LaunchPad (MSP-EXP430G2) firmware update will be available by end of this week! [Expand support for all new G2xx devices]

Hi Adrian,

thank you for your update on this issue! Maybe you should mark this tread 'sticky' to ensure that every E2E member is aware of it.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

Adrian,

Are we going to update the contents of the EEPROM for the TUSB3410 chip too?

Or, is the update for the MSP430F16xx only?

--OCY

So, will this update include support for the MSP430G2XX3 as well?

Hi,

Could I ask a question regarding this update, and please excuse my ignorance, but will this update in any way solve the issue I'm experiencing with getting my Launchpad board to communicate with a Vista PC.

I'm a complete Firmware\Software newbie, my experience is in hardware, but I'm trying to get the Temperature Demo running as an excercise in learning about the MSP430.  However I can't get this to run.  In the PC device manager, "Texas Instruments Emulators\Texas Instruments XDS560 PCIJTAG Emulator" there is a yellow warning symbol and looking at the properties for this, the Device Status shows "This device cannot start. (Code 10)".  On pressing the details button for this, Driver Files = "C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\xds560.sys"

I've tried to manually update this because the date shown in the properties is 2002 and on searching the MSP430 folder within the Ti emulation folder I see a file "xds560.sys" which is dated 2010.  On trying to update to this newer version Windows says something like PC determines it has the most suitable driver.

Any help you can provide to get me going would be much appreciated.

PS I've also installed CC V4 and my system is as per following:

Processor: AMDTurion(tn)64 x2 Mobile Technology TL-58 1.9MHz

RAM: 2GB

System Type: 32-bit Operating System

If non of the above is the source of my difficulty can you tell me what is and how I can fix.

Many thanks,

Jim

Mark Dailey said:

So, will this update include support for the MSP430G2XX3 as well?

Mark,

yes, this update will support the MSP430G2xx3 devices as well.

Regards,

Dung

Good to hear about the fix.

Will it be this week or next  ?

/Jonas

Hi Jonas,

We expect a solution to be available middle of next week. Just to give a status update, we have a simple GUI that will walk through the firmware update process. However, our latest version only supports Windows XP. By middle of next week, we should have a version that will also work on Windows 7.

Stay tuned, and thanks for the continued support!
AdrianF

I have a Launchpad with S/N 100901938. It actually kind of works – not much worse than the MSP-FET 430UIF I have. But I will give the update a try if and when it is available.

In case the update does not work, I dumped the current contents of the MSP430F1611 in that Launchpad. Here is the dump in three different formats.
3060.LP100901938.zip

Adrian. this a very good news.

Thank, you.

Will this update also for EZ430 device ?

Best regards.

pym

Hi Adrian,

what is the password for the .zip-archive? I just wanted to un-zip the files and try the update on one of my LaunchPads but I can't do it because the archive seems to be password protected!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

aBUGSworstnightmare,

the password is 'msp430' :). I'll change the zip package to a non-password one soon. 

~Dung

old_cow_yellow said:

I have a Launchpad with S/N 100901938. It actually kind of works – not much worse than the MSP-FET 430UIF I have. But I will give the update a try if and when it is available.

In case the update does not work, I dumped the current contents of the MSP430F1611 in that Launchpad. Here is the dump in three different formats.
3060.LP100901938.zip

Well, the update program says the firmware is already up to date and no changes are needed. So my Launchpad with S/N 100901938 remains "kind of works".

I have Launchpad SN 110101524 and the update worked for me.  It would be good, that when an update is released, to inform the purpose of the update and what was changed. The readme.txt file delivered with the package does not explain what was the problem with the previous version.

Thanks any way.

Talking about software updates, I have the latest version of Code Composer Studio Core Edition V 4.2.1.00004 and the latest of Launchpad. I have not been able to install Grace on my system. I have gone through all posts and forums and every thing falls into a version of the XDCTools feature.  I have XDCTools V 3.20.8.88, but Grace expects 3.21.0.27-eng.  As indicated by the following error:( when I tried to install)

"Grace (1.0.0.56-eng) requires feature "org.eclipse.rtsc.xdctools_3.21 (3.21.0.27-eng)", or compatible."

How can I resolve this problem?

