MSP430F1491 - 8MHz 16-bit MCU, 60KB Flash 64-LQFP | TI
MPN: MSP430F1491 β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $12.5 | $12.50 |
| 10 | $11.3 | $113.00 |
| 100 | $9.8 | $980.00 |
| 500 | $8.9 | $4,450.00 |
| 1,000 | $8.2 | $8,200.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for MSP430F1491 β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MSP430F1481
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F1471
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F149
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F148
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F169
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F1491 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | MSP430 CPU16 16-bit RISC |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 8 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 60KB (60K x 8 + 256B) |
| SRAM | 2KB |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Active Mode Current | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V |
| Standby Mode Current | 1.6 uA |
| Off Mode Current (RAM Retention) | 0.1 uA |
| Wakeup Time From Standby | Less than 6 us |
| Low-Power Modes | 5 power-saving modes |
| ADC Resolution | 12-bit |
| USART Interfaces | 2 (UART or SPI, software selectable) |
| Timers | 2 x 16-bit (Timer_A, Timer_B) |
| Hardware Multiplier | Yes |
| Comparator | Yes |
| GPIO Count | 48 I/O pins |
| Package | 64-LQFP (PM), 10 x 10 mm |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Program Memory Type | Flash, in-system programmable |
MSP430F1491 64-lqfp (pm), 10 x 10 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for MSP430F1491 (64-lqfp (pm), 10 x 10 mm package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for MSP430F1491.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Safe Operating Area (SOA) & Thermal Characteristics
No official SOA curve available for this digital IC. Always operate within absolute maximum ratings specified in the datasheet. Ensure adequate cooling and derate as needed.
Typical Applications
MSP430F1491 is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Utility Metering, Portable Instrumentation, Sensor Data Loggers, Industrial Control Nodes, Building Automation and Security Sensors, Legacy Design Maintenance and Second Sourcing.
Battery-Powered Utility Metering
The MSP430F1491 is a natural fit for water, gas, and electricity meters, where the entire product must run for years on a lithium cell. Its 1.6 uA standby current and 0.1 uA RAM-retention off mode let the MCU sleep between measurement windows, and wakeup from standby in under 6 us means an hourly or per-second sampling schedule adds almost nothing to average consumption. The 12-bit ADC reads flow or voltage/current channels directly, while the hardware multiplier accelerates energy-accumulation math without CPU cycles. The two USARTs handle meter-bus, RS-485, or optical communication heads, and 60KB Flash holds tariff and billing firmware. Place the MCU in LPM3 between samples and clock the ADC from a scheduled timer to keep average current in the single-digit uA range.
Recommended
Portable Instrumentation
Handheld instruments - multimeters, environmental meters, portable dataloggers - demand both low average power and real analog capability, which the MSP430F1491 delivers in one chip. The integrated 12-bit ADC with sample-and-hold digitizes sensor front ends without an external converter, and the comparator supports zero-cross or threshold detection in hardware, offloading the sleeping CPU. At 280 uA active (1 MHz, 2.2 V), the device preserves battery life during measurement bursts, while 48 GPIOs drive keypads and segment LCDs. Two USARTs provide a PC link (UART) and peripheral expansion (SPI) simultaneously. Because the 2KB SRAM is limited, stream samples to external SPI flash or process them in fixed-point with the hardware multiplier rather than buffering in RAM.
Recommended
Sensor Data Loggers
Long-deployment data loggers for temperature, humidity, pressure, or vibration benefit directly from the MSP430F1491's duty-cycle architecture. The device sleeps in LPM3 at 1.6 uA, wakes in under 6 us on a timer interrupt, reads the 12-bit ADC or an external SPI sensor, applies calibration math via the hardware multiplier, and stores records over USART0 SPI to flash memory. With 60KB Flash, the firmware can embed calibration tables, compression routines, and communication stacks without external code storage. A single CR2032 or two AA cells can power multi-month to multi-year logging campaigns. Design the clock tree around a 32.768 kHz watch crystal for accurate timekeeping at microwatt cost, and use the DCO only for short active bursts.
Recommended
Industrial Control Nodes
Low-power industrial nodes - valve controllers, remote I/O, pump monitors - use the MSP430F1491's dual USARTs for fieldbus (RS-485) and local service (UART) connectivity while the 12-bit ADC monitors process analog signals such as pressure transducers and 4-20 mA loops via a sense resistor. Timer_A and Timer_B generate PWM outputs for actuators and provide capture inputs for flow or encoder pulse counting in hardware, independent of CPU load. The 1.8 V to 3.6 V supply range tolerates battery-backup sag, and 48 GPIOs interface relays, optocouplers, and status LEDs. In noisy environments, isolate the RS-485 transceiver and route ADC sense lines away from switching loads to protect the 12-bit converter's effective resolution.
