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Texas Instruments Inc. announced in collaboration with Hitex Development Tools GmbH, introduced the new SafeTI(TM) Hitex Safety Kit, enabling developers to evaluate SafeTI components for use in their designs requiring compliance to functional safety standards such as ISO26262 and IEC 61508. The kit provides an example system with capabilities for hardware fault injection, application and run-time profiling of fault diagnostics and system response monitoring in real-time. The SafeTI Hitex Safety Kit enables customers to easily evaluate performance of SafeTI components for use in their safety-critical designs. The cost-effective hardware platform allows customers to evaluate the individual TI hardware components, either Hercules(TM) TMS570LS31x microcontrollers (MCUs) or RM48x MCUs and TPS65381-Q1 power management integrated circuit (PMIC) -- with TI's Hercules SafeTI Diagnostic Library. Features and benefits of the SafeTI Hitex Safety Kit: Enables customers to evaluate SafeTI components for potential use in designs requiring functional safety and targeting compliance to functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 and ISO 26262. Integrates key capabilities for fault injection, application of diagnostics, reaction monitoring and run-time profiling of fault diagnostic routines for the example system. Provides a demo software application which can be used as a starting point for evaluating TI Hercules MCU and PMIC combination chipset. Offers a user-friendly, host-based graphical-user interface (GUI) that provides capability to inject faults, apply diagnostics, profile run-time of fault diagnostics, time-stamp system response and set configurations; and communicates with the development board to request status information enabling visualization of system response timing. Includes a second MCU on the evaluation board, which acts as test control and monitor unit, and manages communication with the GUI. Includes an on-board JTAG emulator, accelerometer, CAN transceiver, LCD module, temperature sensor and host/debug interface with a USB HUB controller and a serial communication port converter. Utilizes an industry-standard DIMM form factor with 100-pin connector footprint for plugging into select TI motor control kits. Supports use of select non-TI third-party debug tools with a 20-pin external JTAG header for further design flexibility. Includes user-friendly documentation including a quick-start tutorial, user's guide, hardware schematics, and documentation for the diagnostic library to help ease evaluation and kit use. Provides easy-to-use SafeTI Hercules software framework, which makes it easy to start development of safety-critical applications using SafeTI components. The SafeTI software framework includes: HALCoGen, a GUI-based code-generation tool; SafeTI Hercules Diagnostic Library, offering a simple interface and a framework for enabling safety diagnostics/features recommended by the safety manuals of the Hercules MCU and the TPS65381-Q1 PMIC; Evaluation version of SAFERTOS(R) from Wittenstein High Integrity Systems. Includes well-documented source code for the demo application, the monitoring application and the diagnostic library. Provides latest version of TI's Eclipse-based Code Composer Studio(TM) IDE for use with the emulator.

Texas Instruments Inc. announced the SimpleLink(TM) Wi-Fi(R) CC3000 BoosterPack. The new Wi-Fi BoosterPack is powered by the SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 module from TI, which offers simplified Wi-Fi connectivity for microcontroller (MCU) -based systems. Working with both the MSP430(TM) and Tiva(TM) C Series MCU LaunchPad evaluation kits, the CC3000 BoosterPack (CC3000BOOST) quickly gets designs started for a wide variety of MCU-based home automation, health and fitness and machine to machine (M2M) applications. Since the new BoosterPack is based on TI's SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 module, it benefits from features including reduced development time, lower manufacturing costs, less board space, easier certification, and minimal required RF expertise. Armed with TI's unique SmartConfig(TM) technology, the new SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 BoosterPack allows for one-step activation of multiple in-home, headless devices to get them quickly connected to the Wi-Fi network. Availability and pricing: The SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 BoosterPack (CC3000BOOST) is available now through the TI eStore and TI authorized distributors. The BoosterPack retails for $35. A CC3000 evaluation module (CC3000EM) for other TI MCU EVMs such as the MSP-EXP430FR5739 FRAM experimenter board is also available from TI. The CC3000 BoosterPack is also being offered as a bundle on TI's eStore with the MSP430 LaunchPad evaluation kit and will soon be available as a bundle with the Tiva C Series LaunchPad evaluation kit.

Texas Instruments Incorporated introduced two tiny push-button reset controllers for space-constrained, power-sensitive applications such as pedometers, fitness bands, cell phones and tablets. The dual-channel TPS3420 and TPS3421 feature low power consumption and a selectable reset time delay to improve system stability. Push-button reset controllers are required for portable electronics with an embedded battery. In practice, the user presses and holds one or two external keys for a specific period of time, which turns the portable device off or generates a reset. The TPS3420 and TPS3421 use a long input delay to provide the intended system reset and avoid reset from short push-button or key presses. This reset configuration enables differentiation between software interrupts and hard system resets. The timers are the first in a family of new push-button controllers from TI to ensure a hard and full system reset when needed to increase efficiency. Selectable input delay of 7.5 or 12.5 seconds eliminates unintended resets. Low 250-nA quiescent current conserves power for portable electronics. Selectable reset pulse of 400 or 800 milliseconds allows for flexible initializing. Small 1.45-mm by 1.0-mm by 0.55-mm SON package consumes 70% less board space than competitive devices. Although TI's MSP430 microcontrollers (MCUs) are already equipped with a push-button interrupt, an external push-button reset controller, such as the TPS3420 or TPS3421, along with a voltage supervisor like the TPS3839, can serve as an extra line of security. The controller and supervisor remain isolated from the MSP430 MCU, ensuring reset as long as they are connected to a power supply. The TPS3420 and TPS3421 also relieve the MSP430 MCU of the processing power required to monitor a push-button interrupt. TI's broad range of power management and analog signal chain products offers design engineers the high performance, low power and integration they need to create innovative and differentiated consumer electronics. TI is engineering the future with gesture recognition, touch feedback, advanced battery charging, audio, health technology and more. The TPS3420 and TPS3421 push-button reset controllers are available in volume now from TI and its authorized distributors. Offered in a 6-pin SON package, the controllers are priced at $0.40 in 1,000-unit quantities. For those applications requiring a single push-button input, TI offers the TPS3422 priced at $0.34.