TI's MSP430 Tools and Mac OS X

Hi Andreas,

I'm using a Mac for code develpment (OS X 10.5). Using Boot Camp is as using a Windows PC, so there are no problems I discovered so far (XP Prof SP3, IAR and CCE V3.1; MSP-FET430UIF, eZ430-F2013 and eZ430-RF2500 all work without problems; I have installed CCS V4.0 too, but here I have some problems with variable window; MSP-FET430UIF and eZ430-RF2500 work fine too).

I've tested Parallels 3.0 which didn't work (IAR toolchain). I will update to OS X 10.6 (hopefully this week) and prior do some testing with VMware Fusion and Parallels 4.0. I will try to use the Boot Camp installation because I need a native Windows for some other reasons.

I intend testing Virtual Box (with it own Windows installation since Virtual Box can't use the Boot Camp partition) too. Hopefully I will have the time to do so.

Keep you posted, rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare 

Hi aBUGSworstnightmare,

thanks for your time putting this feedback together, this is exactly what we need. Btw, I've tested the latest version of VirtualBox together with Win XP SP3 / IAR / MSP-FET430UIF, but during all my testing I could get it to download/debug only twice, despite several re-boot and re-start attempts. All other attempts resulted in a "Target Not Found Error". When it was working it worked very well; however I've been unable to pinpoint the reason for this intermittent behavior.

Regards,

Andreas

Hi Andreas (are you a German guy?),

well, bad news on my Virtual Box testing! Same result as yours!

Just finished (in better words aborted) the VirtualBox3.0.4 testings which only led to unsatisfying results. Here the details:

Host O.S.: MAC OS X 10.5.8
Virtual Machine: VirtualBox V3.0.4 (with guest additions installed)
Guest OS: Win XP SP3
IDE: IAR 

I was unable the get one of my USB tools running! --> test aborted after several attempts!
Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

P.S. Parallels 4.0 is next! 

P.S.S. I have a good knowlage in using Virtual Machines on Windows/Linux and OS X; but I have no idea what the problem with VirtualBox is.

Hi aBUGSworstnightmare,

thanks for the additional feedback. Which of the USB tools did you try? UIF? ez430-F2013? ez430-RF2500?

Also, do you think the issues are potentially driver related (Can the driver be installed and does it show up in the device manager properly?) or IDE related (What fails? IDE startup? Build? Debug?)? I know it might not be easy to determine who is at fault, since the fact that the driver installs smoothly and shows up in the device manager doesn't mean it can actually be used...

Thanks,
Andreas

Hi andre,

I've tried ez430-F2013 and ez430-RF2500 but both tools were not recognized by the new hardware wizard --> driver could not be installed. So, the problem I was facing was not related to the TI tools (HW or SW) hence - from my point of view - it is related to VirtualBox USB device handling.

aBGUGSworstnightmare

Hi andre,

just finished testing of VMware Fusion 2.0.5; pls fin the details below:

Host OS: MAC OS X 10.5.8

Guest OS: Windows XP SP3

Virtual Machine: VMware Fusion 2.0.5 (173382)

IDE Version: CCE v3.1 Build: 3.2.4.3.8

Tested Hardware Tools: eZ430-F2013, eZ430-RF2500 and MSP-FET430UIF

Results: All Hardware and software tool(s) work perfect! Tested compile/download/single step/run to line/run/variable view/memory view,  .. Test were made with existing and new projects.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

hey bugs,  that's awesome!  would you mind adding your results to the wiki?

Thanks for the feedback, I updated the Wiki page.

aBUGSworstnightmare

I've tried ez430-F2013 and ez430-RF2500 but both tools were not recognized by the new hardware wizard --> driver could not be installed.

When I did some tests, the devices were recognized, and I could install the drivers. Did you use the VirtualBox full version? I'm asking because there is another version (Open Source Edition), but this one lacks USB support. Do other USB devices work in your VirtualBox VM? Or I wonder if the differences may have something to do with the HW setup as well (What type of Mac is used, how does the USB tree look like...).

