The Texas Instruments MSP430 family of ultralow power microcontrollers consist of several devices featuring different sets of peripherals targeted for various applications. The architecture, combined with five low power modes is optimized to achieve extended battery life in portable measurement applications. The device features a powerful 16-bit RISC CPU, 16-bit registers, and constant generators that attribute to maximum code efficiency. The digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) allows wake-up from low-power modes to active mode in less than 6μs.

The MSP430F12x series is an ultralow-power mixed signal microcontroller with a built-in 16-bit timer and twenty-two I/O pins.The MSP430F12x series also has a built-in communication capability using asynchronous (UART) and synchronous (SPI) protocols in addition to a versatile analog comparator.