This is an EXTREMELY useful add-on (plug-in) for CCS that I discovered and I thought I would share this with the Community and how to set it up. Not sure why it isn't supplied with CCS as a standard, but it's not. Being able to connect your PC (especially Windows 7) via a COM port to an eval. board is essential sometimes, and being able to do it through your IDE is ... well, nice.
This support comes in 2 pieces. The first, Target Management Terminal, is from Eclipse. The repository is actually already listed in CCSv5, it has simply been disabled. To enable this, go to Help -> Install New Software, and click the Blue link "Available Software Sites" in the top section of the window pane. This brings up the Available Sites window pane, and if you scroll through the listed sites, you'll see several that have no names, just URLs. Find the one for http://download.eclipse.org/tm/updates/3.3 and label it Target Management. Then click on the check-box next to it to Enable it. Click OK.
Now, you should be back to the Install New Software pane. The Target Management selection should be there. Select it. It should populate out a list of possible additions. Open up TM and RSE 3.3.1 Main Features by click on the arrow icon next to it. You'll see Target Management Terminal. Select it, and install it. CCS should ask you to restart, and please do! This package installs the Terminal plug-in, and you can pull it up with Window->Show View->Other (the first time)->Terminal. The Terminal window should pop up right next to your Console or Problems window. You will see Iicons to the right: a Connection icon, a Settings icon, and a New Terminal Connection icon - all enabled. If you go to Settings, and pull down the Connection Type list, you will see Telnet, SSH, and Serial support. Don't select Serial as yet, you will get an error due to RXTX not being installed.
RXTX is the second piece (plug-in) needed to establish a serial connection. Add the following using Install New Software -> Add ...
Name: RXTX
Location: http://rxtx.qbang.org/eclipse/
Pick either version (not sure what works on what,) and install. This will install the RXTX Serial API and drivers needed by the Target Management Terminal. CCS will ask you to restart again, let it. Now, go to your Terminal window -> Settings, and select Serial connection. You will see the typical Serial settings like COM port, baud rate, start and stop bits, parity, etc. Connect up your EVM Serial port with a cable and ...
ENJOY!!!