Executing Code from Flash - MSP430f5438A

Yes, MSP430F5438A (as well as a lot of other chips) is designed to execute from flash, and to jump conditionally ore unconditionally according to the code in flash.

Where is your "small program" stored in Flash? (The address.) Can you produce a hex file with either TI or Intel format?

Can you also show us the Blinky Led.hex file?

Using c and c-compiler is just for the convenience of the programmer. The CPU does not understand that at all. It what you eventually put into the Flash memory that counts!

"Small Program " is stored or starts at 0x5C00 and it will not over lap the with the received or dumped data in to the flash as dumping of data begins from 0x20000 which is actually the jump location for my jump instruction.

Blinky_hex file :

:1A5C00008100005CB11398000C930224B11300000C43B1136E00B1139C00E7
:02FFD20092009B
:02FFD400920099
:02FFD600920097
:02FFD800920095
:02FFDA00920093
:02FFDC00920091
:02FFDE0092008F
:02FFE00092008D
:02FFE20092008B
:02FFE400920089
:02FFE600920087
:02FFE800920085
:02FFEA00920083
:02FFEC00920081
:02FFEE0092007F
:02FFF00092007D
:02FFF20092007B
:02FFF400920079
:02FFF600920077
:02FFF800920075
:02FFFA00920073
:02FFFC00920071
:02FFFE00005CA5
:020000040001F9
:200000002A1440181A425C014018B240805A5C018F0000009F000100142889000000880094
:2000200000000D3C0C097F4C4F4F5F0600185F4F0000A90004000D094F13A9000400D9081B
:20004000F12B7AC23AD0085A4018824A5C018F0000009F00000009248A000000033C6A13BA
:20006000AA0004009A000000FA2328161001F103B240805A5C01D2D30402D2E30202B1405A
:20008000102700009183000081930000F627FA3F034332D01000FD3F1C4310010343FF3F23
:00000001FF

The above one is actual one i.e before removing intel information from it.

Here is what i get when i remove the Intel information :

0081 5C00 13B1 0098 930C 2402 13B1 0000 430C 13B1 006E 13B1 009C
0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092
0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 5C00 142A 1840 421A
015C 1840 40B2 5A80 015C 008F 0000 009F 0001 2814 0089 0000 0088
0000 3C0D 090C 4C7F 4F4F 065F 1800 4F5F 0000 00A9 0004 090D 134F
00A9 0004 08D9 2BF1 C27A D03A 5A08 1840 4A82 015C 008F 0000 009F
0000 2409 008A 0000 3C03 136A 00AA 0004 009A 0000 23FA 1628 0110
03F1 40B2 5A80 015C D3D2 0204 E3D2 0202 40B1 2710 0000 8391 0000
9381 0000 27F6 3FFA 4303 D032 0010 3FFD 431C 0110 4303 3FFF

I think I have taken care of the endianness for msp430.

It's pretty hard to download hex code and make it always work.
If you compile the code at a specific address and memory-save that part and place it back at the same location it should work.
Once it's compiled its pure machine-code and BR and Calls may crash as it's based on fixed absolute address.
jmp/jne/jeq will be fine as it's a +-512 step system.

But what about ISR vectors, did they change?
Does it need to be Relocatable code?,
Does it use absolute address for calls within itself that can not change?

So if you just want to see if it can be done, yes it can but I recommend you move on to some other project you want to do.

Thanks for reply and for finding the bug in my process.
So the only way for me to make this working is by doing changes in the linker file for the 'Blinky' project. Am i right? and if that's the case then how can i tell linker/compiler to produce a hex file with linear addresses only? I don't think i should change the Interrupt vector locations in linker.
Is there a way around?

You are correct, but the devil is in the detail.

Your Blinky is very short and actually does not use interrupts at all. Your c-compiler/linker currently splits the object in many pieces. First, some 26 bytes at the beginning of "lower memory" (with 16-bit address). Next, 23 pieces of 2-byte vectors at the end of "lower memory". And last, 160 bytes in "higher memory" (with 20-bit address). In cases like this, it is possible to have all the object in one continuous block of "lower memory". But in general, this is not possible. Only 0x5C00-0xFF&F are available for both your Loader and "Loadee" in the "lower memory".

Thus if you want to use your method, you need to modify you Loader to handle disjoint "Loadee".