Hi eduardo,

you may have a look at this thread http://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/msp43016-bit_ultra-low_power_mcus/f/166/p/98481/344431.aspx#344431 or wait for some days since a new release of Grace is on  it's way!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

eduardo said:

I have Launchpad SN 110101524 and the update worked for me.  It would be good, that when an update is released, to inform the purpose of the update and what was changed. The readme.txt file delivered with the package does not explain what was the problem with the previous version.

Thanks any way.

I have one with an earlier SN. I think you have just "down-dated" the firmware to be identical to mine.

old_cow_yellow

Could you  give me instructions on how to do a dump of the code in the MSPF1612?

I am using CCS and I am not aware of how to take the code off of a controller once it is installed.

Thanks

MAC Engineering said:

old_cow_yellow

Could you  give me instructions on how to do a dump of the code in the MSPF1612?

I am using CCS and I am not aware of how to take the code off of a controller once it is installed.

Thanks

Sorry. I do not have (nor want) CCS. I use IAR KickStart. To me, it is the lesser of the devils.

Works perfectly on Windows Vista SP2 too, thanks :)

Error 101

Now all it says is "Make sure there is a MSP430G22xx mounted on the launchpad..."  I'm guessing this thing is bricked now unless I get a FET430 to reflash it.

Vista 64.

Not certain what other specs will be useful.

Hello all.

I am using my LaunchPad with computers running Linux and Mac OS X. How can i install this firmware update from Linux or Mac OS X ? (No, i don't have any computer running windows).

Thanks

Hi Mark,

the updater will do nothing when no device is present in the target socket. So, place a device in the target socket and re-start the firmware update.

All details are here: http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/MSP430_LaunchPad_Firmware_Update

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

Hi Sergiu,

well, that's a real issue! The easiest solution would be finding a person with a Windows PC and do the update there.

But, maybe there's a solution for you! Microsoft offers a Windows 7 90days trial version free of charge (it's intended for IT professional to test software with). Usually you need to have a hotmail account to access the download (i.e. the German 32-bit version is available here https://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=11&ct=1302159883&rver=6.0.5276.0&wp=MCMBI&wreply=https%3a%2f%2fprofile.microsoft.com%2fRegSysProfileCenter%2fwizard.aspx%3fwizid%3dac9b34b9-2705-42cc-8754-cd083991b473%26lcid%3d1031&lc=1031&cb=LCID%3d1031%26WizID%3dac9b34b9-2705-42cc-8754-cd083991b473%26brand%3dWindows%2b7%26subbrand%3dSpringboard&id=74335&cbid=50861

Now, get a trial version in your language (there should also be an English one out there), download a free trial version of VMWare for Linux (http://www.vmware.com/products/player/overview.html), install VMWare, the Windows 7, do the update and your done.

As I said before: not the easiest way, but maybe the cheapest one!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

aBUGSworstnightmare said:

the updater will do nothing when no device is present in the target socket. So, place a device in the target socket and re-start the firmware update.

Thanks.  I probably should have mentioned that I'm not retarded.  The error message was pretty self explanatory.  There is a chip on the board and the first time the updater ran it detected it without issue.  The update ran roughly half way through and quit with the Error 101 message.  Now I get the message that I need to have a chip on the board, even though there is one there.  It's the original chip that came with the board and has the preloaded app on it, so I know it's working since the LED's are flashing.

The error was just Error 101 and said something non-specific about not being able to continue the update.  Nothing frustrates me more than error messages that have no explanation of what may have gone wrong.

Hi Mark,

sorry, but maybe you should have mentioned in your first post that the updater failed during the update process!

As you said before: Error 101 doesn't give that much details about what caused the update to fail.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

aBUGSworstnightmare said:

sorry, but maybe you should have mentioned in your first post that the updater failed during the update process!

Yes, I should have done this.  I know this is a community supported forum, but the Wiki states to post error messages here, so I though it would be looked at by developers who would know that the error 101 and the chip detect errors were two different errors.  I should have been more descriptive.

Just updated my Launchpad (Ser: 101209xxx) - programming a G2452 used to work only intermittently, now works every time. Thank you!

What was the bug ?

Hi, 

as far as I know a wrong firmware was used during production of the launchpads.

And yes, the MSP430 tools team guys take care about the forum too!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare 

Launchpad with serial 10121XXXX also 'bricked' with updater. Update process quit without giving error, now does not detect MSP430 in socket. Please advise how to revive launchpad, I do not have a JTAG programmer. Maybe someone can come up with a way to use one Launchpad to revive another? Also, more info about the update process and official binaries would be appreciated. Thank you.

