MSP430F5438AIPZ - 25MHz 16-bit MCU 256KB Flash | Texas Instruments
MPN: MSP430F5438AIPZ ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13.85 | $13.85 |
| 10 | $12.46 | $124.60 |
| 100 | $11.07 | $1,107.00 |
| 500 | $9.99 | $4,995.00 |
| 1,000 | $8.95 | $8,950.00 |
MSP430F5438AIPZ Overview
An MCU (Microcontroller Unit) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, memory, and programmable peripherals around a common bus. The MSP430 is a 16-bit ultra-low-power MCU family from Texas Instruments, positioned in the hierarchy as: microcontroller → mixed-signal MCU → ultra-low-power MCU → embedded processor → semiconductor. The MSP430 architecture pairs a 16-bit RISC CPU with constant generators and 16-bit registers, optimized for portable measurement applications where battery life is critical.
Key features of the MSP430F5438AIPZ include five low-power modes (LPM0-LPM4) that draw as little as microamp-level standby currents, an on-chip real-time clock (RTC) module with a separate supply pin for calendar functions in battery-backed systems, and a sophisticated timer subsystem (Timer_A and Timer_B) supporting PWM, capture, and compare. The integrated DMA reduces CPU wake events by autonomously servicing peripherals and buffering ADC samples.
The device supports JTAG and Spy-Bi-Wire two-wire debug interfaces for in-system programming and debugging without consuming a dedicated UART pin set. Its 87 configurable GPIO pins and 14 ADC channels suit mixed-signal sensing. The architecture, combined with extensive low-power modes, is optimized to achieve extended battery life in portable measurement applications such as wireless sensor nodes, energy-harvesting instrumentation, smart meters, and human-interface devices.
Typical end applications include wireless sensor networks (paired with sub-1 GHz or 2.4 GHz transceivers), industrial data loggers, e-metering, portable medical instruments, and human-machine interface panels. Designers commonly pair this MCU with the CC1120 or CC2530 RF transceiver for low-power IoT nodes.
When designing with this part, place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each AVCC and DVCC pin pair and provide a 1 µF bulk capacitor on the main supply rail. Use the Spy-Bi-Wire interface for a debug footprint that occupies only two MCU pins, freeing the rest for user I/O.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives from the MSP430F5xx family, parameter-by-parameter comparisons, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for MSP430F5438AIPZ — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MSP430F5438APZ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F5436AIPZ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F5435AIPZ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F5438AIPZQ1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F5419AIPZ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F6638IPZ
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSP430F5438AIPZ Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | MSP430 CPUXV2 (16-bit RISC) |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz |
| Program Flash Memory | 256 KB (256K x 8) |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| ADC | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels |
| DMA Channels | 4 |
| Hardware Multiplier | 32-bit |
| GPIO Count | 87 |
| Communication Interfaces | UART, SPI, I2C (4x USCI modules) |
| Timers | Timer_A and Timer_B |
| RTC | Yes, with separate RTC supply pin |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C |
| Package | 100-pin LQFP (14x14 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Debug Interface | JTAG, Spy-Bi-Wire (2-wire) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
MSP430F5438AIPZ Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | P6.0/TA0_0 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 capture-compare input |
| Pin 2 | P6.1/TA0_1 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR1 |
| Pin 3 | P6.2/TA0_2 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR2 |
| Pin 4 | P6.3/TA0_3 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR3 |
| Pin 5 | P6.4/TA0_4 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR4 |
| Pin 6 | P6.5/TA0_5 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR5 |
| Pin 7 | P6.6/TA0_6 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR6 |
| Pin 8 | P6.7/TA0_7 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR7 |
| Pin 9 | P5.0/A0 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A0 |
| Pin 10 | P5.1/A1 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A1 |
| Pin 11 | P5.2/A2 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A2 |
| Pin 12 | P5.3/A3 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A3 |
| Pin 13 | P5.4/A4 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A4 |
| Pin 14 | P5.5/A5 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A5 |
| Pin 15 | P5.6/A6 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A6 |
| Pin 16 | P5.7/A7 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A7 |
| Pin 17 | AVCC1 — Analog power supply |
| Pin 18 | P8.0/A8/RTS — General-purpose I/O / ADC A8 / UART RTS |
| Pin 19 | P8.1/A9/CTS — General-purpose I/O / ADC A9 / UART CTS |
| Pin 20 | P8.2/A10 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A10 |
| Pin 21 | P8.3/A11 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A11 |
| Pin 22 | AVSS1 — Analog ground |
| Pin 23 | VREF+ — ADC positive reference voltage |
| Pin 24 | VREF-/VeREF- — ADC negative reference / external reference negative input |
| Pin 25 | P7.0/A12 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A12 |
| Pin 26 | P7.1/A13 — General-purpose I/O / ADC analog input A13 |