The TI "BSL" and "MSP430Flasher" can already do what your Loader intend to do. They added a lot of other bells and whistles and carry excessive baggage/idiosyncrasy. When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Hello,

 I did manage to change the Linker Script for the Blinky_Led Project , and i got it working 90%. why 90% -> the control jumps to the new flash location ( i.e. starting location of Blinky Hex file starting from 0x92B0 ) and it starts executing the Hex code but instead of LED blinking it just stays ON. Reason , CCS Debugger is not allowing me to change the RESET address. I cannot have RESET vector in sequential order.  And RESET is the reason for the Infinite loop or for the LED blinking.

Do you have any idea how to change RESET address? It has to be in sequence or linear with the other addresses.

MEMORY
{
SFR : origin = 0x0000, length = 0x0010
PERIPHERALS_8BIT : origin = 0x0010, length = 0x00F0
PERIPHERALS_16BIT : origin = 0x0100, length = 0x0100
RAM : origin = 0x1C00, length = 0x4000
INFOA : origin = 0x1980, length = 0x0080
INFOB : origin = 0x1900, length = 0x0080
INFOC : origin = 0x1880, length = 0x0080
INFOD : origin = 0x1800, length = 0x0080
FLASH : origin = 0x92B0, length = 0x001A
FLASH2 : origin = 0x92F6, length = 0x00FA
INT00 : origin = 0xFF80, length = 0x0002
INT01 : origin = 0xFF82, length = 0x0002
INT02 : origin = 0xFF84, length = 0x0002
INT03 : origin = 0xFF86, length = 0x0002
INT04 : origin = 0xFF88, length = 0x0002
INT05 : origin = 0xFF8A, length = 0x0002
INT06 : origin = 0xFF8C, length = 0x0002
INT07 : origin = 0xFF8E, length = 0x0002
INT08 : origin = 0xFF90, length = 0x0002
INT09 : origin = 0xFF92, length = 0x0002
INT10 : origin = 0xFF94, length = 0x0002
INT11 : origin = 0xFF96, length = 0x0002
INT12 : origin = 0xFF98, length = 0x0002
INT13 : origin = 0xFF9A, length = 0x0002
INT14 : origin = 0xFF9C, length = 0x0002
INT15 : origin = 0xFF9E, length = 0x0002
INT16 : origin = 0xFFA0, length = 0x0002
INT17 : origin = 0xFFA2, length = 0x0002
INT18 : origin = 0xFFA4, length = 0x0002
INT19 : origin = 0xFFA6, length = 0x0002
INT20 : origin = 0xFFA8, length = 0x0002
INT21 : origin = 0xFFAA, length = 0x0002
INT22 : origin = 0xFFAC, length = 0x0002
INT23 : origin = 0xFFAE, length = 0x0002
INT24 : origin = 0xFFB0, length = 0x0002
INT25 : origin = 0xFFB2, length = 0x0002
INT26 : origin = 0xFFB4, length = 0x0002
INT27 : origin = 0xFFB6, length = 0x0002
INT28 : origin = 0xFFB8, length = 0x0002
INT29 : origin = 0xFFBA, length = 0x0002
INT30 : origin = 0xFFBC, length = 0x0002
INT31 : origin = 0xFFBE, length = 0x0002
INT32 : origin = 0xFFC0, length = 0x0002
INT33 : origin = 0xFFC2, length = 0x0002
INT34 : origin = 0xFFC4, length = 0x0002
INT35 : origin = 0xFFC6, length = 0x0002
INT36 : origin = 0xFFC8, length = 0x0002
INT37 : origin = 0xFFCA, length = 0x0002
INT38 : origin = 0xFFCC, length = 0x0002
INT39 : origin = 0xFFCE, length = 0x0002
INT40 : origin = 0xFFD0, length = 0x0002
INT41 : origin = 0x92CA, length = 0x0002
INT42 : origin = 0x92CC, length = 0x0002
INT43 : origin = 0x92CE, length = 0x0002
INT44 : origin = 0x92D0, length = 0x0002
INT45 : origin = 0x92D2, length = 0x0002
INT46 : origin = 0x92D4, length = 0x0002
INT47 : origin = 0x92D6, length = 0x0002
INT48 : origin = 0x92D8, length = 0x0002
INT49 : origin = 0x92DA, length = 0x0002
INT50 : origin = 0x92DC, length = 0x0002
INT51 : origin = 0x92DE, length = 0x0002
INT52 : origin = 0x92E0, length = 0x0002
INT53 : origin = 0x92E2, length = 0x0002
INT54 : origin = 0x92E4, length = 0x0002
INT55 : origin = 0x92E6, length = 0x0002
INT56 : origin = 0x92E8, length = 0x0002
INT57 : origin = 0x92EA, length = 0x0002
INT58 : origin = 0x92EC, length = 0x0002
INT59 : origin = 0x92EE, length = 0x0002
INT60 : origin = 0x92F0, length = 0x0002
INT61 : origin = 0x92F2, length = 0x0002
INT62 : origin = 0x92F4, length = 0x0002
RESET : origin = 0xFFFE, length = 0x0002
}

