Chronos was created to inspire wireless
networking development by enabling designers to easily and cost-efficiently
harness the integration of TI's new CC430 microcontroller (MCU), regardless of
programming expertise. The CC430 MCU combines the MSP430 core and an RF
transceiver to result in the industry's lowest-power, single-chip
radio-frequency (RF) solution for MCU-based applications. The kit includes a
3-axis accelerometer for motion-sensitive control and sensors for data
collection of altitude, temperature and battery voltage. It comes with RF
protocols and open source example projects and can be used as a wireless hub to
access real-time data from wirelessly paired custom sensors. Never
before have developers had access to a completely reprogrammable development
kit packaged in an environment as portable as a sports watch. Chronos' leading hardware/software integration
allows developers to significantly save on BOM and board space, resulting in
lower cost, smaller end products. It includes an eZ430-emulator for
simplified programming debugging on top of base software framework and RF
functions so developers are able to
easily customize Chronos' basic functionality, or wirelessly pair it with their
own custom sensors. Unlike
anything on the market, Chronos provides developers with a wearable, low-cost,
easy-to-use tool, complete with software, hardware and community support.
CC430 shrinks package and printed circuit board size by up to 50 percent compared to two-chip-solutions. Chronos performs watch functions (30m waterproof), and is equipped with on-chip sensors to
measure altitude, temperature and battery voltage.
