Smart Analog Combo Enables Tomorrow's MCU-Based Sensing and Measurement Applications

More and more applications are emerging that require intelligent sensing capabilities on end nodes. These applications cross industry segments including building automation, factory automation and control, and medical health and fitness. For new product development teams, designing each new product or system individually without capitalizing on previous design work will surely tax the engineering resources of any organization.

A new generation of microcontrollers (MCUs) is quickly and efficiently adaptable to different types of sensing and measurement applications, such as those involving the sensing of light, humidity, temperature, power current, carbon monoxide, and many other conditions or parameters. The most prominent example of this new type of MCU is the MSP430FR23xx MCU family, which integrates ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) technology and a smart analog combo (SAC) with ultra-low-power consumption.

The smart analog combo includes configurable analog signal chain elements including operational amplifiers (Op-Amps) and 12-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The smart analog combo supports flexible configuration of the input path [for example, Op-Amp or programmable gain amplifier (PGA)] and the output path (for example, a 12-bit DAC) on the signal conditioning chain of a unified single IP. Additionally, the MSP430FR23xx MCUs integrate a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and two enhanced comparators.

Trademarks

MSP430 is a trademark of Texas Instruments.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1 Introduction

The smart analog combo (SAC) enables a configurable signal-conditioning chain for the sensing and measurement market. Customers can flexibly configure the Op-Amp or PGA of a signal amplifier or 12-bit DAC for internal IPs and external voltage references.

Advantages of the smart analog combo include:

Flexibility
- Configurable input and output paths
- Adaptable analog conditioning circuit
- Programmable configuration
- Consistent user interface on all levels

Economics
- Optimized bill-of-materials cost
- Few to no external components required
- Smaller printed circuit board (PCB) outline

The smart analog combo is available on several MSP430™ MCUs in the MSP430FR23xx family. Table 1 defines the different smart analog combo (SAC) configurations. Table 2 lists the configurations available on MSP430 MCUs.

Table 1. Smart Analog Combo Options

SAC Configuration	Op Amp	PGA	12-Bit DAC
SAC-L1	✓
SAC-L2	✓	✓
SAC-L3	✓	✓	✓

Table 2. Summary of the Smart Analog Combo Configurations and How Many Modules are Integrated on Each Device Family

Device	SAC Configuration
MSP430FR231x	1 SAC-L1
MSP430FR235x	4 SAC-L3