MSP430 MICROCONTROLLER BASICS

By
John Davies, Glasgow University, UK

Description
The MSP430 is a simple 16-bit microcontroller with a compact and economical
CPU containing only 27 instructions and 16 registers. It offers other
advantages which make it suitable for low power applications: a rich variety of
peripherals for analog input and output; rapid processing wake up time; the
treatment of data and address on equal footing. Introduction to the MSP430
combines a tutorial approach with a description of the CPU and main
peripherals. The tutorial builds from a basic program for lighting LEDs to the
use of a timer. It uses the C programming language from the start but programs are also developed in
assembly language to show how a program interacts with the hardware. To demonstrate the special
features of the MSP430 full coverage is given to the instruction set, sigma-delta analog-digital converters
and timers. Finally, the book gives an introduction to the MSP430 which extends the architecture to
address more memory and which provides a bridge to the ARM 7 processor. Contents: 1.Embedded
electronic systems and microcontrollers; 2. Texas MSP430; 3. Development; 4. A simple tour of the
MSP430; 5. Architecture of the MSP430; 6.Functions, interrupts and low-power modes; 7.Digital input,
output and displays; 8. Timers; 9. Mixed-signal systems: Analog input and output; 10. Communication;
11. The future: MSP430X; Appendices.

Audience
Professional embedded systems engineers, hobbyists and engineering undergraduates.

Contents
1. Embedded electronic systems and microcontrollers 1.1. What (and where) are embedded systems?
1.2. Facilities needed 1.3. Small microcontrollers 1.4. Anatomy of a typical small microcontroller 1.5.
Memory 1.6. Software 1.7. Where does the MSP430 fit? 2. Texas MSP430 2.1. The outside view-pinout
2.2. The inside view-functional block diagram 2.3. Memory 2.4. Central processing unit 2.5. Memory-
mapped input and output 2.6. Clock generator 2.7 Exceptions: Interrupts and resets 2.8. Where to find
further information 3. Development 3.1. Development environment 3.2. The C programming language
3.3. Assembly language 3.4. Access to microcontroller for programming and debugging 3.5.
Demonstration boards 3.6. Hardware 3.7. Equipment 4. A simple tour of the MSP430 4.1. First program
on a conventional desktop computer 4.2. Light LEDs in C 4.3. Light LEDs in assembly language 4.4. Read
input from a switch 4.5. Automatic control: flashing light by software delay 4.6. Automatic control: Use of
subroutines 4.7. Automatic control: Flashing light by polling Timer_A 4.8. Header files and issues that
have been brushed under the carpet 5. Architecture of the MSP430 5.1. Central processing unit 5.2.
Addressing modes 5.3 Constant generator and emulated instructions 5.4. Instruction set 5.5. Examples
5.6. Reflections on the CPU instruction set 5.7. Reset 5.8. Clock system 6. Functions, interrupts and low-
power modes 6.1. Functions and subroutines 6.2. What happens when a subroutine is called? 6.3.
Storage for local variables 6.4. Passing parameters to a subroutine and returning a result 6.5. Mixing C
and assembly language 6.6. Interrupts 6.7. What happens when an interrupt is requested? 6.8. Interrupt
service routines 6.9. Issues associated with interrupts 6.10. Low-power modes of operation 7. Digital
input, output and displays 7.1. Digital input and output: parallel ports 7.2. Digital inputs 7.3. Switch
debounce 7.4. Digital outputs 7.5. Interface between 3 V and 5 V systems 7.6. Driving heavier loads 7.7.
Liquid crystal displays 7.8. Driving an LCD from a MSP430x4xx 7.9. Simple applications of the LCD 8.
Timers 8.1. Watchdog timer 8.2. Basic timer1 8.3. Timer_A 8.4. Measurement in Capture mode 8.5.
Output in Continuous mode 8.6. Output in Up mode: Edge-aligned pulse-width modulation 8.7. Output in
Up/Down mode: Centered pulse-width modulation 8.8. Operation of Timer_A in Sampling mode 8.9.
Timer_B 8.10. What timer where? 8.11. Setting the real-time clock: State machines 9. Mixed-signal
systems: Analog input and output 9.1. Comparator_A 9.2. Analog-to-digital conversion: general issues
9.3. Analog-to-digital conversion: successive approximation 9.4. The ADC10 successive-approximiation
ADC 9.5. Basic operation of the ADC10 9.6. More advanced operation of the ADC10 9.7. The ADC12
successive-approximation ADC 9.8. Analog-to-digital conversion: sigma-delta 9.9. The SD16_A sigma-
delta ADC 9.10. Operation of SD16_A 9.11. Signal conditioning and operational amplifiers 9.12. Digital-
to-analog conversion 10. Communication 10.1. Communication peripherals in the MSP430 10.2. Serial
peripheral interface (SPI) 10.3. SPI with the USI 10.4. SPI with the USCI 10.5. A thermometer using SPI
in mode 3 with the F2013 as master 10.6. A thermometer using SPI in mode 0 with the FG4618 as
master 10.7. Inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus 10.8. A simple I2C master with the USCI_B0 on a FG4618
10.9. A simple I2c slave with the USI on a F2013 10.10. State machines for I2C communication 10.11. A
thermometer using I2C with the F2013 as master 10.12. Asynchronous serial communication 10.13.
Asynchronous communication with the USCI_A 10.14. A software UART using Timer_A 10.15. Other types
of communication 11. The future: MSP430X 11.1. Architecture of the MSP430X 11.2. Instruction set of
the MSP430X 11.3. Where next? 11.4. Conclusion A. Kickstarting the MSP430 A.1. Introduction to EW430
A.2. Developing a project in C A.3. Debugging with the simulator A.4. Debugging with the emulator A.5.
Developing a project in assembly language A.6. Tips for using EW430 A.7. Tips for specific development
kits

Bibliographic details

Paperback, 688 pages, publication date: AUG-2008

ISBN-13: 978-0-7506-8276-3
ISBN-10: 0-7506-8276-0
Imprint: NEWNES