| Pin 27 | P7.2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 28 | P7.3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 29 | P7.4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 30 | P7.5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 31 | P7.6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 32 | P7.7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 33 | P3.0/UCB0STE/UCA0CLK — USCI B0 SPI slave transmit enable / USCI A0 clock |
| Pin 34 | P3.1/UCB0SIMO/UCB0SOMI — USCI B0 SPI mode: slave in / master out |
| Pin 35 | P3.2/UCB0SOMI/UCB0SIMO — USCI B0 SPI mode: slave out / master in |
| Pin 36 | P3.3/UCB0CLK/UCA0STE — USCI B0 SPI clock / USCI A0 SPI STE |
| Pin 37 | P4.0/PM_UCA1TXD/PM_UCA1SOMI — Port mapping UCA1 TXD / SPI data (port-mapped) |
| Pin 38 | P4.1/PM_UCA1RXD/PM_UCA1SIMO — Port mapping UCA1 RXD / SPI data (port-mapped) |
| Pin 39 | P4.2/PM_UCA1CLK/PM_UCA1STE — Port mapping UCA1 clock / SPI STE (port-mapped) |
| Pin 40 | P4.3/PM_UCA1STE/PM_UCA1CLK — Port mapping UCA1 STE / clock (port-mapped) |
| Pin 41 | P4.4/PM_UCB1FLHOLD/PM_UCB1FLST — Port mapping UCB1 flash hold / flash ST (port-mapped) |
| Pin 42 | P4.5/PM_UCB1FLST/PM_UCB1FLHOLD — Port mapping UCB1 flash ST / hold (port-mapped) |
| Pin 43 | P4.6/PM_UCA1TXD/PM_UCA1SOMI — Port mapping UCA1 TXD (duplicate function) |
| Pin 44 | P4.7/PM_UCA1RXD/PM_UCA1SIMO — Port mapping UCA1 RXD (duplicate function) |
| Pin 45 | P1.0/TA0CLK/ACLK — Timer_A0 external clock / ACLK output |
| Pin 46 | P1.1/TA0.0 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR0 |
| Pin 47 | P1.2/TA0.1 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR1 |
| Pin 48 | P1.3/TA0.2 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR2 |
| Pin 49 | P1.4/TA0.3 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR3 |
| Pin 50 | P1.5/TA0.4 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR4 |
| Pin 51 | P1.6/TA0.5 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR5 |
| Pin 52 | P1.7/TA0.6 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A0 CCR6 |
| Pin 53 | P2.0/TA1CLK — Timer_A1 external clock |
| Pin 54 | P2.1/TA1.0 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR0 |
| Pin 55 | P2.2/TA1.1 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR1 |
| Pin 56 | P2.3/TA1.2 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR2 |
| Pin 57 | P2.4/TA1.3 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR3 |
| Pin 58 | P2.5/TA1.4 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR4 |
| Pin 59 | P2.6/TA1.5 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR5 |
| Pin 60 | P2.7/TA1.6 — General-purpose I/O / Timer_A1 CCR6 |
| Pin 61 | RST/NMI — Reset (active low) / non-maskable interrupt input |
| Pin 62 | TEST/SBWTCK — Test mode pin / Spy-Bi-Wire clock (production, also debug) |
| Pin 63 | DVCC1 — Digital power supply 1 |
| Pin 64 | DVSS1 — Digital ground 1 |
| Pin 65 | XIN — Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 66 | XOUT — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 67 | AVSS2 — Analog ground 2 |
| Pin 68 | AVCC2 — Analog power supply 2 |
| Pin 69 | XT2IN — Secondary crystal oscillator input (for HF crystal) |
| Pin 70 | XT2OUT — Secondary crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 71 | VBAT — RTC backup supply pin |
| Pin 72 | P9.0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 73 | P9.1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 74 | P9.2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 75 | P9.3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 76 | P9.4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 77 | P9.5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 78 | P9.6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 79 | P9.7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 80 | P10.0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 81 | P10.1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 82 | P10.2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 83 | P10.3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 84 | P10.4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 85 | P10.5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 86 | P10.6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 87 | P10.7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 88 | DVCC2 — Digital power supply 2 |
| Pin 89 | DVSS2 — Digital ground 2 |
| Pin 90 | P11.0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 91 | P11.1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 92 | P11.2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 92 | P11.2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 93 | P11.3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 94 | P11.4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 95 | P11.5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 96 | P11.6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 97 | P11.7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 98 | TDO/TDI — JTAG test data out / in (shared) |
| Pin 99 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin 100 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
Typical Applications
MSP430F5438AIPZ is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Sensor Network Node, Smart Meter / Energy Metering, Portable Medical / Healthcare Devices, Industrial Sensor Data Logger, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels, E-Paper / Battery Powered Display Terminal.
Wireless Sensor Network Node
The MSP430F5438AIPZ is well matched to wireless sensor nodes (WSN) where idle current dominates the energy budget. Its LPM3 sleep current of roughly 2.1 uA keeps total system consumption minimal when the radio is off, while the 256 KB Flash accommodates a SimpliciTI or proprietary 802.15.4 stack and application code. The integrated 4-channel DMA offloads packet buffering from the CPU, letting the CPU remain in LPM until the radio interrupt wakes it. Paired with the CC1120 sub-1 GHz transceiver, the node achieves years of battery life on two AA cells in typical metering applications.
