Polyphase metering MCU with six 16-bit sigma-delta ADCs
The Texas Instruments MSP430F47196IPZR is a 16-bit microcontroller from the MSP430x4xx family, purpose-built for polyphase energy metering. Its standout peripheral is the six-channel 16-bit sigma-delta ADC array — each channel samples a voltage or current input simultaneously, which is the core requirement for calculating active, reactive, and apparent power in a three-phase system with neutral. The 16 MHz CPU16 core has enough headroom to run the metrology algorithm and the communication stack without an external DSP. The 120 KB on-chip flash stores the application firmware plus the calibration constants; the 4K x 8 RAM handles the runtime data buffers for the ADC samples and the protocol frames.
What the 6x16-bit ADC means for the BOM
Six independent sigma-delta ADCs mean the MSP430F47196IPZR samples all voltage and current phases simultaneously — no multiplexer skew between channels. For a three-phase four-wire meter, that is three voltage inputs and three current inputs, each with its own dedicated converter. The 16-bit resolution gives enough dynamic range to measure both the no-load standby current and the full-scale fault current without an external PGA. The internal oscillator eliminates the external crystal for the ADC clock, though the metrology algorithm still benefits from a precision timebase if the utility requires better than 0.5% accuracy over temperature. The LCD driver in the peripheral set drives the segment display directly, removing a separate display controller from the BOM.
Availability and current pricing confirmed at RFQ time. The 100-LQFP package is a standard JEDEC footprint with good second-source availability across the MSP430 portfolio.