MSP430 LaunchPad Basic DRO Controller

More up-to-date instructions can be found on the new TouchDRO Website here: https://www.touchdro.com/resources/adapters/diy/

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DIY DRO with MSP430 MSP430G2553 Launchpad
TI MSP430 LaunchPad Digital Readout

Description

This controller is designed for Texas Instruments MSP430 Value Line LauchPad board with MSP430G2553 microcontroller. The latest firmware can read up to four iGaging Remote DRO and/or AccuRemote scales and supports directional tachometer input. Feature-wise it's identical to the Arduino-based DRO controller but using MSP430 has a few advantages. For instance, the microcontroller runs at 3.6V natively, so the scales can be connected directly to it, without any voltage dividers, etc. In fact the only other part required for this controller (in addition to the Launchpad itself) is a Serial-to-BlueTooth or Serial-to-USB adapter. Thus, the total cost of a minimalist build can be less than $20.

Pros

  • Less expensive than the Arduino version
  • Simpler to build
  • Low power consumption
  • Easily upgradeable to Mixed Scale or Quadrature version

Cons

  • MSP430 Launchpad is [mostly] sold online, and might be difficult o source in some parts of the world
  • Firmware upload process is less user friendly

Specifications

Microcontroller
MSP430G2553
Clock Frequency
16 MHz
Supported Scale Format
21 Bit (Shahe/iGaging Remote DRO and AccuRemote)
Supported Axes
4
Tachometer Support
Yes (directional)
Scale Refresh Rate
10 Hz (90KHz clock cycle)
Tachometer Refresh Rate
1 Hz
Position Update Rate
10Hz
UART Speed
9600 Baud

Parts List

Resources