TI has big plans for frugal 16bit MCU family

Texas Instruments plans to add over 50 new devices to its MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller family in the next 18 months.

Demonstrating continued commitment and vision in the ultra-low-power market, Texas Instruments has launched a massive expansion of the MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) platform with plans to add over 50 new devices in the next 18 months.

TI's MSP430 device portfolio expansion answers growing market demands, as industry analysts predict that ultralow power will continue to be a major growth driver in the MCU market for industrial, medical and consumer products.

The first devices introduce TI's smallest, lowest power MCUs ever - the MSP430F20xx MCU series - which offers a tiny 14-pin, 4 x 4mm footprint and 16MIPS of 16bit performance with pricing starting at $0.49 (100,000 units) for the MSP430F2001 MCU.

"Portable consumer and industrial applications continue to become