I just got my Launchpad and before I had a chance to solder anything onto it, I tried the update and Bam! ... bricked device.. just like yours and others.  That was a nice $5 tease TI!  Now I guess I'll just trash it.

In my opinion, that "up-date" is actually a "down-date". In your case, and many others, you end up with "up-down-date".

Up-date, down-date, up-down-date, same difference.

berlininstruments said:

Maybe someone can come up with a way to use one Launchpad to revive another?

It should be posible to send a new (or better an old) firmware to the 1612 using the BSL protocol. But might require some soldering. I don't know.

I don't know about the BSL (bootstrap loader), I was thinking more in terms of supplying a firmware for the G2231 as programmer. There is an application note n the JTAG programming including source code that may be shrunk down, a quicker way would be to shrink the firmware of "pySerJTAG and Serial-JTAG adapter" (http://mspgcc.sourceforge.net/tools.html) if possible. I'm not proficient enough to attempt this in reasonable time, unfortunately.

But there is not enough information about the setup anyway.

Does the TUSB3410 require firmware?

Why is it neccessary to plug in an MSP430Gxxxx?

A few guesses:

- TUSB3410 has a bootloader or does not require firmware update (except for frequent bluescreens and connection problems on my system when working with Launchpad and CCS)

- Plug-In MSP's firmware downloaded with current firmware

- Plug-In MSP flashed with JTAG programmer firmware

- F1612 updated via serial JTAG

- Plug-In MSP's firmware restored

- done.

It would be nice to get more info on the process or at least some statement from TI, as I certainly followed instructions for the update and now have a defunct unit.

berlininstruments said:

Does the TUSB3410 require firmware

berlininstruments said:

Plug-In MSP flashed with JTAG programmer firmware

berlininstruments said:

Why is it neccessary to plug in an MSP430Gxxxx?

A second unit could be updated just fine (101210xxx).

The updater first checks for an MSP in the socket. The updater later does a version check, so it can only be run once.

I could not observe a change in USB IDs (0451, F432).

aBUGSworstnightmare said:

[snip]

Now, get a trial version in your language (there should also be an English one out there), download a free trial version of VMWare for Linux (http://www.vmware.com/products/player/overview.html), install VMWare, the Windows 7, do the update and your done.

As I said before: not the easiest way, but maybe the cheapest one!

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

Has this worked for you ? (ie using vmware with Linux host and CCS tools on windows guest). I've been trying something similar (using winXP) but both my original install and a fresh new image are not recognizing the Launchpad board, trying to launch and debug the demo project gives me a FET not found error (I did make sure the USB device was handed to the guest before booting). Need to try a native boot but that screws me around with windows re-activation so I've been avoiding it.

The board works fine with mspdebug on the Linux side, can reprogramming the MSP430G2231 there cause problems back in windows ?

Haven't got as far as trying the firmware update, from the sounds of things it could brick the board if communication fails.

Niall Parker said:

Has this worked for you ? (ie using vmware with Linux host and CCS tools on windows guest). I've been trying something similar (using winXP) but ...

Hi Niall,

I'm using VirtualBox (free opensource) on my MacBook with WinXP in it running CCS for launchpad, and it works fine. I do have to remember to grab the USB device from the menu (this can be done on the fly while the VM is running), and then the rest works fine. I think I did have to install the drivers the first time I used it (following whatever the msp430 instructions say to do).

As for doing all that work just to upgrade the launchpad... I think I'd rather just spend another $4.30!

Cheers,
-Nico

Hi Niall,

I used VMware on a Linux host for several time before I changed to an Apple MAC. At the moment I'm using VMware on my OSX, running Win XP in the virtual machine.

I've never fased any problems with VMWare. The only thing you need to assure is that the VMWare tools are in place´.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

aBUGSworstnightmare said:

Hi Niall,

I used VMware on a Linux host for several time before I changed to an Apple MAC. At the moment I'm using VMware on my OSX, running Win XP in the virtual machine.

I've never fased any problems with VMWare. The only thing you need to assure is that the VMWare tools are in place´.

Rgds
aBUGSworstnightmare

Hmmm ... something not working here then, tried it on two different machines (hosts) and two different vmware guests (both winXP) then found an factory sealed launchpad board and tried it, same result. On plugin of the board, windows hangs for a while, then reports an error for an unknown device. Rescanning/removing driver etc. doesn't help. Device manager indicates vid and pid both zero, some comms error on enumeration ?

