A comparison of MSP430 and AVR microcontrollers

There are many types of microcontrollers, and many manufacturers have launched their own MCUs. Among the many brands of microcontrollers, I prefer the MSP430 and AVR series. The following is a PK analysis based on their respective characteristics and several aspects.

Since we are competing, just like in sports, we need to choose the same level for comparison. For this reason, we choose MSP430G2553 and ATMEGA88PA-AU, which have similar performance, as a comparison. The following opinions are only personal and are for beginners to use as a reference for selection.

1. Processor bit number and frequency

Both chips support on-chip oscillator

MSP430G2553 16-bit 16MHZ Most instructions are single instruction cycle

ATMEGA88PA 8-bit 20MHZ single instruction cycle

If calculated according to the 8-bit standard, the processor speed should be twice that of 8-bit, which is good for the computing speed. But in reality, 16-bit is in a very awkward position. If compared with high-end processors, which have 32 bits, their processing speed and peripherals cannot be compared; and low-end processors generally do not have too many requirements for processor speed, because the US-level response speed can meet the requirements of most devices.

Comments:

In terms of core performance, 430 is stronger. However, due to the market positioning, both can far meet the actual needs, so this indicator is not very important in the comparison.

2. Power supply, reset and program download

The supply voltage of MSP430G2553 is 1.8V-3.6V, and the reset is low level reset. It supports 4-wire JTAG and 2-wire SBW download.

Ultra-low power consumption: Operation -- 230μA (at 1MHz and 2.2V)

Standby mode: 0.5μA; Off mode (RAM retention): 0.1μA, with five power saving modes.

The supply voltage of ATMEGA88PA-AU is 1.8V-5.5V, and the reset is low level reset. It supports SPI download and JTAG download.

Ultra-low power consumption: Normal mode -- 300μA (at 1MHz frequency and 2.2V voltage)

Power-down mode --- 0.5μA /1.8V, with five power-saving modes.

Comments:

In terms of power supply range, ATMEGA88PA-AU leads the way for the two MCUs. Both have low-power modes, but the MSP430G2553 consumes less power in comparison, which is something TI is proud of.

3. I/O port configuration

For actual design, the external universal interface is still very critical, which directly affects the hardware resource requirements of the design. If the IO ports are not enough, there are only two ways. One is to expand, through the form of bus, select the working module, which will inevitably reduce the chip processing speed and increase the cost. The other is to choose a chip with more IO ports, which still increases the cost.

MSP430G2553 QFN-32 package 24 I/O pins supporting touch sensing

ATMEGA88PA TQFP32 package 23 programmable I/O ports

Comments:

It can be seen that the two IO resources are similar, but since the power supply voltage of 430 is 1.8V-3.6V, when it is compatible with TTL level, it is necessary to consider how to convert 3.3V to 5V.

4. AD Converter

ATMEGA88PA-AU has a built-in reference voltage of 1.1V, and the external reference can be selected as 0-VCC or AVCC voltage. A total of 8 channels of 10-bit analog-to-digital converters, continuous conversion or single conversion mode are optional, the main features are as follows:

■ 0.5 LSB nonlinearity

■ ± 2 LSB absolute accuracy

■ 65 - 260 μs conversion time

■ Sleep mode based noise suppressor

■ Sampling rate up to 15 kSPS at highest resolution

The MSP430G2553 also has a built-in reference voltage of 2.5V. When an external reference is used, the differential voltage range is 1.4V-VCC.

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Comments:

The analog-to-digital converter is also what MSP430 is proud of. Since the descriptions of the two materials focus on different aspects, the comparison is a bit vague. However, based on the reputation among users and the scope of application, MSP430 is slightly higher in this indicator.

5. Commonly used peripherals

MSP430G2553 Two 16-bit timers, each with three capture/compare registers; Universal Serial Communication Interface (USCI).

ATMEGA88PA-AU has two 8-bit timer/counters with independent prescaler and comparator functions, one 16-bit timer/counter with prescaler, compare function and capture function, real-time counter RTC with independent oscillator, and six-channel PWM.

There is also a USART, an SPI port, an I2C port, and 256 bytes of EEPROM.

Comments:

In terms of conventional peripherals, AVR's 8-bit machine shows super strength, far exceeding other similar products, and its cost performance is also very high.

6. Difficulty of entry

The promotion of the 430 chip is basically limited to the official website. Most of the information on the official website is in English. Even if there is Chinese, it is a direct translation and is relatively obscure and difficult to understand. There is no website in China that can introduce 430 well, and there are relatively few learning materials.

AVR microcontrollers benefit from the strong promotion of Ssangyong, and all kinds of Chinese materials are complete and well translated. There is a special website for introduction, from entry to mastery, with all kinds of routines.

Comments:

In terms of the difficulty of getting started, objectively speaking, AVR has more information and is easier to get started; while the information on 430, especially useful information in Chinese, is too scarce.

The above are just some of my personal opinions. Of course, there are many other aspects of the PK, such as cost performance, product level and application occasions. If you are interested, you can refer to the relevant information. Haha, finally make a simple comprehensive evaluation:

In terms of price and general performance, AVR is higher and has a good market prospect, but in some occasions, such as low power consumption and data acquisition, 430 is still slightly better.

In other words, I think the average score of AVR's various indicators is greater than 430, which means that its overall quality is relatively high; and 430 is more prominent in low power consumption and AD.

Therefore, it is recommended that if it is a general occasion, it is better to choose AVR. If low power consumption is required, 430 is better. As for reliability, both have been mass-produced and are similar.