Thanks,
Andreas

Hello!

Just my 2 yen contribution:

I have successfully run CCE and IAR on MacIntosh via VMWare.

Bootcamp is fine, but it's good to use both systems in parallel.

There is a full (lengthy) report of what I did a few months ago, and I am working

with the same environment now. The pictures don't show CCE but IAR.

http://passworld.co.jp/ForumMSP430/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=154&p=357#p357

Pascal

Hi Pascal,

good to hear from you again! Thanks for posting the link, lots of valuable information there! Seems like VMware is a good way to go - at least for now.

Regards,
Andreas

Hello Andreas!

Yes, VMWare works fine in most of the cases. Apparently Parallels works fine too.

But I hope TI will provide a native MacOS-X version of CCE. Maybe this was the hidden

meaning of  "at least for now"...

As Eclipse already exists on MacOS-X, I think it wouldn't be _that_ hard to port the whole stuff.

Pascal

Hi Andreas,

I've tried with the full edition of VirtualBox (http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads) but had problems with the installation of USB devices (look here for details: http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html#settings-usb). Maybe you can lend me a hand and give me the TI Vendor ID (if NOT 0451) to aid in installing the tools.

Well, I had problems with ALL USB devices (because I did not RTFM (see link above)) --> I will do the testings again.

Do you have knowlage on CCS V4 MCU Core edition (or you maybe know someone who has)? I'm intending testing this too, but I have problems with the variable window since neither locals nor globals were displayed.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

P.S. I'm using an Intel 20" iMAC 

Hi Adrian,

n.p.! Here's another one:

results for Parallels Desktop 4.0; pls fin the details below:

Host OS: MAC OS X 10.5.8

Guest OS: Windows XP SP3

Virtual Machine: Parallels Desktop 4.0.3846

IDE Version: CCE v3.1 Build: 3.2.4.3.8

Tested Hardware Tools: eZ430-F2013, eZ430-RF2500

Results: Tested compile/download/single step/run to line/run/variable view/memory view,  .. Test were made with existing and new projects.

In case of eZ430-F2500: tool works fine, everythings o.k.
In case of eZ430-F2013: new hardware dialog was sucessfully completed, but when I intended to debug a project I always got the Parallels Windows asking were to add the new HW (VM or Apple). I was unable to assign the tool to the VM --> CCE stalls/or reported no tool found --> my testing of eZ430-F2013 <--> Parallels 4.0 failed! 

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

Hi andre,

did some further testing with VirtualBox, pls find my results below:

Host OS: MAC OS X 10.5.8

Guest OS: Windows XP SP3

Virtual Machine: Sun VirtualBox V3.0.4 r50677

IDE Version: CCE v3.1 Build: 3.2.4.3.8

Tested Hardware Tools: eZ430-F2013, eZ430-RF2500

Results: Tested compile/download/single step/run to line/run/variable view/memory view,  .. Test were made with existing and new projects.

In case of eZ430-F2500: tool works fine, everythings o.k. (no problems with repeated download/debug attempts as described by you)
In case of eZ430-F2013: new hardware dialog was sucessfully completed and device ws installed propperly, but when I intended to download/debug a project I always got the error no USB FET found --> my testing of eZ430-F2013 <--> VirtualBox V3.0.4 failed! 

Something to say on VirtualBox USB handling: you need to add a filter for EACH USB device (also for your USB stick) --> you need to have a look at the venor ID and then create a filter (I used 0451 as TI's ID). 

So, here is my recommendtion on Virtual Machines for MAC: USE VMWARE because it works fine straight out of the box (and because a Linux Version is available too)!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

P.S. Checked the eZ430-F2013 on Boot Camp --> tool works fine (no HW errors with the tool)

aBUGSworstnightmare,

thanks for all the testing you have done and the results you reported back. I updated the Wiki page accordingly (see original post). It will be very helpful for other users.

Regards,
Andreas