Still to try a physical machine, maybe some timing issue with the usb port (neither of my hosts is very fast, maybe the added virtualization layer is choking something).

Does anyone know what driver should be installed ? On the linux side it shows up as ttyACM0, does windows treat it as a communication device as well ?

thx

                    ... Niall

Wow that was painful ! (lost passwords and incompatibilities between chntpw and win7, endless updates!), finally got board firmware updated on a native windows install, the vmware trick doesn't work on my hardware. At least it'll be easier next time ...

                    ... Niall

I just updated my 430 Launchpad, and it seems to have worked fine.

Sadly, I still can't program either of the chips I got with the kit, neither the MSP 430G2231 that was plugged in, nor the 2211 that was in a separate packet in the box.

I've played with a few other chipsets before, Atmel and Basic STAMP, etc. and I've never spent a full day trying to get the "Hello world!" application working before.

All I get now is the error

MSP430: Trouble Writing Memory Block at 0x200 on Page 0 of Length 0x1094: Could not write device memory
Cannot write to target

over and over. At first, with the first chip, it simply complained that it couldn't write to the wrong device, telling me it was the chip I had told it it was, yet saying it was trying to write to a different chipset. No matter how many times I went through the "Select target device" menu, and changed things around, I couldn't get it to work.

Eventually, I changed the chip (having read various threads on here and elsewhere) and suddenly it didn't work in a different way, which was better than the hours spent looking at the same error message!

Might I suggest that the programmer software pop up a selection menu that says "You claim this is a xxx, but it is a yyy. Would you like to change to this yyy, or override it?" then have it change the settings as required? Or, if that is too complex, how about having the programmer probe the chip, so you don't have to loop through the selection process over and over? It already knows the USB port and the device and chip, so having this as the "basic" setting would be very much simpler for getting started.

Now, that said, can anyone offer any ideas on the above error in red? I have updated the firmware, and it seemed to work. Yet "Hello world!" still eludes me! (I assume the chip is good, a 2211, since the firmware updater auto-detected it and ran just fine.)

Thanks.

Ok, just to save anyone replying, I figured it out - and this will save others who run into the same issue!

It appears that you cannot change the device in the project without  some work. When you create a new project, you must ensure you set the target device correctly at that stage. Changing it later on means that it simply ignores that and carries on with the default device. Adding a new XML file for the correct device, or trying to edit the default device type seems to not work, regardless of which options you select.

Everything is working fine now. If the instructions had been a bit clearer, I'd have been fine. Thanks to http://mspsci.blogspot.com/2010/07/tutorial-01-getting-started.html I got it sorted.

If anyone knows how to change the chip type mid-job (without exiting then starting a new project), please let me know!

This update also bricked my board with serial 1011XXXXX

Giving me an error 101 and then quiting halfway of the update process.

Subsequent attempts to flash it say: "Please make sure that an MSP430G2xx is mounted on the LaunchPad's DIP socket."

Now I can't access the MSP430 at all.

Has anyone come out with a solution.

Hi everybody,

I have some troubles to use my G2452 so I decided to update the firmware of my launchpad using Win7 in a VM running on my macbook but after a communication error I can't get my device updated even with a PC running windows XP. It says that no MSP430G2xxx is connected but there is a G2452 connected (I also tried with another one). Is there a solution or need I re-order a new launchpad?

Can this firmware update be used on a version 1.3 launchpad board?

Hi everbody, I went  updade my launchpad and something wrong happened error 54

What was the serial number of your LaunchPad? Which version? And when did you get it?

As far as I know. That "update" was very ancient. If and when it works, it actually "down-date" the firmware to an even more ancient one. If and when it does not work, it kills your LaunchPad.

Hi all,

I wanted to start a new project with the MSP430 Launchpad. But after installing CCS, my computer wasn't able to find the launchpad. When trying Energia it worked fine, but I wanted to use CCS. I had read about this firmware update that could help me: http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/MSP430_LaunchPad_Firmware_Update. But even-tough I followed the instructions, my computer said: "An error/problem has occured, the application needs to close". Now I can't find my Lanchpad anymore (even on Energia) and I believe my Launchpad is bricked. Is that true? Can I trow away my launchpad? Can anyone give me any advice? I'm using a Windows 8 (64 bit) computer and CCS 5.4. (I read all the other post on this topic, but didn't see any Windows 8-stories.)

Thanks in advance,

Rick