TI pushes low-power ARM platform to new lows

DSP, Micros & Memory

29 April 2015 DSP, Micros & Memory

Texas Instruments announced what it believes is the industry’s lowest power 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F microcontrollers (MCU), in the form of the MSP432 platform. They are targeted at embedded applications such as industrial and building automation, industrial sensing, industrial security panels, asset tracking and consumer electronics, where efficient data processing and enhanced low-power operation are essential.

With peak CPU frequency of 48 MHz, these devices consume just 95 μA/MHz active power and 850 nA in standby mode. They have achieved a score of 167,4 using the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium’s (EEMBC) ultra-low-power ULPBench benchmark. The integrated DC-DC optimises power efficiency at high-speed operation, while an integrated LDO reduces overall system cost and design complexity. In addition, a 14-bit ADC consumes 375 μA at 1 MSps.

MSP432 MCUs include a unique selectable RAM retention feature that provides dedicated power to each of the eight RAM banks needed for an operation, so overall system power can be reduced by 30 nA per bank. The chips can also operate as low as 1,62 V and as high as 3,7 V with full-speed operation to lower overall system power.

The integrated digital signal processing (DSP) engine and floating-point unit (FPU) of the ARM Cortex-M4F core enable a multitude of high-performance applications, such as signal conditioning and sensor processing, while maintaining performance headroom for product differentiation. MSP432 MCUs include up to 256 KB Flash and boost performance with dual-bank Flash memory that enables simultaneous read and write functionality.

An advanced encryption standard (AES) 256 hardware encryption accelerator enables developers to secure their device and data, while IP protection features ensure data and code security. Code, register and low-power peripheral compatibility is ensured between MSP430 and MSP432 portfolios.

Designers can start evaluating MSP432 MCUs immediately with a target board (MSP-TS432PZ100) or a low-cost LaunchPad rapid prototyping kit (MSP-EXP432P401R) with onboard emulation.

For more information contact Erich Nast, Avnet South Africa, +27 (0)11 319 8600, [email protected], www.avnet.co.za

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DSP, Micros & Memory

TI pushes low-power ARM platform to new lows

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