Texas Instruments has a new MSP430 MCU family that integrates an ultrasonic sensor analog front end to enable smart water meters to provide higher accuracy and lower power consumption. In addition, TI introduced two new reference designs to make it easier for design modules to add automatic meter reading capabilities to existing mechanical water meters.
New MCUs and reference designs support the growing demand for more accurate water meters and remote meter readings for effective water management, accurate measurement and timely billing.
As part of the ultra-low-power MCU family for detection and measurement, the new MSP430FR6047 MCU family enables developers to add more intelligence to the flow meter with full waveform capture and ADC-based signal processing capabilities. Compared with competitors 'devices, the technology can measure the technology more accurately than competitors' devices, even with flow rates of less than one milliliter per hour, with an accuracy of 25 picoseconds or more. In addition, the integrated device reduced the number of water meter system components by 50% and reduced power consumption by 25%, enabling the water meter to operate without having to charge the battery for 10 years or more. The new MCU also integrates a low-energy accelerator module for advanced signal processing, 256KB FRAM, LCD driver and metering test interface.
The MSP430 Ultrasonic Induction Design Center provides a comprehensive development ecosystem that enables developers to bring it to market within months. The Design Center provides tools for rapid development and customization flexibility, including software libraries, GUIs, evaluation modules with measurement functions, and DSP libraries.
