3)  What programmer would be best?

4)  What development tools should we use? (Preference would be to develop in 'C')

5)  Any sample code  ("hello world" type examples demonstrating how to send data via USB and also how to communicate with the ADS1298)?

It appears the MSP-EXP430F5438 or MSP-EXP430FG4618 might be worth starting with - does anyone know if either one has pins readily accessible for the SPI bus (to connect to the ADS1298)?

Thank you!

  • 0
    TI__Expert 3260 points

    Hello Marty,

    We're happy that you're interested in using our parts!

    I'd like to start by having you take a look at our ADS1298ECGFE-PDK kits. It contains everything you might need to begin looking at the devices, and how they interact with our MSP430s.

    But, I do have just a few questions, to help us better determine what you're looking for. What types of signals are you looking to evaluate? (ECG, EEG, EMG, etc) If you're looking to evaluate respiratory signals, then the ADS1298R version might be more suitable. If you're just looking to evaluate ECG signals, and how they communicate with our MSP430 devices, then the first suggestion would be the best.

    We will certainly look into your other questions, and answer them as soon as we can, though.

    Best Regards,

    Michael

  • 0 in reply to Michael W
    TI__Mastermind 46290 points

    Hi Marty,

    The world of embedded design can be very intimidating to get started in, hopefully we can help you make sense of it all.

    1)  Which MSP430 would you suggest (we also need a few digital i/o lines and LCD capability)

    Our MSP430 team has put together a nice MCU selection utility (http://focus.ti.com/en/multimedia/flash/selection_tools/mcu/mcu.html) that should help you make your MSP430 selection. The tool offers some pretty robust searching features.

    2)  Is there a suggested experimenter board for the MSP430 from question 1?  If so, where should we buy it and what is the part number?

    This one is a little more difficult to answer without knowing in more detail what you want your MSP430 to be capable of. I encourage you to use the selection tool I linked in response to question 1 so you can find precisely what you want. Personally, with the MSP430 I tend to prefer using the MSP430 target boards. These boards are pretty bare bones, but they allow you to access all of the pins on the MSP430 so you can build a system around the MSP430 that is custom to what you want to play with. TI offers MSP430 "Starter Kits" that include a target board and a USB Programmer.

    3)  What programmer would be best?

    I recommend one of the MSPFET-430 programmers that would come with the starter kits I mentioned above. Once you've selected the MSP430 that has all of the capabilities you desire using the selection tool I linked in question 1, find the target board that matches your MSP430s pin count and use the paired programmer with the starter kit.

    4)  What development tools should we use? (Preference would be to develop in 'C')

    TI offers our own IDE called "Code Composer Studio," but the software is licensed and you will need to purchase it. Alternatively there is IAR workbench that I believe is still free. If you purchase one of the MSP430 starter kits as I have recommended though, the bundle includes Target Board, Programmer, and Code Composer Studio which should help you get started.

    5)  Any sample code  ("hello world" type examples demonstrating how to send data via USB and also how to communicate with the ADS1298)?

    Like the other questions, the answer to this one depends on the MSP430 that you end up selecting. Most of the MSP430 families have sample code associated with them, and if that family has the features you want to use there are probably basic examples of using those features in the example code. You may also want to consider using the TUSB3410 or similar device for your USB interface. I know there are app notes for using the TUSB3410 with MSP430 which could help you substantially.

    As another suggestion, once you've selected your MSP430 be sure to not only look at that particular device's data sheet but also the Device Family's User Guide. The Family User Guide will prove to be an invaluable resource to you as you delve deeper into the features of your MSP430.

    -Kevin