I posted a wrong linker file , here is the correct one:




MEMORY
{
SFR : origin = 0x0000, length = 0x0010
PERIPHERALS_8BIT : origin = 0x0010, length = 0x00F0
PERIPHERALS_16BIT : origin = 0x0100, length = 0x0100
RAM : origin = 0x1C00, length = 0x4000
INFOA : origin = 0x1980, length = 0x0080
INFOB : origin = 0x1900, length = 0x0080
INFOC : origin = 0x1880, length = 0x0080
INFOD : origin = 0x1800, length = 0x0080
FLASH : origin = 0x92B0, length = 0x001A
FLASH2 : origin = 0x92F8, length = 0x00FA
INT00 : origin = 0xFF80, length = 0x0002
INT01 : origin = 0xFF82, length = 0x0002
INT02 : origin = 0xFF84, length = 0x0002
INT03 : origin = 0xFF86, length = 0x0002
INT04 : origin = 0xFF88, length = 0x0002
INT05 : origin = 0xFF8A, length = 0x0002
INT06 : origin = 0xFF8C, length = 0x0002
INT07 : origin = 0xFF8E, length = 0x0002
INT08 : origin = 0xFF90, length = 0x0002
INT09 : origin = 0xFF92, length = 0x0002
INT10 : origin = 0xFF94, length = 0x0002
INT11 : origin = 0xFF96, length = 0x0002
INT12 : origin = 0xFF98, length = 0x0002
INT13 : origin = 0xFF9A, length = 0x0002
INT14 : origin = 0xFF9C, length = 0x0002
INT15 : origin = 0xFF9E, length = 0x0002
INT16 : origin = 0xFFA0, length = 0x0002
INT17 : origin = 0xFFA2, length = 0x0002
INT18 : origin = 0xFFA4, length = 0x0002
INT19 : origin = 0xFFA6, length = 0x0002
INT20 : origin = 0xFFA8, length = 0x0002
INT21 : origin = 0xFFAA, length = 0x0002
INT22 : origin = 0xFFAC, length = 0x0002
INT23 : origin = 0xFFAE, length = 0x0002
INT24 : origin = 0xFFB0, length = 0x0002
INT25 : origin = 0xFFB2, length = 0x0002
INT26 : origin = 0xFFB4, length = 0x0002
INT27 : origin = 0xFFB6, length = 0x0002
INT28 : origin = 0xFFB8, length = 0x0002
INT29 : origin = 0xFFBA, length = 0x0002
INT30 : origin = 0xFFBC, length = 0x0002
INT31 : origin = 0xFFBE, length = 0x0002
INT32 : origin = 0xFFC0, length = 0x0002
INT33 : origin = 0xFFC2, length = 0x0002
INT34 : origin = 0xFFC4, length = 0x0002
INT35 : origin = 0xFFC6, length = 0x0002
INT36 : origin = 0xFFC8, length = 0x0002
INT37 : origin = 0xFFCA, length = 0x0002
INT38 : origin = 0xFFCC, length = 0x0002
INT39 : origin = 0xFFCE, length = 0x0002
INT40 : origin = 0xFFD0, length = 0x0002
INT41 : origin = 0x92CA, length = 0x0002
INT42 : origin = 0x92CC, length = 0x0002
INT43 : origin = 0x92CE, length = 0x0002
INT44 : origin = 0x92D0, length = 0x0002
INT45 : origin = 0x92D2, length = 0x0002
INT46 : origin = 0x92D4, length = 0x0002
INT47 : origin = 0x92D6, length = 0x0002
INT48 : origin = 0x92D8, length = 0x0002
INT49 : origin = 0x92DA, length = 0x0002
INT50 : origin = 0x92DC, length = 0x0002
INT51 : origin = 0x92DE, length = 0x0002
INT52 : origin = 0x92E0, length = 0x0002
INT53 : origin = 0x92E2, length = 0x0002
INT54 : origin = 0x92E4, length = 0x0002
INT55 : origin = 0x92E6, length = 0x0002
INT56 : origin = 0x92E8, length = 0x0002
INT57 : origin = 0x92EA, length = 0x0002
INT58 : origin = 0x92EC, length = 0x0002
INT59 : origin = 0x92EE, length = 0x0002
INT60 : origin = 0x92F0, length = 0x0002
INT61 : origin = 0x92F2, length = 0x0002
INT62 : origin = 0x92F4, length = 0x0002
RESET : origin = 0xFFFE, length = 0x0002
}

In your old original post, you said:

“The data received over UART is a stripped or raw hex file ( for example Blinky Led.hex after removing the TI or Intel information from the Hex file ) and flashed to the proper non overlapping flash address. Lastly I call jump ( using function pointer ) to the starting address of the hex file where it is stored …”

Thus in the current situation, it should jump to 0x92B0.

