TI brings new tool for designing embedded systems

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) announced a new tool for designing embedded systems that combines ultra-low-power MSP430 microcontrollers (MCU) with wireless communications. At the cost of $49, TI’s new eZ430-RF2500 development tool, packaged in a convenient USB stick form factor, offers two radio frequency (RF)-enabled microcontroller target boards and a PC debugging interface that may be used to develop stand-alone wireless projects.

“Seeing the phenomenal demand for the eZ430-F2013 and the versatility of the target boards used to develop customer end products, we knew that providing a low cost tool with wireless capabilities was the next 'must have' for developers,” said Cornelia Huellstrunk, product marketing manager, MSP430, Texas Instruments. “With the eZ430-RF2500, we are committed to aggressively meeting market needs, as more and more applications require wireless communications.”

The eZ430-RF2500 kit comes with all the software needed to program wireless MSP430 applications, and the USB development interface provides the required hardware for emulation and debugging on the target board. The user can choose either the IAR Embedded Workbench IDE or TI’s Code Composer Studio Essentials IDE to write and download code, then debug the application at full speed using hardware breakpoints and single stepping, consuming no extra hardware resources.

Texas Instruments