Battery choice can make a difference in an application as well. Shown here is the typical discharge curve for lithium and alkaline batteries. The lithium battery has a much more flat discharge than do the alkaline batteries. Oftentimes this can allow a system to eliminate power devices such as DC-to-DC converters. In this case, the MSP430 can be directly run from the CR2032 battery without the need for a DC-to-DC converter or any type of regulator. Also shown is the calculation for a 10-year battery life. If an application can consume on average less than 2.5 microamps, then an average CR2032 battery will last 10 years. Sometimes this enables permanent batteries to be used in applications, reducing application cost and battery replacement costs.