Hello everyone,
I’ve just returned from Sakarya, and one of the highlights of my trip was receiving a new delivery from Farnell: the MSP-EXP430FR5739 Experimenter Board! I was eagerly anticipating this board all week, and I’m thrilled to finally dive into its capabilities. This marks a new chapter in my development journey, transitioning from my extensive experience with Arduino to exploring the features of this advanced development board.
Why the MSP-EXP430FR5739?
My interest in motion-controlled applications and technologies began with Nokia Symbian smartphones equipped with accelerometers. I developed several applications, including AlertMe and nGUN, and experimented with accelerometers on my N95 using Python S60. This experience was both enjoyable and educational, and it laid the groundwork for my current project.
Project Plans
A few months ago, I embarked on a weekend project to build a self-balancing robot. While I made progress on the communication and control code, I ultimately found that the project’s weight and motor limitations were obstacles. The lack of accelerometer hardware and communication options with Arduino at the time were also significant challenges.
Now, with the MSP-EXP430FR5739, which includes a built-in accelerometer, I am excited to restart my self-balancing robot project. This board’s capabilities will be instrumental in overcoming the previous challenges.
Board Specifications
The MSP-EXP430FR5739 Experimenter Board features:
- Integrated MSP430FR5739:
- 16KB FRAM / 1KB SRAM
- 16-Bit RISC Architecture up to 8 MHz
- 2x Timer_A Blocks, 3x Timer_B Blocks
- 1x USCI (UART/SPI/IrDA/I2C) Block
- 16 Channels of 10-Bit ADC12_B, 16 Channels of Comp_D
- 32 I/O Pins
- 3-Axis Accelerometer
- NTC Thermistor
- 8 Display LEDs
- Footprint for an additional through-hole LDR sensor
- 2 User Input Switches
- Connectivity and User Experience:
- Connections to MSP-EXP430F5438
- Compatible with most Wireless Daughter Cards (CCxxxx RF)
- Preloaded with out-of-the-box demo code
- Four Modes to test FRAM features:
- Mode 1: Max write speed
- Mode 2: Flash write speed emulation
- Mode 3: Fast sampling with writes using accelerometer
- Mode 4: Fast sampling with writes using Thermistor
- Modes 1 & 2 include an Ultra-Low Power (ULP) option to optimize power management
Experience with Farnell
Acquiring this development board from Farnell was a seamless experience. Despite the distance (from the UK to Turkey), the shipment arrived in less than a week.
For more details or to purchase the MSP-EXP430FR5739, you can visit the Farnell product page.
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