Introduction

This application note describes a solution interfacing the Playing With Fusion MAX31855K-4CH thermocouple breakout to an MSP430F16x or 4x microcontroller. The MSP430 is connected to a UART to USB converter interface to display results on a computer. Complete code, written and tested on TI's Code Composer Studio V4, is included, as well as schematics and reference pictures. These can be downloaded below.

Three separate development components are used in setting up this solution. These include: the Playing With Fusion MAX31855K-4CH board, a 64-pin MSP430Fxxx breakout populated with an MSP430F167 and a UART to USB converter breakout using the Silicon Labs CP2102 IC. The MSP430 was programmed and debugged using a TI "MSP-FET430UIF" debugger. Additionally, the CP2102 chip has the capability to output both 5V (USB) or 3.3V generated on-chip over the GPIO lines. This 3.3V power can also be used in low-power applications to power external devices (maximum total current <100mA), such as the MSP430 and the MAX31855K-4CH breakout combination.

Output of the application includes UART broadcast at 38,400 baud to the UART to USB converter, with plain text that can be visually inspected via a serial terminal program such as "HyperTerminal" or "PuTTY". Code can be easily modified to broadcast at UART rates approaching 1Mbaud and formatting to fit individual application needs. Playing With Fusion currently only sells the MAX31855K-4CH board used in this application report. If you would be interested in seeing us carry any of the other components used, or have any other product you would like us to carry, please contact us.

Related Files

an1201_schematic.pdf	Schematic
an1201_source.zip	C source code for MSP430

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