Stripped down Stand-alone M430G2553

It is amazing how easy and inexpensive it is to program a MSP430G2553 (or any number of other chips in the value line series) and then run it as a stand-alone microcontroller.  The photo below shows a MSP430G2553 being programmed with a MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad.  The LaunchPad costs $9.99 at Mouser.  The MSP430G2553 costs $2.80 as a single, $2.25 if you buy in lots of 10. 

This is a minimal setup to program the chip.  Once it is programmed, you can remove the TEST and RST jumpers.

Thanks to Kerry Wong for his write-up here that I used to get started.  I've simplified his set-up by leaving off RXD and TXD, and taking the pins directly to the LaunchPad.  I took off the jumpers on the LaunchPad and hooked-up to the pins on the LaunchPad the same as Kerry.

Here it is blinking "hello world" from a battery pack. 

Sharp GP1S53VJ000F PhotoInterrupter

I recently got a Sharp GP1S53VJ000F photointerrupter from Mouser and successfully tested it with a Texas Instruments EXP-430F5529 LaunchPad with Energia and on an Arduino Uno.    It should work with most LaunchPads using Energia.  Non-transparent objects passing through the "slot" are detected.

The sensor consists of an infrared LED emitter and a phototransistor detector opposite each other in a case.  When the transmission between them is blocked the digital pin will go high.  The sketch will then send a message to the serial monitor.

When tested it gave a very reliable response, even in bright sunlight with the sensor unshielded.

The circuit and sketch can be found here at Github.

Addicore 20 x 4 Serial LCD using I2C and BS170 MOSFETs

This is a very nice 20 column, 4 line display from Addicore - big and easy to read.  I've ordered several things from them recently and have been pleased.  They have free mailing in the U.S. for orders over $25 and are quick and responsive.  Recommended....

Here is what it looks like when up and running on the MSP430F5529 LaunchPad.

Note that this is a 5V device!  I've translated signals using BS170 MOSFETs and the following circuit.

I got it up and running easily using a library from DFRobot.

Here is the test code running in the display above.

//Using library from DFRobot.com
//Compatible with the Arduino IDE 1.0
//Library version:1.1
/*
 * 20x4 Serial LCD from Addicore
 * https://www.addicore.com/2004-20x4-Character-LCD-with-I2C-backpack-p/157.htm
 * Tested on MSP430F5529LP
 * NOTE: This is a 5V device!
 * Need to translate 3V3 <---> 5V (used two BS170 MOSFETs)
 * F Milburn   21 May 2015
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include "LiquidCrystal_I2C.h"

LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4);  // set for a 20 character 4 line display

void setup()
{
  lcd.init();                      // initialize the lcd
  // LINE 0
  // Print a message to the LCD.
  lcd.backlight();
  lcd.print("First line");
}

void loop()
{
  // LINE 1 - Number of columns
  // set the cursor to column 0, line 1
  // (note: line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0):
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
  lcd.print("Second line");
 
  // LINE 2 - ENERGIA
  lcd.setCursor(0, 2);
  lcd.print("Third line");
 
  // LINE 3 - Count seconds
  lcd.setCursor(0, 3);
  lcd.print("Time since reset:");
  // print the number of seconds since reset:
  lcd.print(millis()/1000);
}

Sites I Frequent

These are sites I frequently visit and can recommend.  Here they are, in the order I more or less discovered them:

Arduino:  The educational / hobbyist / maker movement has benefited greatly from Arduino.  There is a lot of good stuff on their site and the internet is full of good (and not so good) support.  This is a very good place to start if you are new to microcontrollers (but this is a blog about the TI LaunchPad series so let's move on)

SparkFun:  I got started in microcontrollers with a "SparkFun  Inventor's Kit" and SparkFun RedBoard (an Arduino Uno compatible).  They have a large selection of hobbyist material and documentation for their products.

Adafruit:  Great products.  Great documentation.  Great service.  This is a really good place to go for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Beaglebone Black.  Many of their products can also be used with the Texas Instrument Launchpads.

Texas Instruments:  The Texas Instrument LaunchPad lineup offers incredible value and capability.  Read more about them here.

Energia:  Energia is a fork of Wiring and Arduino for various Texas Instruments LaunchPads - if you have some experience with the Arduino, this site is going to look familiar.  And the great thing is that moving to Code Composer Studio, TI's full featured development environment, is available if you need the additional capability.

Mouser:  I love these guys.  If you need one 10 cent resistor they will ship it to you.  And they carry an amazing array of products, all with datasheets - including the TI LaunchPad series.

Pololu:  I recently started using Pololu for robot components and have been pleased.  They have some interesting products with good range - especially in motors and motor controllers.

Addicore:  They don't have as large a selection as the companies above but what they do have is great value (free shipping on orders larger than $25 too!).  They are very quick and responsive - the best service I have received.  You will also find some of their items on Amazon (at a slightly higher price).