Recommended
Building Automation and Security Sensors
Wireless and wired building sensors - occupancy detectors, door contacts, smoke alarm front ends - exploit the MSP430F1491's comparator for hardware threshold detection while the CPU sleeps at 0.1 uA (RAM retention), and its 12-bit ADC for periodic sensor polling. Two USARTs allow one port to drive a wireless module (UART) and the other an SPI EEPROM for configuration storage. At 8 MHz, there is headroom for sensor-fusion filtering and protocol handling, while the hardware multiplier accelerates CRC and averaging. Because many of these products must pass long-life battery requirements, schedule all measurement into short active bursts from LPM3 and power-gate the radio between transmissions; the sub-6-us wakeup ensures negligible latency on events.
Recommended
Legacy Design Maintenance and Second Sourcing
A large installed base of MSP430F14x-based products continues in production worldwide, and the MSP430F1491 serves as the continuity device for these designs. Because the entire F14x/F14x1 family shares the same 64-LQFP (PM) footprint and pinout, maintenance engineers can second-source or substitute MSP430F148, MSP430F1481, or MSP430F1471 devices without PCB changes - only flash size changes (48KB/32KB versus 60KB). This page's drop-in comparison and pricing data help procurement qualify alternates quickly. When migrating to new designs, TI recommends the MSPM0 family, but for sustaining existing sockets the F14x1 family remains the safest, fully code-compatible choice, preserving JTAG debug access and the established CCS/IAR toolchain.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MSP430F1491 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MSP430F1481 | MSP430F1471 | MSP430F149 | MSP430F169 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-LQFP (PM) 10x10 mm | 64-LQFP (PM) 10x10 mm - same | 64-LQFP (PM) 10x10 mm - same | 64-LQFP (PM) 10x10 mm - same | 64-LQFP (PM) 10x10 mm - same |
| Brand | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments |
| Flash Memory | 60KB + 256B | 48KB + 256B | 32KB + 256B | 60KB + 256B | 60KB + 256B |
| SRAM | 2KB | 2KB | 1KB | 2KB | 2KB |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz |
| ADC | 12-bit (ADC12) | 12-bit (ADC12) | 12-bit (ADC12) | 12-bit (ADC12) | 12-bit (ADC12) |
| Serial Interfaces | 2 x USART (UART/SPI) | 2 x USART (UART/SPI) | 2 x USART (UART/SPI) | 2 x USART (UART/SPI) | 2 x USART with extended F16x features (DMA, I2C-capable USCI) |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Active Mode Current | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V | 280 uA at 1 MHz, 2.2 V |
Key Differentiators
- Maximum flash in the F14x1 family (vs MSP430F1481)
- More SRAM than the smallest family member (vs MSP430F1471)
- Simplest peripheral set for legacy compatibility (vs MSP430F169)
Design Notes
Design the clock tree around a 32.768 kHz watch crystal on LFXT1 for LPM3 timekeeping at microwatt cost, and use the DCO or XT2 (high-frequency) only for short active bursts. At 280 uA active versus 1.6 uA standby, a 1% duty cycle at 1 MHz yields an average current near 4 uA - the key to multi-year battery life. Keep the supply within 1.8 V to 3.6 V; brown-out below 1.8 V triggers reset, so add adequate bulk capacitance on battery-switching events.
The 2KB SRAM is the most common MSP430F1491 design constraint. Avoid deep call stacks, large static buffers, and heap use in C firmware; prefer fixed-size ring buffers and place large constant tables in flash with the 'const' keyword so the linker keeps them out of RAM. Also note this F1xx generation uses 4-wire JTAG (TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO), not Spy-Bi-Wire - reserve these pins on your PCB header, or plan to fuse-blow JTAG protection understanding it is irreversible.
For 12-bit ADC accuracy, isolate the analog domain: keep AVcc/AVss traces short, use a local 100 nF plus 10 uF decoupling pair on AVcc, and route analog sense lines away from the XT2 oscillator and USART switching lines. Use a solid ground plane and connect DVss/AVss at a single star point. Decouple VCC (DVcc) with 100 nF at each supply pin. If XT2 is unused, configure P2 pins as GPIO to recover two I/O and avoid oscillator-fault interrupts.
Compliance Information
Compliance details were not present in the provided web data; confirm RoHS/REACH status on the TI product page at https://www.ti.com/product/MSP430F1491 before procurement.