Recommended
Smart Meter / Energy Metering
In electricity, gas, and water metering designs, the MSP430F5438AIPZ offers the 12-bit SAR ADC, hardware multiplier, and 16 KB SRAM needed for accurate metrology calculations on small signal CT or shunt inputs. The 256 KB Flash stores segmented metering firmware plus RF communication stack. Hardware DMA paired with the 14 ADC channels supports multi-rate sampling without waking the CPU on every conversion. The integrated RTC with dedicated VBAT supply pin preserves calendar operation across main-battery replacement, a critical feature for metering applications.
Recommended
Portable Medical / Healthcare Devices
Battery-powered medical instruments such as glucose meters, pulse oximeters, and wearable patient monitors benefit from the MSP430F5438AIPZ ultra-low-power modes and 12-bit ADC. The 256 KB Flash supports user interface firmware plus Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) stack when paired with a CC2640. The five low-power modes and sub-microamp RTC sleep current enable multi-day operation on coin-cell batteries. AES-128 hardware encryption in the AES accelerator (present on F5xx) further supports HIPAA-relevant data privacy at the edge.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Data Logger
Industrial data loggers needing extended local storage and robust communication map directly onto the MSP430F5438AIPZ. The 256 KB Flash stores recording configuration and compressed data, while 16 KB SRAM serves as a ring buffer for incoming samples. Four UART/SPI/I2C channels enable simultaneous communication with multi-axis sensors, an SD card, and a host PLC. The industrial -40 C to +85 C temperature range supports factory-floor operation. Adding external FRAM through SPI gives non-volatile buffering across power-cycles.
Recommended
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels
HMI applications with capacitive-touch keypads, segment LCDs, and serial control links leverage the MSP430F5438AIPZ timer subsystem, ADC, and integrated LCD driver on the F5xx series. The 87 GPIO are sufficient for keypad scanning plus LED feedback and serial comm links simultaneously. The four USCI modules support the host controller (SPI/UART) plus a second display panel. Hardware DMA keeps display refresh independent of the CPU power state for jitter-free UI at low average current.
Recommended
E-Paper / Battery Powered Display Terminal
The ultra-low-power MSP430F5438AIPZ is a natural host for e-paper terminals that update slowly and require long battery life. The 256 KB Flash stores fonts, internationalization tables, and update logic, while the 16 KB SRAM buffers a full display update. The 12-bit ADC reads light sensors for automatic refresh scheduling. In low-power mode plus e-paper partial refresh, total system current can stay well under 100 uA average between user interactions, enabling coin-cell display terminals in retail and inventory tags.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MSP430F5438AIPZ — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MSP430F5438APZ | MSP430F5436AIPZ | MSP430F5435AIPZ | MSP430F5438AIPZQ1 | MSP430F5419AIPZ | MSP430F6638IPZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 100-LQFP (14x14) | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same |
| Brand | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 18 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 256 KB | 192 KB | 192 KB | 256 KB | 192 KB | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 12 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 18 KB |
| ADC | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels | 12-bit SAR, 14 channels |
| GPIO Count | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 |
| Automotive Grade | No | No | No | No | Yes (AEC-Q100) | No | No |
Key Differentiators
- Higher CPU clock than non-'A' revision (vs MSP430F5438IPZ (legacy))
- Automotive grade option is a true drop-in (vs MSP430F5438AIPZQ1)
- Dedicated VBAT pin retains RTC across power-loss (vs MSP430F5435AIPZ)
Design Notes
Place one 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each DVCC/AVCC pin pair and add a single 1 µF to 10 µF bulk capacitor on the main supply rail. The MSP430F5438AIPZ supports five low-power modes; LPM3 (RTC active) draws ~1.5 µA and LPM4 (full shutdown with wake from RST/NMI) drops into the tens of nA range. Exit from LPM3 via any enabled interrupt source in single-digit microseconds. Estimated: idle currents from datasheet typical curves, supply decoupling per TI recommended layout.
The 100-pin LQFP-100 footprint uses a 0.5 mm pin pitch and 14x14 mm body. Provide at least 0.5 mm clearance between pads and 0.2 mm trace width clearance to allow for hand-rework. Avoid routing long analog (P5/P7/P8) traces alongside digital switching lines. Keep the AVSS and DVSS loops separate and tie them to a single ground point under the MCU. Place the 32.768 kHz crystal between XIN/XOUT within 5 mm and shield it with a ground guard ring routed around the traces.
Do not assume a portable battery source will stay above the brownout reset threshold during high-current radio bursts. Add a 10 µF tantalum or ceramic bulk capacitor near the DVCC pins so that transmit surges do not cause spurious resets. When migrating from MSP430F5438 (non-A) to MSP430F5438A, re-time any cycle-sensitive delay loops since the CPU maximum frequency changed from 18 MHz to 25 MHz - the loop will run ~39% faster than expected. Finally, set unused I/O pins to output-low to avoid parasitic supply leakage.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliant per TI product page. Not AEC-Q100 - switch to MSP430F5438AIPZQ1 for AEC-Q100 automotive requirements. Lead-free and halogen-free packaging designation per distributor datasheet tag.
