Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: MSP430
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 28 April 2005
Frugal MCU saves power for watch-sized
radar
Sonic Instruments has designed its new watch-sized radar speed system using ultra-low-power microcontroller, DSP and analogue technologies from Texas Instruments.
Sonic Instruments has designed its new watch-sized radar speed system (RSS) using ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU), digital signal processing (DSP) and analogue technologies from Texas Instruments (TI) The new lightweight RSS watch and speedometer use radar to provide precise speed and distance information to skiers, joggers, cyclists and other sports enthusiasts
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 17 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Based on wireless inputs from a speedometer worn on a user's belt, the MSP430F412 MCU with on-chip Flash memory supplies the time, calculates distance, speed and average speed and then displays this information through an on-chip LCD driver.
With a real time clock standby current of 0.9uA, the RSS watch can run for two years before requiring new batteries.
The MSP430F412 MCU also calculates a user's heart rate using an integrated slope analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC) from heart rate information transmitted from an optional pulse measurement unit worn separately.
The pulse measurement unit uses an MSP430F1121 MCU, also with integrated Flash memory, and collects the wearer's vital statistics using the integrated comparator as a slope ADC and transmits this information to the watch via a wireless transmitter-receiver.
Within the belt-worn speedometer is TI's low-power TMS320C5402 DSP for processing the radar calculations that continually measure the wearer's progress relative to stationary objects such as trees and rocks.
With its high level of real-time performance, the C5402 DSP instantaneously calculates the shifts in frequency between the transmission and reception of low-power radio pulses (the Doppler effect), then passes the data on to the MSP430F412 MCU for speed and distance calculations.
The C5402 device's programmability and low power requirements made it possible for Sonic to create its innovative software on a DSP platform designed for power-efficient mobile systems.
Other key functions are handled by low-power analogue components from TI including an ADS7822 analogue-to-digital convertor, a TLV2472 signal input device and a TPS77030 voltage regulator.
A TI TPS60302 charge pump raises the voltage of a single commercially available battery to the 3.3V required for system operation.
"We chose TI's MSP430 MCU platform not only because of its industry leading ultra-low power consumption and automatic, real time clock standby mode but also because of the integrated LCD drive, ADC and Flash memory as well as the support for various memory configurations", said Stefan Moedl, Managing Director of Sonic Instruments and inventor of Sonic's sports radar technology.
"TI's strong local support was another factor, especially since along with TI's analogue components, we used the low power C5402 DSP as a platform for developing our unique, real-time radar functionality".
The Sonic RSS watch uses a 24GHz microwave transmitter and sensor for the radar to bypass the interference levels common to lower-frequency transmissions.
Tests conducted by Sonic indicate that the RSS provides information to within 1% of accuracy, depending on environmental conditions.
A strap permits the user to wear the RSS watch on the wrist, or the device can be clipped onto clothing.
The optional pulse monitor is worn on a belt and communicates wirelessly with the main RSS unit.
The Radar Speed System is available now from Sonic Instruments at www.sonicinstruments.com.
Pricing is Eur 149 for the speedometer and watch and Eur 30 for the optional pulse rate unit.
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