New MCUs offer configurable signal-chain elements for sensing applications

Texas Instruments’ value line MCU portfolio now offers extended operating temperatures up to 105C, combined with increased analog integration, to meet industrial system requirements. The company's addition of new MCUs with integrated signal-chain elements and an extended operating temperature range to its MSP430 value line portfolio. New MSP430FR2355 FRAM MCUs enable developers to decrease PCB size and BOM cost while reaching temperature requirements for sensing and measurement in applications such as sensor transmitters, smoke detectors and circuit breakers. Features and benefits of the MCUs include signal-chain configurability, enabling engineers more flexibility in their system design with MCUs. These integrate smart analog combos such as configurable signal-chain elements that include options for multiple 12-bit DACs and programmable gain amplifiers, along with a 12-bit ADC and two enhanced comparators. The portfolio offers scalability, so engineers can gain more options to choose the right memory and processing speed for cost-sensitive applications with the MCUs. Designers can also scale to the rest of the portfolio for applications that need up to 256KB of memory, higher performance or more analog peripherals.