LaunchPad hardware revision to expand device support? We need your opinions - the future of LaunchPad is in your hands!
Hello MSP430 e2e-ers!
We would like to call on the online community to help us determine the future of the MSP430 Value Line LaunchPad development kit. The Value Line microcontroller family (MSP430G2xx) is growing and will soon feature integrated hardware UART in future devices.
With this new feature, we may update LaunchPad so that it can directly interface with these devices. Please, review the proposals below, and let us know your opinion via the online poll. The poll will be open until Jan 20, 2011.
If you have any other ideas or comments, let us know by responding to this post!
As always, thanks for supporting MSP430! LaunchPad was built specifically with our online community in mind, so we're excited at the opportunity to hear everyone's thoughts!
[poll] |
Scenario:
Existing LaunchPad (MSP-EXP430G2) pin assignments are OK for today's devices with Timer UART
However, we want LaunchPad to continue to support the new wave of Value Line devices (MSP430G2xx3) with HW UART (notice the RX and TX lines are flipped on these new devices)
The new MSP430G2xx3 devices can continue to use LaunchPad if the Timer UART is used, but HW UART will not be compatible due to the flipped pins... |
What are the options?
Proposal 1: Rev LaunchPad to include 2 more pins, to allow users to flip ports P1.1 and P1.2 depending on the position of a jumper. Both positions below support Timer UART (pin swap can be reflected in SW) and HW UART with position 2.
Jumpers @ Position 1 will allow existing code to run without modification on this new LaunchPad Jumpers @ Position 2 will allow designs with HW UART to run on this new LaunchPad as well |
Proposal 2: Similar in concept to Proposal 1, except we do not change the LaunchPad layout - we simply provide prototyping wires to allow developers to flip the pins when HW UART is needed. Both positions below support Timer UART (pin swap can be reflected in SW) and HW UART with position 2.
Proposal 3: Rev LaunchPad by re-routing the existing traces to permanently flip P1.1 and P1.2
Proposal 3 allows HW UART and Timer UART, however existing code generated on the current LaunchPad design will have to be modified to support the flipped pins. Proposal 1 and 2 can support existing code unmodified when the jumper/wire is in position 1. |