State and municipal agencies that face increasing traffic, pollution and fuel costs are turning to smart transportation technologies to solve their problems.

The Sensys system combines new magnetic sensors with advanced packet radio technology, providing a cost-effective, dependable solution for a wide range of traffic management applications.

The Sensys wireless sensors are based on Texas Instruments’ MSP430F14x and MSP430F16x MCUs that run at ultra-low power levels to ensure maximum life of the system, drastically reducing maintenance effort and cost. The data from the sensors is transmitted real-time to a nearby location via Texas Instruments’ CC2430 RF transceiver, and is then transmitted to a local traffic controller or off-site traffic management system.

Key features and benefits of using Texas Instruments’ MSP430 MCUs and RF transceiver:

MSP430 MCUs ultra-low power consumption (<1us clock startup and <50nA pin leakage) enables 10+ year battery life;

Intelligent digital and analog peripherals integrated into MSP430 MCUs provide high performance, even during RF transmissions, and consume no power when not in operation;

16-bit RISC CPU architecture of the MSP430 MCU enables more effective processing, smaller size and high code density to maximize performance while minimizing memory and power requirement;

CC2430 RF transceivers are the world’s first IEEE 802.15.4 system-on-chip solution and operate in the 2.4-GHz range, making them ideally suited for reliable, low power digital wireless applications;

Texas Instruments’ scalable MCU portfolio consists of hundreds of devices that meet varying price, performance and ultra-low power requirements.

Helping us to extend the life of our product well beyond that of our competitors, we chose TI’s MSP430 MCU for its ultra low power capability, said Robert Kavaler, senior vice president at Sensys Networks. With TI’s MCU and RF transceiver technology, we’re able to offer the leading traffic management solution in the market.

Pricing and availability:

The Sensys Networks systems have been deployed around the world in more than 30 US states and 20 countries. The system is available for purchase through Sensys Networks directly or their worldwide distribution network.

Texas Instruments is a semiconductor manufacturer.