The 8-bit and 32-bit MCU markets have been touting their ability to handle every embedded computing chore from low power applications to high performance, embedded computing often for portable multimedia applications or networked devices. This flag waving is often done at the expense of the 16-bit market but the 16-bit segment is far from dead. In fact, it remains an extremely successful solution area. This time I take a look at kits for two different 16-bit architectures that actually address very different applications areas. I also take a look at one of the major competitors, Luminary Micro’s 16-/32-bit chip (see “32-Bit ARM MCU Hits One Dollar Mark” ED Online 12358) based on the ARM Cortex-M3. It is essentially a 32-bit ARM processor but it uses the 16-bit Thumb2 instruction set.
The first 16-bit architecture is the MSP430 from Texas instruments. This low power chip often beats the 8-bit alternatives at their own game. The MSP430 can run on a trickle of power and is available in versions designed to minimize parts count and hardware footprint. Features such as a built-in clock oscillator are standard.
The Microchip dsPIC30 is at the other end of the performance spectrum. It is the smaller sibling of the popular dsPIC33 (see “PIC'n The Right DSC” ED Online 8981). The dsPIC30 lacks some of the features found in the dsPIC33 primarily in the DSP area allowing the lower cost dsPIC30 to target more conventional embedded processing applications. It can use minute amounts of power but it tends to use a bit more than the MSP430 while running much faster. This is not surprising given the dsPIC3x family is Microchip’s high performance line versus its low-end workhouse, the 8-bit PIC MCU.
I had a chance to look at two different MSP430 platforms. The first is the $20 MSP-EZ430U. That’s right, $20 for the hardware and the software. It all comes in a DVD-style case, including the hardware. It is comparable to the Silicon Lab’s USB ToolStick (see “Sticking It To The Developer” ED Online 12142) but TI’s solutions is more flexible. The other MSP0430 platform is the MSP-FET430 FLASH Emulation Tool $149. This is primarily a programming tool but it can be used as a development platform as well.
The dsPIC30 platform is Microchip’s Explorer 16. The latter has been out since the dsPIC33 was announced. The new version simply employs the new chip family. It is worth a closer look because of the dsPIC30’s target market, the general 16-bit environment. While the dsPIC33 could be used instead, it is pin-compatible with the dsPIC30, the dsPIC33 is more expensive.
Luminary Micro’s development kit for its low cost (under $1) LM3S10x chips is $249, but keep in mind that this includes a JTAG debugger and ARM’s latest development tools. ARM tools have never been inexpensive although this is likely to change with ARM’s acquisition of Keil.
Now on to the reviews.
Texas Instruments eZ430-F2013
MSP-EZ430U, or eZ430-F2013, is tiny compared to the JTAG unit used with the MSP-FET430 (see Fig. 1). The USB-based MSP-EZ430U is also easier to use and get started with.
The MSP-EZ430U kit comes with a CD, minimal printed documentation and the eZ430-F2013. The printed documentation is just for getting started and loading the software found on the CD. The CD contains online documentation and a fully functional IAR Embedded Workbench with C compiler and assembler. The only limiting factor is the amount of program code that the compiler can generate for a single application. Of course the limitation does not impact the target but it does keep some versions of the MSP430 out of reach until you buy the full version from IAR.
The target platform is the 14-pin, 16MHz MSP430F2014. The MCU shares the MSP430’s RISC-style instruction set and 16 by 16 register file. It has an on-chip clock and it requires 250µA/MIPS. It requires only 0.8µA if only the real-time clock is running and the on-chip RAM uses only 0.1µA. That’s a rather power good power miser.