TI Makes Wireless MCU System Development Faster and Easier With New USB Stick Tool

TI Makes Wireless MCU System Development Faster and Easier With New USB Stick Tool

September 26, 2007

Flexible, Low-cost Tool Provides a Complete Development
Solution With Optional Stand-Alone Operation

    DALLAS, Sept. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Making
development even easier for low-power wireless systems,
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today
announced a new tool for designing embedded systems that
combines ultra-low-power MSP430 microcontrollers (MCU) with
wireless communications.  At the low cost of $49, TI's new
eZ430-RF2500 development tool, packaged in a convenient USB
stick form factor, offers two radio frequency (RF)-enabled
microcontroller target boards and a PC debugging interface
that may be used to develop stand-alone wireless projects. 
Developers will now find it easier than ever to build
low-power wireless systems for sensing and metering, home
security and automation, medical and other innovative
applications (For more information see
http://www.ti.com/ez430-rf .)

    (Logo:
http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/20061107170439-20-min.jpg )

    The eZ430-RF2500 builds on the success of TI's
eZ430-F2013 development tool, introduced in early 2006. 
The eZ430-RF2500 opens up new possibilities for low-power
designs combined with wireless communications. 
Backwards-compatible with the F20xx target boards, which
have been sold separately since late 2006, the eZ430-RF2500
provides continuity for enhancing existing designs.

    "Recognizing the strong demand for the eZ430-F2013
and the versatility of the target boards used to develop
customer end products, we understand that a low cost tool
with wireless capabilities is the next 'must have' for
developers," said Cornelia Huellstrunk, product
marketing manager, MSP430, Texas Instruments.  "With
the eZ430-RF2500, we are committed to meeting market needs,
as more applications require wireless communications."


    A complete, affordable solution for easy wireless MCU
development

    The eZ430-RF2500 development tool provides all the
hardware and software needed to program the MSP430 MCU and
the Low-Power RF 2.4-GHz transceiver on the postage
stamp-sized target board. The new eZ430-RF2500 tool
provides a complete solution for writing code as well as
operating and testing the application in the field. 

    The USB stick development interface plugs into a PC
port with no additional driver software, and then connects
directly to an MCU-RF target board¡ªthe eZ430-RF2500T. Two
target boards are included in the eZ430-RF2500 kit,
providing the developer with the essentials of a wireless
network. A battery pack (AAA), also included in the kit,
enables a target board to operate as a stand-alone system,
and standard through-hole pin connectors make it easy for
external components or existing systems to attach to the
target board. Features of the target board include two
programmable LEDs to display activity, a programmable
toggle button for interface and an integrated zero-power
brownout detector that resets the MSP430 when power drops.

    An MSP430F2274 MCU and a CC2500 RF transceiver, both
from TI, are integrated in the eZ430-RF2500T target board.
The MSP430F2274 MCU, based on a 16-bit RISC architecture,
can handle generous amounts of code and data with its 32
Kbytes of flash memory and 1 Kbyte of RAM.  The MSP430F2274
also features high performance, integrated analog such as a
12-channel 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that
samples at up to 200 kilosamples per second.  Other on-chip
peripherals include two operational amplifiers and support
for UART, SPI, I2C and IrDA communications. The MCU offers
five low-power modes for maximum power efficiency and
features an ultra-fast wake-up from standby mode in less
than one microsecond. The CC2500 is a highly-integrated
multichannel RF transceiver designed for low-power wireless
applications in the 2.4 GHz Industrial Scientific Medical
(ISM) band.  It has an automated packet engine and supports
data rates from 1.2 to 500 kbps.

    The eZ430-RF2500 kit comes with all the software needed
to program wireless MSP430 applications, and the USB
development interface provides the required hardware for
emulation and debugging on the target board. The user can
choose either the IAR Embedded Workbench(TM) IDE or TI's
Code Composer Studio Essentials(TM) IDE to write and
download code, then debug the application at full speed
using hardware breakpoints and single stepping, consuming
no extra hardware resources. The kit's software includes a
protocol stack for low-power RF networks and hardware
abstraction layers (HAL) enabling the rapid design and
prototyping of wireless systems. In addition, the kit
includes a complete example project, measuring temperature
and voltage through a wireless sensor network.  Full
documentation for the tool and software is also included. 

    Availability and price

    The eZ430-RF2500 development tool and eZ430-RF2500T
target boards will be available in October 2007 (
http://www.ti.com/estore ). Pricing per unit is $49 for the
eZ430-RF2500 tool. Additional eZ430-RF2500T target boards
can be ordered in Q4 2007 for $20.

    TI Enables Innovation with a Broad Range of
Controllers

    From ultra low power MSP430 and 32-bit general purpose
TMS470 ARM7(C)-based MCUs to high performance
TMS320C2000(TM) digital signal controllers, TI offers
designers a broad range of embedded control solutions.
Designers can also accelerate their design to market by
tapping into TI's complete software and hardware tools,
extensive third party offerings and technical support. For
more information on the broad range of TI's controllers,
see http://www.ti.com/mcu . 

    Texas Instruments

    Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world
signal processing requirements. In addition to
Semiconductor, the company includes the Education
Technology business. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas,
and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more
than 25 countries.

    Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located
on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com . 

    Trademarks

    TMS320C28x, TMS320C2000 and Code Composer Studio
Essentials are trademarks of Texas Instruments. ARM7 is a
trademark of ARM Ltd. All other registered trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.


    For more information, please contact:

     Otilia Ayats-Mas    
     Texas Instruments
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Ramona Layne Long
     GolinHarris
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]