You also knew that “I don't think i should change the Interrupt vector locations in linker.”  And now you did change them. But in this case, it does not hurt. This is because Blinky did not use interrupt at all. The vectors CCS generated are of no use and you can put them anywhere as long as they do not replace useful code/constants. The reset vector you worried about is only used to start the Blinky code. Since you jump to it, you could use “RESET : origin = 0x92F6, length = 0x0002” with no harm done too.

I did this " RESET : origin = 0x92F6, length = 0x0002 " but it never works , I know i shouldn't be changing Interrupt vectors in Linker script , but i have to make this thing work.

if i change RESET to 0x92F6 , CCS debugger never gets attached. Even if i flash the Hex file it never works. Is there any solution to change the RESET address in CCS. Still searching for a solution.

Your original post says:

gagan gaba said:

I have written a small program which receives data over UART and dumps the received Data in to the Flash of msp430f5438a. The data received over UART is a stripped or raw hex file ( for example Blinky Led.hex after removing the TI or Intel information from the Hex file ) and flashed to the proper non overlapping flash address. Lastly I call jump ( using function pointer ) to the starting address of the hex file where it is stored but instead of seeing LED blinking the mcu goes in to infinite loop. 

Is that still what you are doing now?

It should have worked.

Could you try to use the following raw hex file?

:105C00008100005CF103B240805A5C01D2D30402EF
:105C1000D2E30202B140102700009183000081937B
:085C20000000F627FA3F0343E0

Like you

For some reason, my previous reply was cut short. It should continue as follows.

............................................................................................................................

Like you did before, after the Intel formatting stuff are removed you get.

 0081 5C00
 03F1
 40B2 5A80 015C
 D3D2 0204
 E3D2 0202
 40B1 2710 0000
 8391 0000
 9381 0000
 27F6
 3FFA
 4303

If you compare this with what you got in one of your earlier post:

0081 5C00 13B1 0098 930C 2402 13B1 0000 430C 13B1 006E 13B1 009C
0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092
0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 0092 5C00 142A 1840 421A
015C 1840 40B2 5A80 015C 008F 0000 009F 0001 2814 0089 0000 0088
0000 3C0D 090C 4C7F 4F4F 065F 1800 4F5F 0000 00A9 0004 090D 134F
00A9 0004 08D9 2BF1 C27A D03A 5A08 1840 4A82 015C 008F 0000 009F
0000 2409 008A 0000 3C03 136A 00AA 0004 009A 0000 23FA 1628 0110
03F1 40B2 5A80 015C D3D2 0204 E3D2 0202 40B1 2710 0000 8391 0000
9381 0000 27F6 3FFA 4303 D032 0010 3FFD 431C 0110 4303 3FFF

You can see that I discarded all the red herring generated by your compiler/linker ;)

Sorry for my late reply , i have been trying a lot to achieve above thing.

I tried your way of stripping the Hex file ( i.e. without INT Vectors ) but no success at all. Then I was browsing through various TI post of this kind and i found some thing very cool and interesting. Please find the attach. 

The developer from TI suggested to create virtual interrupt table like sort of double jump on an interrupt. 

I tried his solution too but my debugger will never attach to the code. In the CCS i get no play button activated. I am 100% confident of this solution , it will work.

Some inputs would be highly appreciated.Custom ISR Structure.zip

gagan gaba said:

I tried your way of stripping the Hex file ( i.e. without INT Vectors ) but no success at all.

Did you do that with what you said in your first posting?

gagan gaba said:

I have written a small program which receives data over UART and dumps the received Data in to the Flash of msp430f5438a. The data received over UART is a stripped or raw hex file ( for example Blinky Led.hex after removing the TI or Intel information from the Hex file ) and flashed to the proper non overlapping flash address. Lastly I call jump ( using function pointer ) to the starting address of the hex file where it is stored...

I suspect that you did not do it that way, or did not do it correctly. Especially the last part "call jump ( using function pointer ) to the starting address of the hex file where it is stored"

Is it possible that you show me the code how you did that (that is, what you called "a small program which receives data over UART and ...")

