MSP430F437: MSP430 Reading ROM hex over SPI

Hello Alex,

Your message is a little confusing as you talk of SPI, but ask about JTAG signals.

If you are talking SPI, if you have commands in your application to read out memory, you can do so.

Can you clarify the interface here?

Also, there isn't a ROM on the device you can read out. there is boot code and BSL in ROM, but it cannot be read. Are you asking about the FLASH area? If so it can be read out through the JTAG or BSL interface if they are open. The BSL can be protected via  a password to prevent access. Also the JTAG can be permanently locked on this device by blowing the JTAG physical fuse.

For more information about the BSL, checkout www.ti.com/tool/MSPBSL

For more information about code protection features across the MSP Portfolio, see www.ti.com/lit/slaa685

Alex,

hey won't be able to read out the Flash via SPI, unless the application that is written on that device allows that. That would be atypical, as such an application would normally have a handful of commands to setup different modes or exchange data from preset buffers, not necessarily carte blanch to read different areas of memory. 

They would need to get JTAG or BSL access in order to read the flash. However, if the JTAG is blown, then there is no access from that interface. They could then try BSL. It is possible that the BSL is disabled as well. If that's the case, there would be no access to the device.  If the BSL is locked, then they would need to give the password to unlock and read the memory. If the wrong password is given, then the device will mass erase itself and will be unlocked from BSL perspective. 

Alex,

That is all done via the application code the original designers wrote. It would be limited in scope and may have SW security features implemented. No way to know unless you had the source code.  From an pure MSP430 interface perspective, they would need JTAG or BSL access to read out the memory with our standard tools. 

This conversation is beyond the realm of help we can provide as it has to do with a different customer's application, and not directly with the MSP430 features.