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 1s. The MSP430x20xx series is an ultralow-power mixed signal microcontroller with a built-in 16-bit timer, and ten I/O pins. In addition the MSP430x20x1 has a versatile analog comparator. The MSP430x20x2 and MSP430x20x3 have built-in communication capability using synchronous protocols (SPI or I2C), and a 10-bit A/D converter (MSP430x20x2) or a 16-bit sigma-delta A/D converter (MSP430x20x3). Typical applications include sensor systems that capture analog signals, convert them to digital values, and then process the data for display or for transmission to a host system. Stand alone RF sensor front end is another area of application.