As for the other method you read about, that should work too if you implement that correctly. But that method is too complicated and unnecessary.  

Well I did tried your way of Blink_LED and You are right i was missing a step , so it works :) but now i want to use interrupt. I want to use and learn the concept of virtual vector table and want to use it to make it generic.

In my last reply I attached some files ( which i downloaded from one of the forums in TI ), I want to implement that and learn that.

The files are meant for 5419 where as i am working on 5438a , but i saw there is no difference between two as far as Interrupt Vectors are concerned.

So i took those files and integrated in my project but after i gets compiled successfully and generates a Hex file , I am never able to attach the debugger.

Do i have to do some extra setting under project properties?  Any linker settings?

Here is the output of compiler when i have custom Linker file :

"Led_Blinky.out" .int00 ==> .int00
"Led_Blinky.out" .int01 ==> .int01
"Led_Blinky.out" .int02 ==> .int02
"Led_Blinky.out" .int03 ==> .int03
"Led_Blinky.out" .int04 ==> .int04
"Led_Blinky.out" .int05 ==> .int05
"Led_Blinky.out" .int06 ==> .int06
"Led_Blinky.out" .int07 ==> .int07
"Led_Blinky.out" .int08 ==> .int08
"Led_Blinky.out" .int09 ==> .int09
"Led_Blinky.out" .int10 ==> .int10
"Led_Blinky.out" .int11 ==> .int11
"Led_Blinky.out" .int12 ==> .int12
"Led_Blinky.out" .int13 ==> .int13
"Led_Blinky.out" .int14 ==> .int14
"Led_Blinky.out" .int15 ==> .int15
"Led_Blinky.out" .int16 ==> .int16
"Led_Blinky.out" .int17 ==> .int17
"Led_Blinky.out" .int18 ==> .int18
"Led_Blinky.out" .int19 ==> .int19
"Led_Blinky.out" .int20 ==> .int20
"Led_Blinky.out" .int21 ==> .int21
"Led_Blinky.out" .int22 ==> .int22
"Led_Blinky.out" .int23 ==> .int23
"Led_Blinky.out" .int24 ==> .int24
"Led_Blinky.out" .int25 ==> .int25
"Led_Blinky.out" .int26 ==> .int26
"Led_Blinky.out" .int27 ==> .int27
"Led_Blinky.out" .int28 ==> .int28
"Led_Blinky.out" .int29 ==> .int29
"Led_Blinky.out" .int30 ==> .int30
"Led_Blinky.out" .int31 ==> .int31
"Led_Blinky.out" .int32 ==> .int32
"Led_Blinky.out" .int33 ==> .int33
"Led_Blinky.out" .int34 ==> .int34
"Led_Blinky.out" .int35 ==> .int35
"Led_Blinky.out" .int36 ==> .int36
"Led_Blinky.out" .int37 ==> .int37
"Led_Blinky.out" .int38 ==> .int38
"Led_Blinky.out" .int39 ==> .int39
"Led_Blinky.out" .int40 ==> .int40
"Led_Blinky.out" .int41 ==> .int41
"Led_Blinky.out" .int42 ==> .int42
"Led_Blinky.out" .int43 ==> .int43
"Led_Blinky.out" .int44 ==> .int44
"Led_Blinky.out" .int45 ==> .int45
"Led_Blinky.out" .int46 ==> .int46
"Led_Blinky.out" .int47 ==> .int47
"Led_Blinky.out" .int48 ==> .int48
"Led_Blinky.out" .int49 ==> .int49
"Led_Blinky.out" .int50 ==> .int50
"Led_Blinky.out" .int51 ==> .int51
"Led_Blinky.out" .int52 ==> .int52
"Led_Blinky.out" .int53 ==> .int53
"Led_Blinky.out" .int54 ==> .int54
"Led_Blinky.out" .int55 ==> .int55
"Led_Blinky.out" .int56 ==> .int56
"Led_Blinky.out" .int57 ==> .int57
"Led_Blinky.out" .int58 ==> .int58
"Led_Blinky.out" .int59 ==> .int59
"Led_Blinky.out" .int60 ==> .int60
"Led_Blinky.out" .int61 ==> .int61
"Led_Blinky.out" .int62 ==> .int62
"Led_Blinky.out" .reset ==> .reset
"Led_Blinky.out" .text:_isr ==> .text:_isr
"Led_Blinky.out" .text ==> .text

I can see that i never compiles the .mainintvec and .brintvec  and i am curious to know why? 

Thanks for your all the help.