TI introduces the eZ430-Chronos development platform... and sports watch
By Nilay Patel 
posted November 23rd 2009 10:58PM
posted November 23rd 2009 10:58PM
posted November 23rd 2009 10:58PM
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Shoot, looks like I'll be stocking my own stocking this year!
Stocking your stocking? Well yo dawg to you, too!
@Prestidigitator
Yo dawg, I herd you like stocking stockings and watching watches, I we put a watch in your stocking and a stocking in your watch so you can stock watches and watch stockings while you watch watches stock stockings and watch stockings stock watches... or watch stocks... or something watched stockings do.
now if only arduino can have its own version of watch like this... (I also want alphanumeric display)
Wow.... Can think of a lot of thing to integrate this into,,,
Well crap, I can't even think of any applications of this right now, and I still want it. Just how nerdy am I?
The calculator watch for the 21st century.
Too bad everything is 'out of stock.'
cool, get live server reports by just looking at my watch. Dont laugh when you have 200-300 servers running and you are having a short break it would be nice not to have to carry a bloody mobile or PDA to get alerts.
no bluetooth = useless
@movedor
Sounds to me like someone has an idea for a project.
i don't know what it does but i want two.
Finally something for the nerdy runner everywhere. Which includes me. Awesome.
You guys do realize "segmented" === teh sucks. Right? You want a dot matrix display... Segmented displays are soooo 1973. You can't draw purdy (or arbitrary) things on the screen.
The Timex Datalink USB has a dot matrix display (albeit somewhat skewed) and is programmable, so this is NOT the first programmable watch, but does have various sensors and wireless communications, one thing the Timex lacks.
Out of non-programmable watches, the Tech4o TraiLeader watches have full-faced dot matrix displays and all the normal sensors you'd expect from an outdoors watch, including an accelerometer for measuring walking/running distances.
Also... the damn thing is "out of stock". Good job on posting something that nobody can get their hands on.
@jaek
There's nothing wrong with a segmented display. It makes things easier and lower-power, with the tradeoff being the limitation on what you can display. Honestly, do you think you can effectively display anything other than letters and numbers on that small of a dot matrix?
Furthermore, this isn't even similar to the Timex you referenced. It's got a wireless modem for connecting to sensors, and you've got direct access to the micro that's running the show. Completely different devices.
Order it on digikey. Yes, it's backordered but at least you'll be in the queue.
pretty cool
The fact that they don't use a widely used wireless protocol makes me want to hit someone.
I was happy when I read the news and pissed off when I read the actual product page. I/Me/We want a programmable watch that can actually send the data online as it happens.
@Eternal Density
Now I just need something to turn that erroneous 'I' back into a 'so', like an edit button. I like edit buttons.
@Eternal Density
That was easily the best "yo dawg" I have ever seen. I tip my hat to you.
I see the comment system is still just as broken as before, if not more.
No Heartbeat sensor. Only the ability to wirelessly connect to one.
So no built in Heart Rate monitor, I guess you still need a big chest strap-on device. Kills the daily portability.
I still may get one just to play with as a development device.
holy crap, I so wish I didn't get the polar HM watch that I just bought
Here is a tear down video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDL3awjhLpw
The heartbeat sensor costs 49 to 98 euros ($75-$150). That's more than the watch. You can get them here:
http://www.acentas.com/index.php/components
Still looks like a fun toy...
Sounds to me like someone has an idea for a project.
It's pretty cool they're keeping the kit price @ $50. A lot of demo board kits are in the hundreds, even at academic pricing.
TI just released a low energy bluetooth chip. And now they release a nice gadget that is rendered to complete crap because it doesn't use major wireless standard.
I would pay $490 for one that supports bluetooth if rest of the specs are about the same. (Programmable, 2-way data transfer, accelometer, altimeter, temperature)
actually the watch includes an accelerometer and cheststraps are developed by http://www.bmwireless.com/
As for all the comments on bluetooth: BT is an absolute overkill for such applications (sports watches, pulse meters, remote controls) it's intended for much higher transfer rates in as such is not as energy effiecient as the protocols used for the Chronos kit, btw, more details here: http://wiki.msp430.com/index.php/EZ430-Chronos
@slartibartfast80
I was a bit off the point with comment. I don't care what the wireless standard is as long as mobile phones have real time access to generated data.
Nokia had nice start with N79 active, but it was immeditially discontinued. Also I didn't see any other solutions using the BT heart rate sensor.
I've already got mine on order. http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?lang=en&site=US&WT.z_homepage_link=hp_go_button&KeyWords=chronos&x=0&y=0
A little view inside the watch: http://e2e.ti.com/media/p/50213.aspx
Not exactly a tear down, but nice to see
Another TI video: http://e2e.ti.com/media/p/50297.aspx