Contactless Infrared Thermometer (Pyrometer) using MLX90614 and MSP430

The device is designed for contactless measuring and monitoring temperature of objects. It is built on Melexis MLX90614 sensor and can measure temperatures in the range from -70°C to +380°C with 0.5°C accuracy and 0.01°C resolution. The period of measurements can be set in the menu from 1 sec to 1 min in 10 sec increments. It is also possible to record the temp measurements and upload them to a computer via the serial interface through X1 and an external level converter.
contactless-infrared-thermometer-pyrometer-using-mlx90614-and-msp430
The heart of the device is TI’s MSP430RF5728 microcontroller (μC) with FRAM type of memory instead of conventional Flash. This simplifies and speeds up writing to memory and from the user’s viewpoint there is no difference between RAM and FRAM access. No preliminary block erase is needed by writing a single byte into FRAM. However, presently FRAM is slower than Flash. In FR57xx devices the maximum FRAM access frequency is 8 MHz. However, in my device μC is running at 8MHz, so there is no any slowdown. Another disadvantage of FRAM is its lower size compared to Flash in today’s devices. As of today, it is limited to 16 KB in the FR57xx family. However, this amount of memory is sufficient to store about 5400 temp measurements in memory (2 bytes per value). Most of the time the μC remains in a sleep mode LPM3. Using peripheral SPI and I2C modules along with DMA allows the data exchange to be performed practically without involving the μC. This benefits to its power consumption leaving it at 8μA, in average.
The measurements and other information is displayed on a 102×64 graphics LCD manufactured my Electronic Assembly. It is a low-power device drawing just about 270 μA when idle. It needs just 3 external caps to operate (C11 – C13) and uses SPI interface to communicate with μC at 8 MHz frequency.
The device operates in 3 main modes which are selected with a slider switch. The switch position is monitored by a built-in ADC. In the middle position of that switch the device performs periodic measurements of temp. The measurements can be stopped and started by the “mode” button which is convenient for monitoring some difficult to access devices. The monitoring period is set with “<” and “>” buttons and is displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen.
For more detail: Contactless Infrared Thermometer (Pyrometer) using MLX90614 and MSP430


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

Follow Us:
LinkedinTwitter

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top